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Are You Prepared To Meet The EPA's Tougher
Emissions Standards On January 1st?
Starting January 1, 2010 the EPA
will enforce tougher emissions standards for all on-highway diesel
vehicles. To meet these mandates between 50% and 75% of diesel
cars and light duty vehicles are expected to use SCR technology, which
uses Diesel Exhaust Fluid (DEF) to convert noxious NOx into harmless
nitrogen gas. The following is from an article in Fixed Ops
Magazine by Vijay Srinivasan.
DEF is
Here! The Ins And Outs of Diesel Exhaust Fluid
You know that Diesel Exhaust Fluid (DEF), a
high purity urea solution in water, will be used to control diesel
engine emissions in order to meet EPA standards. Here’s how you can be
prepared to dispense and profit from DEF.
The EPA has mandated tougher emissions control standards for all
on-highway diesel vehicles, effective Jan. 1, 2010. Vehicle
manufacturers have developed Selective Catalytic Reduction (SCR)
technology, which uses DEF to convert noxious NOx into harmless nitrogen
gas, which makes up 80% of the air we breathe. (It’s expected to provide
a 5% fuel economy advantage.) DEF is a high purity solution of 32.5%
urea in water. Urea is a colorless, odorless, non-hazardous,
non-flammable, non-combustible crystalline solid made from natural gas.
Between 50% and 75% of diesel cars and light duty vehicles are expected
to use SCR technology.
ISO standards require the use of stainless steel and certain plastics
for DEF storage in order to prevent SCR catalyst poisoning. Materials
specifically not recommended include non-ferrous metals and allows
(copper, aluminum, magnesium, silver, zinc and lead), solders containing
non-ferrous metals, and nickel-coasted plastics and metals. Bottles (2.5
gallon), drums (55 gallon) and totes are most commonly made of
polyethylene. Large storage tanks can be made of stainless steel or
coated carbon steel. To ease the burden of compliance to ISO standards,
the American Petroleum Institute (API) has developed a certification
will certify licensed DEF marketers and enforce compliance to the
program, so that when consumers purchase DEF carrying the API
certification, they can be confident that the fluid will not damage
their vehicle exhaust system.
Another storage and handling issue is the regulatory role of local
authorities. As you are aware, there are numerous local authorities you
have to satisfy. DEF is a non-flammable and non-combustible fluid, over
two-thirds of which is water. As such, storage and dispensing of the
fluid should be of no concern to fire marshals.
A potential problem in handling DEF is that it freezes at 11°F. The most
cost-effective solution for the majority of dealerships that will handle
small quantities (1,000 gallons per year) is to store and dispense DEF
indoors. If indoor dispensing is practical, you don’t need heated
enclosures. Another problem with DEF is that heating for long periods
above 85°F causes the DEF to decompose, slowly decreasing shelf life of
the fluid from about 18 months. For most of the country this slow loss
of shelf life will not matter because the fluid should be consumed much
faster than that. Store and dispense indoors and keep the containers
away from direct sunlight.
Most cars and light duty trucks will have 5-7 gallon on-vehicle tanks to
store DEF. The DEF will be metered by the on-board computer into the
exhaust gas at rates required to meet the tailpipe NOx standards. Based
on a 7-gallon DEF tank, 20 miles per gallon of diesel, and 2-4 gallons
of DEF per 100 gallons of diesel, a vehicle owner would need to fill the
DEF tank every 3,500-7,000 miles, or about the interval between oil
changes. The average quantity per fill (at 5,000 mile intervals) is less
than one gallon. The dealership can charge a flat fee to fill the DEF
tank, which could mean some customers would pay more than others
depending on how empty the tank is when a vehicle comes in for service.
Because customer fees do not depend on the amount of fluid sold, users
of this method avoid having to meeting complicated, onerous and
expensive weights and measures regulations.
The amount of DEF used will vary widely. DEF demand per vehicle should
be less than 10 gallons per year, assuming that the vehicle travels
12,000 mile per year @ 25 miles per gallon and that 4 gallons of DEF is
used per 100 gallons of diesel. The average DEF usage per dealership
will be about 100 gallons in 2010, growing to 900 gallons in 2013.
The lowest cost dispensing system ($100-$300) is a DEF-compatible rotary
pump with appropriate dip tube, required hose and a manual or
auto-shutoff nozzle.
The system, which is easy to set up and use, will fit 55-gallon drums
and 16-gallon kegs. The unit is most useful for dealerships with small
maintenance facilities with low demand (50-200 gallons per year).
Typically costing about $1,000, an IBC/drum top dispenser systems can
get the service department running with minimal installation time. The
systems include stainless steel pump, suction tube with coupler, digital
battery operated meter and an automatic shut off stainless nozzle. The
system can be mounted on a cart or a dolly so that a mobile system would
be available anywhere in the shop. This is suitable for shops dispensing
200-1,000 gallons per year, which should handle all but the largest
dealerships.
An indoor system with inventory control and tracking can be outfitted
with the DEF control panel, which has the capability to control and
manage the consumption of DEF for very large dealerships. The inventory
control system consists of a dedicated multi-user panel with the option
to connect to a PC. Depending on options used, these could range from
$3,000-$4,000.
In summary, DEF is here, it’s inexpensive and easy to acquire, store and
dispense in any service department. And now you’re ready for DEF!
More Facts About DEF >
View Available DEF "True
Blue"
Dispensing Systems >
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