DEF Is Here
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!
View Available DEF "True Blue" Dispensing Systems >
