Diesel-powered trucks are the workhorses of today's society, delivering the vast majority of goods used in North America. Now, after two decades of dramatic emissions reductions, the North American heavy truck industry has been challenged to develop even cleaner diesel engine solutions to meet the Environmental Protection Agency's new standards for 2010.
An outstanding solution is Selective Catalytic Reduction (SCR) - an emissions-reduction technology with the ability to deliver near-zero emissions of nitrogen oxides (NOx), a smog-causing pollutant and greenhouse gas. SCR's performance has been proved in millions of miles of real-world truck operations in other countries, as well as in long-term field tests in the U.S.
SCR reduces NOx emissions to very low levels, while at the same time delivering excellent fuel economy and reliability. The system doesn't change the design or operation of the basic engine. Rather, SCR is an aftertreatment system which converts NOx in the exhaust stream into harmless gases. Modern diesels already use exhaust aftertreatment systems, called diesel particulate filters, to control emissions of another pollutant, soot (also known as particulate matter or PM).
SCR works by injecting Diesel Exhaust Fluid (DEF) into the exhaust. DEF is a simple solution of water and urea, a common nitrogen-containing compound. DEF works with the heat of the exhaust and a catalyst to convert NOx into nitrogen and water vapor - two harmless and natural components of the air we breathe.
The end result is cleaner air, excellent fuel efficiency (which reduces the amount of imported oil needed) and a reliable emissions control system for today's modern diesels.