DDC 2010 test engines rack up 12 million miles

March 1, 2009
Detroit Diesel Corporation has completed 12 million miles of testing on its BlueTec selective catalytic reduction(SCR) technology, including three years

Detroit Diesel Corporation has completed 12 million miles of testing on its BlueTec selective catalytic reduction(SCR) technology, including three years of engineering testing in some of the harshest of winter environments possible. By roll out on January 1, 2010, the Detroit Diesel BlueTec technology will have surpassed 25 million miles of testing making it one of the most proven and tested emissions reduction technologies ever.

Company officials discussed the testing effort and provided an update on Detroit Diesel's 2010 engines during the Technology & Maintenance Council annual conference February 9-12 in Orlando, Florida.

Detroit Diesel's BlueTec technology — a North American version of Daimler's proven emissions reduction system — was selected by the company in 2005 to meet the EPA 2010 emissions standards of near-zero levels of NOx (0.20 g/hp-hr) for heavy-duty trucks — one of the most stringent standards in the world.

“We are pleased to have taken full advantage of our early choice of SCR as the best technology for our customers for 2010,” said David Siler, director of marketing, Detroit Diesel Corporation. “This has allowed Detroit Diesel and Daimler Trucks North America to not only have an extended period of time for system design and performance refinement but also to gain significant testing and validation experience. The 2010 BlueTec technology will be one of most extensively tested emissions technology system in our company's history. Our early technology choice has allowed us to finalize our production-intent designs early on thus enabling us to demonstrate conclusively the performance, durability, and effectiveness of our BlueTec technology on production designs and over the extended life-cycle demands of our customers.”

BlueTec will incorporate the enhanced performance of Detroit Diesel's recently introduced DD15, DD13, and soon-to-debut DD16 engines, as well as the already proven Amplified Common Rail Fuel System and an integrated engine-compression brake. Detroit Diesel's BlueTec technology includes a unique one-box packaging design optimized for low back pressure and an all-new, robust diesel particulate filter material. The BlueTec SCR NOx aftertreatment system will utilize diesel exhaust fluid (DEF) and has been fully optimized for low emissions and high fuel economy.

“We are meeting our program goals for performance and emissions, fuel economy, durability, and reliability,” said Rakesh Aneja, EPA 2010 program manager, Detroit Diesel. “Our current projections are showing up to 5% diesel fuel economy improvement, and up to 3% net improvement with our BlueTec equipped engines compared to today's engines.

“In cooperation with our vehicle colleagues at Daimler Trucks North America, we have had the opportunity to test our 2010 BlueTec system under diverse ambient and environmental conditions, operating conditions, and routes. The results of our validation testing are very pleasing. We remain extremely excited about the prospect of our 2010 BlueTec technology offering a paradigm shift to our customers in 2010, with simultaneous reduction of fuel consumption, emissions, and CO2, compared to today's EGR-only vehicles.”

BlueTec symbolizes Daimler's commitment to meet today's environmental challenges, while also offering exemplary performance and fuel economy. Since adapting the technology in early 2005, Daimler has delivered more than 200,000 BlueTec-equipped trucks and buses around the world.

Detroit Diesel's BlueTec technology is modular and will be adaptable for use in over-the-road and vocational applications making it not only cost effective, but simple and highly adaptable to a range of operating conditions, according to Aneja.