Diesel Doctor

[oregonfan7]

Ryan Williamson Diesel Technology.
Diesel technology should be considered as a relief from the fuel shortage and crisis because diesel technology contains a very efficient energy source. Hakan Falk from Energy Saving Now said, “In today’s world it is obvious that we have to do an inventory of technologies that will produce both short and long term relief in the current use of energy. We have to evaluate the technologies that we have and prioritize efficiently” (Falk). Diesel technology could be an answer to the high fuel prices because we have the technology to increase the national fuel economy by almost double, saving fuel, and our natural resources.
It obvious United States is facing a high fuel price crisis with the average price around $4.11 for a gallon of regular, almost triple since the year 2000, and that could be the least of our worries. “The Society of Petroleum Engineers estimates remaining official reserves represent 44.6 more years of oil” (Derrick). That is just an educated guess, but if it is even close and new affordable sources of energy are not found soon, we could all be commuting by other means by the year 2035. “Oil-producing nations use more and more of their own oil, and energy demand jumps fifty% by 2030.” Some experts predict an oil ‘production crunch’ within four to five years that will have severe geopolitical and economic impacts, and one expert says the energy supply-demand gap could create ‘social chaos and war’ by 2020. The days of cheap, plentiful oil appear to be over, and motorists may have to learn how to conserve energy (Katel).
Diesel engines can run on alterative fuels such as natural gas and bio-fuels. In some cases you can mix in 50% corn oil or other similar bio-fuels and that alone could reduce the dependency on our oil reserves by 50%. In the USA, the market for biodiesel is growing at a considerable rate from 25 million gallons per year in 2004 to 78 million gallons in 2005. The total biodiesel being sold in the United States amounts to less than 1/2 of 1% of all diesel consumption. In Europe, biodiesel represents 2% of total transportation consumption and is expected to reach 6% by 2010 (Emerging Markets Online). Biodiesel has been around since the diesel engine was first invented; in fact, the first diesel engine ran on vegetable oil. More Americans are starting to care more about the health of our earth and natural resources and are utilizing biodiesel to lessen our dependency on crude oil.
The difference between diesel engines and gasoline engines is in theory; diesel engines and gasoline engines are quite similar. They are both internal combustion engines designed to convert the chemical energy available in fuel into mechanical energy. This mechanical energy moves pistons up and down inside cylinders. The pistons are connected to a crankshaft, and the up-and-down motion of the pistons, known as “linear motion,” creates the rotary motion needed to turn the wheels of a car forward. Both diesel engines and gasoline engines convert fuel into energy through a series of small explosions or combustions. The major difference between diesel and gasoline is the way these explosions happen. In a gasoline engine, fuel is mixed with air, compressed by pistons and ignited by sparks from spark plugs. In a diesel engine, however, the air is compressed first, and then the fuel is injected. Because air heats up when it is compressed, the fuel ignites (Marshall). These differences between gasoline and diesel engines could make a huge difference in the long run, by utilizing an energy source (diesel oil) that can out perform and out-last its gasoline relative.
One reason to consider adding more diesel engines in our cars and trucks is the energy content and operating efficiency. Diesel-powered vehicles typically get 30–40 percent more miles per gallon of fuel, and produce 10-20 % fewer green house gas emissions than comparable gasoline vehicles, enabling the diesel powered vehicle to travel at least 30% farther on a gallon of fuel. Diesel engines are inherently more energy efficient, and diesel fuel contains 10% more energy per gallon than gasoline. In Europe, nearly 50% of new passenger cars are diesel-powered, largely because of the Europeans’ own fuel crises; also the diesel engine is, after all, a European invention, and it is natural that they used and developed it further. If 30% of American passenger cars had diesel engines, oil imports could be reduced by 350,000 barrels per day (Corinchock 18). The outcome could save us at the pump, and thanks to its higher energy content and its efficient combustion process, we will use less oil to go the same distance.
Twenty years ago diesel engines had a bad reputation, and American drivers have steered clear of diesel since the early 1980s because many of the cars were unreliable, noisy, and polluting (Monahan). Though today's diesel cars have overcome most of their past performance problems, they account for only 3.5% percent of new automobile and truck sales in the United States. A model from The Department of Energy (DOE) showed that if diesel can achieve 40% of new car sales in North America by 2010, you will experience the following: the savings would be 110 million barrels of oil per year, reduced oil transport and its risks, with close to one super tanker a day, a saving of $9 billion per year, decrease of green house gases with 500 million metric tons per year (Falk).
An article by Richard A. Wright, “A Brief History the Auto Industry” gives some important history for Americans to consider about diesel-powered passenger vehicles that could change the mind of diesel skeptics. According to one auto parts catalog, from 1960 to 2002, over twenty five manufacturers have made a total of at least 236 different passenger vehicle models with diesel engines, not to say that all these models were available, that is another issue, but they were manufactured; so the possibility of another mass production of these energy efficient vehicles is not out of the question. “The first oil crisis in 1973 shook us. The second in 1978 scared us, scared us so bad that car buyers were willing to ignore the diesel's noise, fumes, smell and iffy cold-weather starting to get the benefit of its good fuel economy. Most of these problems with the diesel have since been solved” (gobiodiesel.org).
Americans should reconsider diesel technology because the problems with diesel engines have been fixed, and they could reduce the high price of fuel, not necessarily by lowering the price, but by needing less. The reliability has increased remarkably due to the redesign of diesel engines. The noise has also gone away thanks to design improvements. As for the pollution problem, it too has been solved. In 2010, “the exhaust coming out the tailpipe of a new car or truck can be cleaner than the air going into the engine” (Mgmalloy@aol.com). Thanks to after treatment systems and new filter particle laws that will block even smaller particles to pass through the exhaust. The diesel engineers have implemented several exhaust after-treatment systems that can even be added to most models today.
Three environment-saving exhaust systems are changing the way we discharge our exhaust. The Diesel Particulate Filter or (DPF) is a system that uses direct injection (fuel injected directly into the combustion chamber instead of a pre-chamber) to increase the exhaust gas temperature for filter regeneration. Filter regeneration occurs while the vehicle is in use, thus eliminating costly downtime. The control system continuously performs self-diagnostics to ensure that backpressure and temperatures are monitored and controlled to achieve optimum performance and efficiency, and the result is particulate matter (PM) reduction (Econix). Synthetic urea is created from synthetic ammonia and carbon dioxide and can be produced as a liquid or a solid. In Urea injection exhaust systems, the urea is injected into the exhaust stream of a diesel and decomposes into ammonia, which then lends toward the breakdown of NOx into oxygen, nitrogen, and carbon dioxide (Bryant). The third system is called, Exhaust gas recirculation (EGR). Oxides of nitrogen (NOx) are formed when temperatures in the combustion chamber get too hot. At 2500 degrees Fahrenheit or hotter, the nitrogen and oxygen in the combustion chamber can chemically combine to form nitrous oxides, which, when combined with hydrocarbons (HCs) and the presence of sunlight, produces an ugly haze in our skies known commonly as smog. The EGR valve re-circulates exhaust into the intake stream. Exhaust gases have already combusted, so they do not burn again when they are re-circulated. These gases displace some of the normal intake air charge. This chemically slows and cools the combustion process by several hundred degrees, thus reducing NOx formation (Guzman). A lot of older models still lack these systems and therefore still expel a lot of contaminants into the air, but the same clean diesel technologies that will power the next generation of diesel vehicles and equipment can be applied to some older engines, reducing emissions by up to 90 %.
Since they were first invented, diesel engines have always out performed gasoline engines in fuel economy. The first gasoline engines started at 14% efficiency (Webb), whereas diesel engines started out running at 30% efficiency, and fuel consumption was half of gasoline engines. They both have come a long way, but with the high efficiency, high reliability and environment friendly exhaust after treatments of diesel engines today, we should consider switching methods of engine operation, and changing our automotive production lines from making gasoline-powered vehicles to making diesel-powered vehicles.
Another plus that diesel engines have over gasoline engines is that, on average, some models can run up to 1,000,000 miles before any major engine overhaul thanks to the tough design of the engine to withstand the higher combustion pressures, a statistic that gasoline engines cannot even come close to. The average life span for a diesel engine is two to four times more mileage than gasoline engines. The second hand value for the car is related to life span and is also higher for diesel-powered vehicles. After a car or truck is at the end of its road, and is ready for the junk yard you have to consider the cost and energy to dispose of the vehicle and the affect that all that debris can have on the environment. Emissions from vehicle recycling and the disposal processes are one of the largest sources of mercury contamination to the environment (Clean Car Campaign). Methylation is a product of complex processes that move and transform mercury. These toxic chemicals are the byproduct of landfills and dumpsites. It takes a substantial amount of time and energy to clean up after the affects from these chemicals. There are steps being taken to recycle expired vehicles rather than dump them, but there will always be dumping because of the much longer time it takes to recycle. The longer a vehicle can stay in service, the less we will be dumping. A diesel engines life span makes a big difference in how many vehicles are being recycled and dumped. Another plus is that, thanks to the tough design of a diesel engine to withstand the higher combustion process, we can overhaul an engine to run practically like new therefore expanding its life span even further.
Now that we have the technology and the resources to implement more diesel engine powered passenger cars, why aren’t we doing it? One theory is many Americans are not told of the full potential of diesel engines. Some may envision diesel engines as those old, unreliable, noisy, polluting machines. Some may prefer raw horsepower over better fuel economy, so the want is just not there yet. Ever since the muscle cars of the 70s and 80s, Americans have craved more power, higher speeds, and sleeker design, and I believe the automotive and oil companies would like to keep it that way. With oil prices at a new record near $141 a barrel and rising, the oil companies profits will only increase with time, and with the history of the sales of gasoline-powered vehicles in the United States, the vehicle manufacturers have stayed the course of producing what they know will sell. Regardless of the reason, the technology has been updated and could alleviate our dependency on oil thus expanding its potential use.
Some researchers believe that diesel-powered passenger cars are increasing in popularity and are indeed coming back, but we have yet to see any noticeable change in the market. “With ultra-clean fuel available at pumps, diesel cars are re-entering the United States market, and acceptance of diesel passenger vehicles should grow here again as consumers experience the new, cleaner engines” (Dapena). With a hungry European market to feed, diesel development has continued, creating turbocharged diesel engines that perform better and pollute less than gasoline-powered vehicles. (Turbocharged is when you use a powerful mechanical fan to shove as much air into the combustion chamber as possible and the result is more power while using less fuel because you increase the stoichiometric ratio or air to fuel ratio). I have heard from many who have spent time overseas and have seen and driven some very impressive diesels and wonder why don’t we share this competent technology and start saving at the pump.
Another thing to consider with the rising need for fuel efficient vehicles is that the United States passenger car market should open up to more turbodiesel cars but before we start seeing any major changes, a lot of American consumers will have to radically rethink their conceptions of diesel-fueled vehicles and become aware all of their advantages. Other advantages include reliable long-life engines and fewer high-wear components (no spark plugs, for example). “Even without the increase in fuel economy, turbodiesel vehicles offer a significantly lower total cost of ownership” (Peters).
Diesel technology is not the only technology being developed to increase the use of efficient energy sources to power vehicles. Other technology is being developed that could eliminate out dependency on crude oil all together such as, air-powered, and electric powered vehicles, but this technology is still new and is far from replacing internal combustion engines. That is why we should take into account how many energy efficient diesel-powered vehicles are already being produced around the world because the progress is so much further along then other alternative energy-producing vehicles, and that could make the difference of relieving the shortage and crisis of oil sooner than later.
The future of diesel is here, and German engineers have taken diesel technology to a whole new level of efficiency and shows off the true capabilities of a diesel-powered passenger car that will help Europeans face their own high fuel prices. An engineer named Uli Sommer started designing a car around a diesel engine with one thing in mind, energy efficiency. He came to the conclusion that oil is not getting any cheaper and created the Loremo or low resistance mobile, the first of its kind. The concept is quite simple; he wanted to design a vehicle using the most energy-efficient technology (a diesel engine) and build a low resistance body around it that would have record-breaking low resistance to flow while driving. He came up with the Loremo AG, and it plans to hit the consumer market in Germany around 2009. The Loremo is said to be a very sporty-looking two-door, four-passenger car, run by a 2 liter, 20 horsepower diesel engine that goes from 0 to 60 in ten seconds and peaks at 100 miles an hour while getting an astonishing 157 miles per gallon, using no hybrid or bio-fuel technology, just a good ole diesel. Even better, the starting price for this vehicle is going to be around $13,000 U.S. “The Loremo is against all laws of the horsepower fixated car industry” (Krabbe). If Americans have the pleasure of someday seeing vehicles like this coming to our streets, we could trade our raw horsepower gas-guzzling engines for money-saving, fuel-efficient diesels such as this one.
In the United States, our automotive manufacturers take pride in the safety of American drivers and have a reputation for implementing high safety standards for the marketing of vehicles here in the United States. If foreign manufacturers want to get in on the auto market here, they must pass these standards or modify their designs to meet them. For example: A cell phone company in China decided to start the manufacturing of electric and electric hybrids for sale in the United States. At first, their vehicles failed miserably to U.S. standards, but they did not hesitate to fix the problems A.S.A.P. They introduced their first models at the car show in Detroit, and one United States company has decided to import them for sale in the United States. These are not diesel-powered, but the process is similar if we decided to import more diesels for sale in the United States. The options are there to either consider manufacturing more of our own diesel-powered vehicles or to import them from other countries.
“Clean diesel fuel and engine technologies will play a critical role in America's effort to reduce petroleum consumption and CO2 emissions, experts agreed Thursday during a panel discussion on Capitol Hill” (Diesel Technology Forum). Diesel-powered heavy duty pickup trucks produced from years 1994-2007 will save the United States an estimated 48 billion gallons of fuel over their useful lives, the equivalent of taking 7.5 million cars off the road, saving the energy it would take to power all those gas guzzlers. Diesel-powered trucks like these will reduce carbon dioxide emissions by 537 million metric tons, the equivalent of shutting down 42 natural gas plants in operation. The world's vehicle population has massively increased since the 1950s to 1.3 billion, along with that come the demand for petroleum based products to power them. The growing need for fuel-efficient vehicles that also reduce green house emissions makes clean diesel technology more essential than ever.
More than 5 million heavy duty diesel pickup trucks and the 30 new diesel cars and light duty truck models are being introduced over the next 36 months, and comparing them to other technologies such as high-performance gasoline and hybrid electric engines; the diesel-powered pickups saved 21 times more fuel than all the hybrids combined from 2003-2007 (Diesel Technology Forum).
Capitol Hill is becoming more aware of the capabilities of diesel technology, and incentive programs for those who utilize new diesels vehicles are reaping the benefits. Car buyers will be excited to learn that, thanks to the updated efficiency and cleaner exhaust of diesel engines, the new Volkswagen Jetta turbo diesel injection (TDI) is eligible for a $1,300 Advanced Lean Burn Technology Motor Vehicle federal income tax credit. According to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) a comparison between the diesel and gasoline versions of the Volkswagen Jetta demonstrate that the diesel model traveled 36 percent more miles on a tank of fuel and could save you $321 annually on fuel costs, while using nearly two fewer barrels of oil and emitting one less ton of green house gas (GHG) emissions each year. A similar comparison between the 2007 Mercedes E320 Bluetec diesel and its E350 gasoline equivalent finds even greater savings. The diesel model travels 43 percent more miles on a tank of fuel and could saves you $492 annually on fuel costs while using 3.2 fewer barrels of oil and emitting 1.5 fewer tons of green house gas emissions each year (Diesel Technology Forum).
Government support can make a difference in these three key areas. Continue technology and keep fuel production neutral: Rather than picking winners and losers from the huge selection of promising alternative energy sources, forum members support setting fair standards and then allowing the marketplace pick and choose the preferred solution that would best meet the needs for saving energy and natural resources. Provide incentive funding for updating and retrofitting later models: Clean diesel retrofits are one of the most cost-effective strategies for achieving genuine and immediate air quality improvements. Support for federal and state diesel retrofit funding programs is being discussed to make the environmental benefits more cost-effectively appealing for equipment and vehicles owners. Help speed the implementation of new cleaner diesel-powered vehicles: Newer vehicles and equipment are significantly cleaner, but also more expensive. Congress should consider implementing financial incentives that encourage car buyers to purchase revolutionary new clean air technologies, including new clean diesel highway trucks which make up the majority of diesel vehicles in the United States. Federal tax incentives already exist for qualifying diesel cars, pickups and SUVs (Diesel Technology Forum).
The search for new ways of increasing the efficiency of our energy has been amplified recently because the cost of fuel keeps rising, and you see it every time you turn on your television and come across car commercials trying to advertize the best MPG ratings, but what you don’t see is the true capabilities of a technology that already exists, diesel technology. In Europe, you see very similar advertisements except for one major difference; their vehicles are shown getting much higher MPG ratings than the United States because the majority of the vehicles in their commercials are powered by diesel engines. If the citizens of the United States want to see more miles per gallon in their vehicles by increasing the efficiency of the possible technologies available, they should consider diesel technology because diesel technology is already working to reduce the dependency of oil in other countries and could help us here in the United States.