Do diesel engines remind you of black smoke and heavy-smelling exhaust? Many people have these recollections. But perceptions are changing as newer diesel engines roll off factory assembly lines, equipped with advanced emissions control systems. Today the cleaner, more fuel-efficient era of Tier 4 emissions-compliant engines is here!
Many equipment operators have doubts about the increasing amount of emissions hardware being added to engines. Much of this skepticism is rooted in bad experiences with earlier versions of emissions-control equipment. However, operators also have expressed some valid concerns. Won’t these parts kill engine power and reduce life expectancy? New emissions requirements certainly increase engine prices! Are they really worth the cost? And besides, now we have to monitor and fill the DEF tank.
Emissions standards for diesel engines help reduce the environmental pollution caused by diesel exhaust. These standards have been phased in over time. The federal government implemented the current standards, known as Tier 4 Final, from 2008-2015. Engines that meet the Tier 4 Final standards virtually eliminate smog-producing pollutants in exhaust and also filter out particulates, preventing the black smoke so commonly associated with diesel engines. The results are cleaner air to breathe and, surprisingly, a more efficient diesel engine.
The products of diesel fuel combustion are carbon monoxide, carbon dioxide, smog-forming nitrogen
The products of diesel fuel combustion are carbon monoxide, carbon dioxide, smog-forming nitrogen oxides, particulate matter (PM or soot), and unburned fuel.
Tier 4 Final engines are equipped with a DOC (diesel oxidation catalyst) to convert some of these pollutants into carbon dioxide and water. However, the nitrogen oxides require further treatment. Adding diesel exhaust fluid (DEF) and using a selective catalytic reduction (SCR) system completes the breakdown of nitrogen oxides into harmless nitrogen and water vapor. The technology of Tier 4 Final engines also reduces PM levels in the exhaust.
Earlier diesel engines use a diesel particulate filter (DPF) to trap particulate matter. Excess carbon burns out of the DPF in a regeneration process that heats up the engine and consumes extra diesel fuel. An engine with an SCR system is finely tuned for maximum fuel combustion. This means that more of your diesel fuel is converted into horsepower rather than particulate matter.
Although Tier 4 Final engines contain more electronics that require technical repair, the operator can still perform much of the standard maintenance. Maintenance schedules do not need to be changed, but you can lengthen the time between oil changes since these engines burn cleaner. That’s a time-saving improvement!
Clean and efficient – no compromises- that’s the Tier 4 diesel engine! And we have them at HooverTec along with the customer support you need to ensure years of reliable engine operation.
