 The BlueMAX SCR system |
A regulatory agency has verified the BlueMAX 100 selective catalytic reduction (SCR) system from Nett Technologies Inc for controlling nitrogen oxide emissions from mobile non-road medium and heavy-duty diesel engines including those powering forklifts.
The United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) made the verification in July.
The verification is a first of its kind issued for a retrofit device under the EPA's environmental technical verification program, according to Pierre-James Murphy, sales and marketing coordinator with Nett in Mississauga.
The system's urea control strategy relies on a sensor upstream of the SCR catalyst to measure a nitrogen oxide concentration.
A control algorithm is used to calculate the necessary urea dosing rate on the basis of the nitrogen oxide sensor signal in combination with an engine mass air flow sensor and temperature sensor.
The Nett technology is suitable for applicable retrofits on a wide range of diesel engines and is offered as a direct-fit design. No additional engine calibration is necessary.
The system also controls diesel particulate matter, hydrocarbons and carbon monoxide.
The San Antonio, Texas-based Southwest Research Institute conducted verification testing over two test cycle protocols - non-road-transient and eight-mode steady - that found the system reduced emissions of nitrogen oxide by 68-70%, particulate matter by 12-30%, hydrocarbons by 99-100% and carbon monoxide by 87-94%. Funding from the Texas Environmental Research Consortium supported development and verification of the BlueMAX 100 SCR system.
Nett indicates that reducing emissions from diesel engines is one of the most important air quality challenges facing the US. "Even with EPA's more stringent heavy-duty highway and off-road engine standards set to take effect over the next decade, millions of diesel engines already in use will continue to emit large amounts of nitrogen oxides, particulate matter and air toxics, which contribute to serious public health problems," Nett says.
Nett received EPA approval for aftermarket use of the BlueMAX SCR system on certain Caterpillar nonroad four-cycle diesel engines in July 2008.