Reducing Emissions in a Modern Diesel Engine

[RayIN]

Having lived in a high air pollution area (Salt Lake City environs) and having done a lot of work in other high air pollution areas (LA basin, Denver), the cleanup of the air is almost unbelievable. Even with the LA basin area having almost twice as many people as it did 35 years ago when I started doing a lot of work there, the air is astonishingly cleaner. I used to joke that LA didn’t really have mountains to the east since they were never visible; not anymore! You can scoff all you like about the regulations, but the results can not be disputed. The air is so, so, so much cleaner than it was 30-40 years ago. And it isn’t just a visual thing. Bad air is correlated with higher rates of premature births (which correlates with serious complications for the babies), higher rates of lung diseases including asthma and COPD, and higher rates of heart disease. I will gladly take the complications of emissions controls in order for those complications to be minimized.

Primarily the cleaner air is due to the improvements with gasoline engines of the era you are referencing.

 

[TheBar]

Climate change was a ruse to scare the public into accepting alternative energy. Where huge profits would be made at the taxpayers expense. Too many people are way too gullible and believe the sky is falling.

 

[Larry N.]

Climate change was a ruse to scare the public into accepting alternative energy. Where huge profits would be made at the taxpayers expense. Too many people are way too gullible and believe the sky is falling.

I'm not too pleased with the changes that didn't happen...

 

[UTTransplant]

Climate change was a ruse to scare the public into accepting alternative energy. Where huge profits would be made at the taxpayers expense. Too many people are way too gullible and believe the sky is falling.

The article refers to only one scenario, the one that was really never going to happen because it depended on more coal being burned than exists and no one making any changes. The would have resulted in a 5degree temp change in 100 years or so. That’s the way models work, you take a model, vary the input parameters, and see what happens. You make best case scenarios, worst case scenarios, and nominal case. The best case and nominal cases have not been challenged. The worst case scenario was dropped because the input parameters for that model were no longer valid - that much coal isn’t there and changes actually have been made. With the reduced price of solar farms and industrial energy storage solutions (there are more available than just batteries), renewable energy supplies a huge portion of the world’s energy needs. And growing up in a state with an extraction-based economy (Oklahoma and oil) I am very much aware than eventually pretty much everything gets extracted! Ignoring that is just foolish.

 

[ddm502001]

Latest Estimate is 250-300 years.

 

[UTTransplant]

Latest Estimate is 250-300 years.

At a rapidly increasing cost. The easy stuff goes first.

 

[Gr8bawana]

 

[Derby6]

Yea thats a mouthful.
Got me to thinking---- I think I can have my pickups reprogrammed to not go into limp mode if there is a DEF sensor issue. Need to talk to the dealer this week and find out.
1. Can they do this on my 2019 and 2022?
2. Is there a cost and is so how much?

I can assure you a dealer will do no such thing.

You may be right ( probably are) but why? It’s a federally legalized adjustment to computers derate schedule.

I’ll try to get to my ford dealer later this week.

Yep--Dealer hasn't got any and don't think they will get any direction or authorization from ford. Googling I haven't found any posts or videos of folks reprogramming the computer or whatever so the truck does not derate as fast in accordance with new laws.
We'll see--I'd bet in time folks will figure out how to do it. Be awesome if it was something that FORSCAN could do in the future, but I'm not holding my breath for that either...LOL

IN EDIT: Google AI says go to your Ford Dealer.

Yes, you can absolutely get your 2019 Ford truck’s computer adjusted to prevent sudden or severe derates. In fact, recent federal regulatory changes make this much easier to do legally. [1, 2, 3, 4, 5]
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) issued updated guidance and deregulatory actions that relax harsh, sudden "limp mode" and low-speed derates caused by Diesel Exhaust Fluid (DEF) and sensor issues. [1, 2, 3]

Options for Your 2019 Ford

• Authorized Software Updates: The EPA specifically issued guidance for engine and equipment manufacturers to revise DEF system software on existing vehicles to stop sudden power losses. You can contact your local authorized Ford dealership to check if your truck is eligible for these official EPA-approved software updates

 

[CharlesinGA]

Emission controls is a case of diminishing returns for what is spent and done to reduce the emissions. The huge improvement that got rid of the polluted air in places like LA and yes, Atlanta, was when cars went to fuel injection and electronic ignition. The EFI in the mid '80's made huge improvements in emissions and then EGR, catalyst and such probably made the last 10% of the improvements. This is combined with going to autos with smaller engines, and lighter cars. It all happened in the '80's and '90's. Diesels saw a huge decrease in pollution outputs and improved fuel economy, again, with the advent of electronic fuel injection, which, on diesels is Common Rail Fuel Injection. The introduction of the GM 6.6L Duramax engine in 2002 and the Cummins conversion to CR FI also in 2002 (except the Dodge trucks, which were 2003), marked the end of the old, smokey, rattling diesels. Since that time, the improvements have been incremental and much less for the money and engineering spent on them.

Improvements in fuels, both gas and diesel also have had large contributions.

More recently the government regulations, and the engineers seeking to comply with said regulations, have essentially been grasping at straws to make any real improvements.

Charles

 

[CharlesinGA]

There is a new design piston which has a dramatic effect on fuel consumption, power, lowering of emissions, noise reduction, and greatly reduced ash contamination of the oil. The tech works in gas engines also, and if you are having a diesel rebuilt, you should consider having the pistons installed. Its a serious no brainer.

THE ONLY PISTON THAT PAYS FOR ITSELF”

 

[ddm502001]

There is a new design piston which has a dramatic effect on fuel consumption, power, lowering of emissions, noise reduction, and greatly reduced ash contamination of the oil. The tech works in gas engines also, and if you are having a diesel rebuilt, you should consider having the pistons installed. Its a serious no brainer.

THE ONLY PISTON THAT PAYS FOR ITSELF”

Not in fact an actual product recommend by manufacturers. These are not worth the money.

 

[TheBar]

At a rapidly increasing cost. The easy stuff goes first.

Not by much. I'm also from Oklahoma and I have 4 oil producing properties. I've seen the geological reports of existing oil. Oklahoma production is starting to rival Texas again for the 1st time in 80 years.

Very common throughout the western half of OK for oil to be found at 9,000 feet which is still being drilled. Then another layer of bigger pools at 14,500 and still another layer of even larger pools at 19,000 feet.

So this sounds a lot more expensive but it is now common to reuse the many old abandoned vertical holes. That gets them down to 9,000 with no vertical drilling required.

New oil wells are almost all horizontal vs the old vertical drilling. After getting to depth they commonly drill sideways even turning corners. They can target identified pools (which is becoming way more accurate) for over a mile out of one surface hole.

Production from these wells is more than 4x as much so one new well replaces at least 4 old ones. So when you hear there aren't as many wells being drilled it is true. When you hear oil producing property is drying up that is also true. It has taken us 120 years to make a big dent at the 9,000 feet and up level. With many times more remaining at deeper levels.

You are being lied to. That is carefully structured false propaganda (lies) being used to scare the public into thinking our oil supplies have dried up. When in fact we have several hundred years supply left. That is all about finding new ways to separate the money from the public.

And knowing what I do makes me doubt all the other radical propaganda that goes along with it.

So anytime you hear we need new investment from the government it is all about lining politicians pockets. If it is a viable investment private companies and individuals will have invested long before the government has a chance. Elon Musk is the perfect example.

 

[ddm502001]

CO closed several older Coal Seams, collapsed Hillsides over the Exposed seams to prevent Lightning Fires, Rails removed for haul off lines as blamed Methane releases for CC events. IL still has Bunker oil in Vast Deposits just hard to recover. Coal exists where Environmentalists decry Open Pit mining as "Destroys" local environ yet the older reclaimed strip mines are quite nice nature reserves these days. Not so much Too or even Severely Costly, no more costly than mining the Clay used in Cement production or the very Lime used for Cement. All in context and still worth every penny.

 

[CharlesinGA]

Not in fact an actual product recommend by manufacturers. These are not worth the money.

Of course they don't recommend them, manufacturers are not about to recommend aftermarket parts. This is no reflection on the quality or performance of the part however, as many aftermarket parts are of much higher quality, design and function than the OEM.

Charles

 

[ddm502001]

Ran Aftermarket a LONG time as to Cummins or Detroit and even my Own Cat, HOWEVER, a Redesign or New Design Piston different than OE Style has not ever been recommended on Diesel. Compression Ratio, Point of Fuel Impingement valve face clearances, saw gasoline engines that had to have heads reconfigured to take the piston changes, NOT a Good look as break a Head or Damage one have to machine the next one and will not be the same.

A little research goes a LONG way.

https://www.powerstroke.org/threads/speed-of-air-pistons.1422341/