Nevada Jack

The EPA has approved the Urea system making the Bluetec MB (and others) diesels available in 50 states. Looks like the all the SUV's and the E will be Bluetec for the 2008 calendar year and 2009 models and the V8 420 dielsel also. I guess there is a certification procedure to go through for each model but the door is now open.

mbslk350

Any idea how they'll enforce the urea tank-filling routine? Will the car refuse to start with an empty tank, or maybe it'll go into limp-home mode? Will drivers be forced to fill the tank at an MB dealer?

MB says you can have the tank filled during your routine maintenance, but some owners do their own maintenance or take it to an independent shop. This would force you to take the car back to MB every year or so.

Personally, I'm glad the GL320 doesn't have the tank. It's just one more thing to maintain and to eventually break. I think the Urea approach is simply a stop-gap until MB develops another method of reducing NOx. Honda claims they'll have a non-urea solution in 2009 for 2010 models.

Nevada Jack

This article discusses some of the Urea refilling and such. From the Diesel Forecast page...

Planning for the era of urea
by John McCormick



With the fast approach of next generation heavy and light duty diesel powertrains with SCR aftertreatment, one big question centers on the infrastructure for the commercial supply of urea.

The issue of exactly where and how the urea will be supplied has become a major concern for the OEMs and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). One company intimately involved in the development of urea dispensing equipment for the North American market is Benecor LLC (www.benecor.net), based in Fenton , Michigan .

According to Benecor president, Brendan Foster, the industry focus is on two main areas; providing urea for passenger cars with tanks holding five to 10 gallons and dispensing urea for heavy duty trucks with 30 gallon tanks. Currently the OEMs expect passenger vehicles to have their urea tanks, which have a range of 5000-7000 miles, refilled at the same time as regular dealer servicing. However the EPA wants provision to be made for consumers who need urea refills outside of dealer visits. It is expected that fueling station retailers will carry gallon bottles of urea for this purpose. However Foster says he does not believe retailers will be happy to allocate space for bottles of urea.

The preferred option will be a dispenser, capable of refueling small passenger vehicle urea tanks and much larger commercial vehicles, which will need refills every 3000 miles.

With 35,000 outlets for diesel fuel in North America and an EPA expectation that the urea infrastructure will be in place with the next 12 months, the industry faces a major challenge. “The EPA is not going to be strong armed by the OEMs,“ says Foster, “they want to see the infrastructure in place.”

Initially, fueling stations will not want to invest in underground urea tanks, which can cost several hundred thousand dollars. Benecor’s alternative is an above ground dispenser costing from $30-35,000. The company’s design is heated and insulated (urea freezes at approximately 11 F) and includes over-fill protection, level sensors, leak sensors and telemetry features to track the on-board supply of urea.

“We are involved with stakeholder groups through the Engine Manufacturers Association, Auto Alliance, NATSO (North American Truck Stop Operators) and the TMA (Truck Manufacturers Association),” adds Foster. “Together, we are defining solutions for the urea infrastructure challenge. We see the economical and innovative approach of our above-ground urea dispensers as one key component in an overall solution.”

uberwgn

The consumption rate is 4 - 6% of the fuel consumption rate, ~20:1


This is big news, thanks for sharing, Nevada!

Nevada Jack

The URL below specifies the parameters of approval and discusses the details of how EPA will ensure compiiance once a vehicle is certified. This will not be an overnight solution to 50 state use...the devil is in the details...

http://www.epa.gov/otaq/cert/dearmfr/cisd0707.pdf

Nevada Jack

EPA issues guidelines for how manufacturers design and manage Selective Catalyst Reduction (SCR) devices. Here is the URL:


http://www.dieselforecast.com/Articl...?articleID=351

JLP

Its great...............driving around with a cannister of (synthetic) animal urine!

mbslk350

I guess that's better than carrying around real pee!

harkgar

With the PRC (Peoples Republic of California, not China) agreeing to Bluetec certification the new rules are going to be extremely onerous. For example they were talking about 50% reduction of power by the ECU when the pee pee bottle is empty so hapless owners of AdBlue systems are forced to go back to MB to top up their bottles with **** (urea). Eventually the ECU can shut down your engine and the check engine light will glow like a Christmas tree. Your own beer tainted **** will not do.

Warning: do not sell your GL320 CDis. When they are gone they are gone. They are going to be replaced by the new tree-hugging friendly Add Green Chicken Sh*t System with 20 catalytic converter, 40 particulate filters. This systems will fail at 200,000 miles and when that happens, cost $59,08.99to replace and repair. Plus taxes, of course. At this stage of your car's life it will be worth $500.00, plus taxes.

You think I am joking.

Just wait and see.

harkgar

I think the USA government of all levels are missing the real issue big time just because the tree-hugging liberals in the PRC are singing the Green Song. Don't be duped guys!! Diesel is the future!!

Ethanol is inefficient. Hybrids are battery toys. Tree-huggers want to bugger the internal combustion engine no matter how clean they are.

The USA need to pass a new law. All professed environmentalists would be forbidden to own internal combustion engines, including lawn mowers, mopeds and leaf blowers or travel in anything that burns fossil fuel. If they are caught doing that they cannot ever lobby for environment issues FOR LIFE.

Lets see how the Concerned Citizen chief goes to Washington to lobby.

AnotherSL

So, how will the Mercedes Bluetec system keep the on board urea tank from freezing when the car is parked during winter in the cold parts of the USA? By heating the storage tank? If that's the way, it seems that would be a huge drain on the battery.

I wonder how long someone could park their Bluetec at the parking lot of say Chicago O'Hare during January without coming back to both a dead battery and a tank full of frozen urea.