HIGH TECH FILTRATION IS HERE

BY DIESEL ENGINE SPECIALIST JAY SHERREL

With over thirty years of experience in the truck repair industry, I’ve seen a fascinating progression in the design and technology of today’s diesel engine. I am amazed at the recent technologies that have been discovered while creating our new clean diesel engines. Over the last ten years we have seen emissions reduced, mileage increased and longevity improved. Hopefully, these improvements will continue despite the introduction of the EGR engines.

Today’s diesel engine incorporate the use of electronic injectors with millisecond response capabilities. An injector sequence in today’s modern engine can be related to a meal. We have an appetizer (the start of the burn process which is called the pilot injection), then the main course (additional fuel injected closer to top dead center and continuing through the power process after top dead center). The future holds a dessert portion in which additional fuel will be added towards the end of the “meal” to further aid the power process. This is all done to keep peak cylinder pressure within tighter guidelines to decrease NOX (nitrogen oxides) which is a direct result of high cylinder pressures. Additional tuning ultimately controls the point of injection, duration of fuel flow and the end of the injection process. This process, through the aid of a computer, can control each part of the injection sequence throughout the entire meal. Fuel injection is no longer simply delivering one continuous flow of fuel.

Additional inputs on today’s computerized engines include manifold absolute pressure sensors, coolant temperature sensors, oil temperature sensors, throttle position sensors, timing reference sensors and more. With all of these inputs received, the computer is able to digest information needed to give optimal power, efficiency, emissions and driveability to the user in almost any driving condition. From my research, the diesel engine, over the next ten years, is going to continue to progress into a clean, efficient, reliable source of power. We will probably see a diesel oxidation catalyst or particulate matter filter, along with a variable compression ratio capable design, that in my opinion will bring the number one emission hazard (NOX) to reasonable levels. Variable cam timing with unlimited fuel programming is the future – and it’s coming soon.

All of this leads to the reason this article was written. The engine manufacturers, having to comply with stiffer emission standards, were forced to use an EGR (exhaust gas recirculation) design for their “new” engines. Carbon, the hardest substance known, is reingested from the exhaust system back into the intake stream, resulting in coated intake manifolds, cylinder head ports, valve stems, piston rings and cylinder walls. Going further and deeper into the engine, excessive soot will shorten bearing and oil life and plug internal passages if not dealt with properly. Cat introduced an EGR engine about 25 years ago and most old-timers know of the results. Today, Detroit and Cummins are using this crutch (EGR technology) to meet the new standards. At this time, Caterpillar has chosen to pay the penalties to the EPA instead of utilizing a process they know the results of first-hand.

You might be wondering where I am going with this article – filtration, filtration, filtration! During this year’s International Trucking Show in Las Vegas, Nevada, I saw an amazing product being introduced at an appropriate time. An Australian company called Filter Technology showed me their wares and boy was I impressed. A simple product, well made, that everyone can use for their industrial or transportation needs.

Filter Technology offers industrial breathers and filters for oil, fuel and solvent applications. Phillip Marheine of New South Wales, Australia, is the founder of the company. This gentleman, with a background in transportation and mining, has dealt first-hand with the harsh environment of the Australian Outback. Dirt roads, high temperatures and 180,000-pound payloads have forced him, out of necessity, to create the ultimate filtration device utilizing “knife-edge technology”. Typically, a filter removes dirt particles (categorized by micron size) by passing fluid through a single media. Filter Technology’s filter entraps the dirt particles by allowing fluid to seep through hundreds of layers of tightly-wound paper, therefore removing more particulate matter. Typical filters capture particles down to 10 microns, but this type of filter takes them down to 2 microns! Research has proven in order to retard wear, particles larger than 3 microns should be removed. The success of this process, which has a worldwide patent, is linked to the depth of filtration. This type of filtration also extends oil life upwards of three times normal drain intervals.

Filter Technology also claims emission standards to have been decreased by using both their fuel and oil filtration systems simultaneously. Their test results have shown a decrease in NOX of as much as 15%, CO2 (carbon dioxide) by 4.9% and PM (particulate matter) by 25.7%, along with other gains. I am still out to school on this. Extensive testing is needed to prove these emission-reducing claims. It blows my mind to think how much money Detroit and Cummins spent developing their EGR engines when a simple change of filtration could have brought their existing engines into compliance with the new regulations. It sounds too good to be true. If it was this easy, why didn’t they think of it? At least these engine manufacturers will sell more parts, filters and oil in tough economic times.

It’s time to begin properly protecting our existing engines and, more importantly, the new EGR engines, with additional filtration. Number 1 – let’s filter our fuel to a 2-micron particulate level and protect our precise and costly injection system. Number 2 – let’s filter our oil down to a 2-micron level and further protect the internal parts of our engines (this is especially needed on the EGR engines to reduce the additional soot going back into the engine). Number 3 – let’s buy a quality brand of air filter to ensure the cleanliness of the air entering our system. Number 4 – let’s install breathers at all possible locations where dirt or water could be introduced into the system. Number 5 – let’s purchase quality fuel from one supplier (my recommendation) and check his supply often. This can be done simply by putting a few gallons of fuel in a clear plastic bottle, holding it up to the sunlight, and visually inspecting it (there should be no water at the bottom or any visible floating particulates). Number 6 – let’s purchase quality oil (I recommend Chevron Delo 400, Shell Rotella T or synthetics for extreme applications). Following these six steps will dramatically help your engine’s efficiency, reduce emissions and improve longevity.

If you have a new EGR engine, I suggest you seriously consider additional filtration. Although all types of diesel engines can benefit from advanced filtration methods, the new EGR engines especially need it. For more information about “knife-edge technology” filtration, please contact me at Enterprises of the Third Kind by calling (818) 764-4888. I hope to hear from you soon – your engine will thank you!