World Travel: The Fuel Challenge

[dhackney]

This section was copied in from another thread.

we looked for an 07 before buying our new 08 (picking it up this friday) for the same reason, our understanding is you will be required to retro fit an 07 and older diesel trucks in calif by 2010 or 2011.

15 December 2008

The California Air Resources Board (ARB) finalized the proposed emission regulations for heavy-duty diesel trucks that operate in California. The Statewide Truck and Bus rule introduces the following requirements:

Beginning January 1, 2011, truck owners must install diesel particulate filters on their rigs, with nearly all vehicles upgraded by 2014.
Truck owners must replace engines older than the 2010 model year according to a staggered implementation schedule that extends from 2012 to 2022.
Another adopted rule, the Heavy Duty Vehicle Greenhouse Gas Emission Reduction measure, requires long-haul truckers to install fuel efficient tires and aerodynamic devices on their trailers that lower greenhouse gas emissions and improve fuel economy.

Heavy-duty trucks—responsible for 32% of NOx emissions and nearly 40% of PM emissions from diesel mobile sources—are the largest source of diesel emissions still not regulated under the California Diesel Risk Reduction Plan. The greenhouse gas reduction measure applies to more than 500,000 trailers, while the diesel regulation applies to about 400,000 heavy duty vehicles that are registered in the state, and about 500,000 out-of-state vehicles that do business in California. However, because many heavy duty vehicles are replaced or retired due to normal business practices on a faster schedule than what the new regulation will require, the number of vehicles expected to be retrofitted by 2014 under the rule is about 230,000, while up to 350,000 vehicles would be replaced earlier than normal over the next 15 years, estimates the ARB.

To provide flexibility, the diesel regulation is structured so that owners can choose from among three compliance options to meet regulation requirements. There are exceptions to the regulation, including low-use vehicles, emergency and military vehicles, and personal use motor homes. School buses would be subject only to requirements for reducing diesel particulate matter and not for engine replacement.

To help truck owners upgrade their vehicles, the state is offering more than a billion dollars in funding opportunities. Options include Carl Moyer grants, Proposition 1B funds, and AB 118, which establishes a low-cost truck loan program to help pay for early compliance with the truck rule. The ARB is also evaluating ways to integrate these programs so that truckers can get a grant and a loan at the same time.

To reduce diesel emissions and improve air quality and public health, the ARB adopted a Diesel Risk Reduction Plan in 2000. The regulations already passed under the Plan cover urban buses, garbage trucks, school bus and truck idling, stationary engines, transport refrigeration units, cargo handling equipment at ports and rail yards, off-road vehicles, port trucks and other sources.

Source: California ARB

[story source: DieselNet.com news - http://www.dieselnet.com/news/2008/12carb.php ]

[Emphasis added is my own.]

my understanding is many other states are watching calif to see how they might implement there own

27 November 2008

The New York Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) proposed regulations that will require the use of “best available retrofit technology” (BART) and ultra low sulfur diesel (ULSD) fuel on heavy duty diesel vehicles owned or operated by the state.

The regulation is applicable to heavy duty vehicles (HDV) with a gross vehicle weight greater than 8,500 lb, owned by, operated by, on behalf of, or leased by state agencies and state and regional public authorities. The definition of HDV covers both highway and off-road vehicles. However, several categories of off-road equipment are exempted from the regulation. Examples of exempted vehicles include earth movers such as loaders and backhoes, and farm tractors and equipment. Exempted from the regulation are also locomotives.

There are two compliance options with the BART requirement:

The first option is to replace or repower the affected HDV with a vehicle/engine certified to the EPA 2007 PM emission standard, or to replace it with an alternative fuel vehicle/engine.
The second option is to retrofit the vehicle with an EPA or California ARB verified retrofit device which offers the greatest reduction in PM emissions for the specific engine. NOx reductions must also be considered if there are devices which provide for such reductions and are available at “reasonable cost”.
Waivers from the BART requirements may be issued by the DEC if a retrofit device is not available or not applicable for a specific engine.

The proposed regulation also requires that affected HDVs have their engine control modules software updated (reflashed) to reduce off-cycle NOx emissions.

Public comments on the proposal are accepted until December 4, 2008.

Source: NY DEC

[story source: DieselNet.com - http://www.dieselnet.com/news/2008/11ny.php ]

 

[dhackney]

This section is copied in from another thread.

Is it even possible to remove that stuff?

Seems to me that unless you can find a pre-'08, you had better expedition state-side. What fun is that?

-Model year 2008 and later diesel engines are designed to meet 2007 EPA (note this is the year of the EPA regulation, not the model year) standards. Those standards include the use of ULSD (ultra low sulfur diesel) fuel. ULSD is only sold in North America (to the best of my knowledge, I am not familiar with its availability in Europe). ULSD is not available in the developing world.

-I am not a diesel engine engineer, a trained, factory certified diesel engine mechanic or a diesel service manager. I don't even play one on TV. Thus, I must rely on what others tell me. Here's a quote from a guy involved in exporting U.S./Canada market trucks for use in foreign oil operations when asked 'What would happen if you ran a current model year truck on non ULSD fuel?'

"It’ll run for about a week, the diesel particulate filter will plug up, the engine will derate and ultimately shut down. When that happens, there is NO WAY to get it running again without towing it to a dealer or engine distributor that has the actual right computer and software to get it going again. And possibly replacing the emissions control gear on the truck, to the tune of about 10 grand. It is a realllllll nasty deal, I can tell you about some lawsuits going on already about 07 emission trucks which were shipped overseas and have been sitting for about a year. The only way they are ever going to run again is with a complete new motor in them.

DO NOT EVEN CONSIDER USING 07 EMISSIONS ENGINES ANYWHERE EXCEPT THE U.S. AND CANADA – no matter whose they are, or you will be getting into a LOT of trouble."

As to the question, "Can the emissions controls be removed for the purposes of overseas use and restored upon re-entry to the U.S. to ensure compliance?" he replied:

"... if you get the new emissions which are now legal, they cannot be taken off and a truck with them used outside North America. It would be illegal to take the emission stuff off, as well as it can’t be done from an engineering standpoint – the computer controls are all embedded with programming now which cannot be over ridden and which will not allow the truck to run, at all, if the emission stuff is taken off."


Again, I am not personally qualified to know if this information is accurate, close or pure hyperbole.

I do know that our 2007 model year truck, with a 2004 EPA standards engine and systems (again, this is the year of the EPA regulation, not the model year), runs fine on developing world diesel fuel found in South America (2,000 - 10,000 ppm in the countries we visited).

 

[dhackney]

The Options

If you want to overland outside North America, IMO, you've got the following options:

1. Locate a 2007 model year or older truck to build on. This is getting more and more challenging. At this time, there are a very, very few new 2007 4x4 chassis (less than a handful) and a dwindling number of new 2007 4x2 chassis available. You would either need to go out in 4x2 or do a non-factory conversion to 4x4 for the latter choice. For a medium duty truck, conversion to 4x4 costs $25-30k USD depending on the configuration and options.
2. Buy a 2008 or newer model year truck and figure out a way to take all the emissions stuff off, reprogram the engine & trans CPU, and avoid blowing up a very expensive system in the process. This options is illegal, risky and obviously voids the warranty on all affected systems. I assume this would also affect service, unless you can also figure out a way to reprogram the CPU to not report a bunch of error codes for all the stuff you removed, etc.
3. Buy a 2008 or newer model year truck and replace the entire engine, engine CPU, exhaust, transmission, etc., with a 2007 model year or older system. (the transmission is tied into the engine computer for shift control, etc., at least on automatics). Expensive and will obviously void the warranty on the affected systems. This option is probably also illegal.
4. Buy a U.S. built, export only truck, built for export to overseas operations, with 1998 EPA or 2004 EPA specs (again, these are the years of the regulations, not the model years). You will not be able to register, license or drive this truck in the U.S. using your U.S. address, state, etc. Ever. This only makes sense if you are not planning on traveling in the U.S. and are going places where there is good dealer/parts/service support for the U.S. brand and/or components (engine/trans). South America would fit in this category.
5. A possible variation of the above is to buy a U.S. built, export only truck, built for export to overseas operations, with 1998 EPA or 2004 EPA specs (again, these are the years of the regulations, not the model years). Build up the truck and ship it overseas. When you bring it back into the states, re-engine it under California's re-engine program to bring it into 2010 compliance. This may be a loophole that overlanders could exploit, but you would have to do a lot of due diligence to confirm it and hope the loophole wasn't closed before you got back.
6. Buy a USA/Canada or foreign market chassis that is used or reconditioned and is a model year that is pre-emission standard and exempt from title/registration restrictions due to its age.
7. Temporary import a non-emission or pre-emission standard foreign chassis for the purposes of the build, build on it, and then ship it back overseas for use.
8. Buy a foreign rig that is world-fuel compatible and already complete.
9. Buy a foreign market chassis that is world-fuel compatible and ship your camper box there for the install. This doesn't make a lot of sense since the rest of the world uses 24VDC truck systems and 220V/50Hz AC systems. It makes a lot more sense to build your camper box using components that match the standards of the rest of the world.

For the last three scenarios, and the 'export only' option, if you have the ability to register and license it in another country, you could conceivably use it in North America, although the scene at the customs office at the docks or at the land border with Mexico or Canada might be interesting, with your U.S. passport and a foreign registered truck in your name.

 

[dhackney]

The Important Numbers

US/Canada Market Trucks

• 500 ppm - Any truck built after 1993 is designed to run on this level of sulphur.
• 15 ppm - Any truck model year 2008 and newer must have this level of sulpher in the fuel or major damage or expense can be incurred. These trucks are not compatible with any other fuel.

European Market Trucks

• 500 ppm - Euro II standard. Any truck built to Euro II standards is designed to run on this level of sulphur.
• 350 ppm - Euro III standard. Any truck built to Euro III standards is designed to run on this level of sulphur.
• 50 ppm - Euro IV standard. Any truck built to Euro IV standards is designed to run on this level of sulphur.
• <10 ppm - Euro V standard. Any truck built to Euro V standards is designed to run on this level of sulphur.

 

[gjackson]

Doug,

Excellent info and well compiled. Especially the section on fuel availability. I can only hope you are going to duplicate this work with world fuel costs? :ylsmoke:

cheers

 

[charlieaarons]

US/Canada Market Trucks

• 500 ppm - Any truck built after 1993 is designed to run on this level of sulphur.
  

I have run ~300 gal of Morocco 10000ppm sulfur diesel and a similar amount of Pemex diesel thru my U500 (EPA 2004 emissions) without any problems whatsoever. The only problem using high sulfur diesel in ANY pre 2007 engine is the possible need to change oil more frequently due to TBN (alkali reserve) depletion. To my knowledge there are no systems in US market pre 2007 diesels that are poisoned by high sulfur fuel.
And anyone please correct me if I am wrong, but the only hardware that is affected by high sulfur diesel in 2007 and later engines is emission control pieces in the exhaust system (catalytic convertors). Plus the computer program attached to said parts.
Therefore, although not legal, it would seem feasible to "work around" the problem by removing the hardware (convertor - replacing with straight pipe) and patching the computer software (which I don't know how to do even though I own a Mercedes computer, for instance).
Forgive me for repeating what's on one of Doug's list. But I strongly suspect that somebody, somewhere has done this already, probably for the Big 3 pickup engines and possibly for the heavy duty truck engines designed for N. America that end up in Mexico.

Charlie

 

[Harald Hansen]

This thread makes me dizzy - in a good way. Thanks for compiling all this excellent information!

 

[MoGas]

Amazing research work.

Would you consider working on a spreadsheet about World Travel: The Border Challenge? I would love to see the research of maybe 10 countries and where the citizens of those countries are a) permitted to travel, either by their own country or the potential country of visit, b) welcomed warmly by the host country c) is there an embassy of their home country there? d) is there religious law in the host country? and other things that you would look at when putting a team together of people from different countries.

I know US citizens are limited from traveling to Cuba by the US, but I know people that go there occasionally, just through different countries, and I am told the Cuban people really like "us" as a people. Some countries hate our policies, but like our people, some hate us completely, but allow us in, etc.

I thought about this when watching Long Way Down where one of the fellows (American?) had to fly from one country to wait for the rest of the guys in the following country (Egypt?) because the bypassed country (Libya?) wouldn't allow him enterance.

Dave

 

[saltamontes]

great/exhaustive summary.

a few relevant (if not tangential) points:

--

CETANE:

no mention of cetane #'s beyond EU (and a few others) diesel. Although more of a factor for high performance diesels, using diesel w/ cetane lower than the minimum specs of the engine manufacturer can lead to rough starts especially in cold weather or at high altitudes.

FUEL QUALITY (not just about sulfur):

impurities, API gravity, BTU content, distillation range, sulfur content, stability, aromatics and flash point all affect usability of diesel fuel.

--

REFINERY PROCESS:

oil refineries tend to fall into two categories: catalytic cracking and hydrocracking. Most U.S. refineries are set up for catalytic cracking, which turns each barrel of crude oil into about 50-percent gasoline, 15-percent diesel, and the remainder into jet fuel, home heating oil, heavy fuel oil, liquefied petroleum gas, asphalt, and various other products. In Europe and most of the rest of the world, refineries use a hydrocracking process, which produces more like 25-percent gasoline and 25-percent diesel from that barrel of oil.

--

JP-8:

the US military uses JP-8 (kerosene-like jet fuel) in just about every diesel motor they operate. Lubricity is amended w/ motor or 2 stroke oil ~2%

--

BIO DIESEL:

increasingly available throughout the world.

--

FUTURE:

EGR, DPF, SCR.. all are making modern diesels much more complex and expensive. With direct injection turbo gas motors increasingly reaching torque/efficiency parity, diesel will continue to lose its advantage. That is, until algae-based bio diesel allows us to inexpensively grow our own fuel :victory:

 

[BiG BoB]

The maps are out dated and should show Australia as having <10ppm of Sulfur content (as in the posted tables)

Diesel is to my mind the expedition fuel of choice, but you are in my opinion better off with a good older engine than a new fangled one!

Sean