| Adding an SCR catalyst will be just like adding another diesel particulate filter. |
The catalyst itself is only a minor portion of an SCR system. A 10–15 gallon urea tank complete with insulation and heater, and the doser system to meter and inject urea are also in the picture. Taken together, SCR system components will take up more space than a 100 gallon fuel tank and will add 300–400 lbs. of weight. Packaging will be a critical challenge, particularly on vehicles requiring clean cab-to-axle space for body mounting. |
| European manufacturers selected SCR because it is the “best” solution for customers. |
As shown above, SCR will add weight, complexity, and inconvenience with no predictable operating costs advantage. Over 5 years ago Europeans chose SCR systems and invested significant development cost. Even though clearly superior in-cylinder advanced EGR technology currently exists, Europeans may be reluctant to abandon SCR because of sunk development costs. SCR may be the most convenient solution by European manufacturers, but it’s at the expense of truck operators. |
| Urea for SCR systems will be conveniently available. |
For every hundred gallons of diesel fuel consumed, SCR systems will require 2–4 gallons of urea. Most SCR systems will include 10–15 gallons of urea, enough to last through several diesel fuel fill-ups because urea won’t be available everywhere diesel fuel is and prices could vary widely. One good way to determine adequacy of the urea infrastructure is to look around you. Do you see much infrastructure development activity?
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