Scania - Annual Report 2006

Scania annual report 2006 22 RE SEARC H AN D DEVELOP MENT Euro 4 standards signifies that emissions of nitrogen oxides have fallen by 55 percent and of particulates (soot) by 95 percent. In the Euro 5 engines Scania sells today, the figures are 75 and 95 percent, respectively. A reduction of particulates or nitrogen oxides normally impairs fuel economy. But due to successful product development, Scania trucks and buses today combine sharply lower emission levels with better fuel economy than 15 years ago. In the heavy vehicle industry, two technologies are used to lower harmful emissions to Euro 4 or Euro 5 standards: EGR and SCR . Scania has developed engines for both. Scania has found exhaust gas recirculation (EGR) to be the more attractive alternative for the customer. It requires no additives and no extra tanks that reduce cargo capacity. EGR also works well in urban traffic and other types of driving where exhaust temperature is comparatively low. With Scania EGR, some of the exhaust gases are fed back into the combustion chamber, lowering combustion temperature and reducing the level of nitrogen oxides emitted by the engine. Meanwhile the high fuel injection pressure in Scania engines reduces the quantity of particulates. Selective catalytic reduction (SCR ) is an aftertreatment system that reduces nitrogen oxides by injecting a urea and water solution into the exhaust gases following combustion. Scania has developed engines based on SCR technology for its powerful V8 engines and for its first engines that meet Euro 5 emission standards. To prepare for the transition to Euro 5 in 2009, Scania is developing an upgraded engine range based on EGR technology. The new engines are being designed for a new extra high pressure injection system (Scania XPI ), developed in partnership with Cummins, an American engine manufacturer. Through its strategic alliance with Cummins, Scania has ensured the necessary technology to meet future Euro 6 environmental legislation. Focusing on new fuels Many years of interaction between tighter legally mandated emission rules in many countries and successful engine development have led to sharply reduced emissions from vehicle engines. When Euro 6 standards enter into force some time around 2012, harmful emissions are likely to be so low that the problem can be regarded as solved. Instead, other future issues have moved into the foreground: reducing carbon dioxide emissions and finding alternatives to increasingly expensive oil. One consequence of this is a growing interest in renewable fuels. Research is intensive. The transition to other fuels can be accelerated smoothly by mixing biofuels into today’s diesel fuel. This can occur without large-scale technical changes, and both new and older vehicles can be driven using mixed fuel. Today Scania already has fully developed technology for alternative fuels that are available in the market and can be used in combination with proven engine technology. Customers that wish to reduce their oil dependence can thus begin the transition even today. n Ethanol Since 1989, Scania has delivered more than 600 ethanol buses for scheduled urban traffic, and the technology is well-established. Scania’s ethanol-adapted diesel engines make it possible to switch to ethanol power in heavy vehicles, with the high efficiency of a diesel engine. The fuel is pure ethanol with an ignition improver additive. Ethanol is usually produced from sugar cane or sugar beets, but the raw material can also be cereals or other biological materials. With simple technical adjustments, ethanol can be used in petrol-powered vehicles and is becoming an increasingly common fuel in cars. As a result, the ethanol supply infrastructure is being expanded on a large scale all over the world. n RME Rapeseed methyl ester (RME) is produced from rapeseed (canola) oil and can be mixed with diesel. All Scania engines can run on diesel fuel with an admixture of up to five percent RME. Scania’s diesel engines with unit injectors can run on 100 percent RME at temperatures down to -10 degrees Celsius. n Synthetic diesel Another alternative fuel is synthetic diesel, which can be produced from natural gas or biological wastes, among other sources. Synthetic diesel can be mixed to a successively increasing extent into ordinary diesel, providing a smooth transition to alternative fuels. One advantage is that it is then also suitable for older vehicles. Customers that wish to reduce their oil dependence can thus begin the transition even today. ‘‘ ”