EPA Regulations Lead to New Products
The diesel particulate filter (DPF) is a ceramic filter that deals with diesel emission standards which require low particulate matter (PM) exhaust. The ceramic DPF is in later stages of the research and development stage and should be closer to finalizing in 2008. The key points of the DPF are that the Honeywell design is a pleated ceramic element – rather than a traditional monolith. Material is Alumina based, and can accept a wash coat for catalyst. Commercialization focus is on Machine Duty (MD) and Off-Highway for North America first. Clean restriction is less than monolith due to the open pore structure of the media design. The Honeywell design has depth loading of soot, providing more soot to catalyst contact, yielding better regeneration efficiency. Shape geometry also provides quicker heating and cooling cycles. This benefit should have a positive impact on fuel economy. Also ash capacity is under evaluation with this product and that could also increase the value of the DPF for the environment.
The SynWash filter is a relatively new product that is more or less a reusable air filter. With this product you no longer have to replace your air filter with a new one. The SynWash filter has a SynWash fiber technology that is 100% synthetic media. With this media it filter’s 99% of harmful particles and also can be washed over and over again. With a hose spray tool provided with the filter, the user mixes dish washing liquid and water and connects the hose spray tool to the garden hose. Someone might ask what this really does for the environment. Well if you think about the used air filter you have from the last time you changed it. Where is it? It was put in the trash and probably thrown away and taken to the dump. Do you think the filter was in a contained environment? No it was in the dump and all the particles that the air filter caught are now given the ability to go back into the air. This not only is a great product for the reusable factor but also helps to reduce air filters getting thrown out and it basically is recycling a product that can still perform.
Another similar product to the SynWash air filter is the OMS oil filter (TRT technology). It can not be recycled like the SynWash filter but it can push out the length of your oil change interval. This in turn uses less oil over the life of your vehicle and the oil then does not have to be disposed of. The OMS technology is more for the heavy duty line over passenger car vehicles because of the length of the change interval for an average vehicle. With a passenger car vehicle the general oil change interval is between 3000-7000 miles while for a heavy duty truck the interval can be upwards toward 20,000 miles. FRAM �® TRT provides oil additization to reduce the effects of EGR and maintain oil quality. With the additives in the filter it controls the acid and oxidation of the oil. The environmental benefits come with the decrease of waste oil and filters. The OMS filter can possibly double your oil change interval depending on the driving conditions. This is beneficial for the waste reduction as well as the cost for trucks to get their oil changed which can be upward to $150 per oil change.
Another harmful gas that can be emitted from the engine is NOx or nitrogen oxide. This gas can be harmful to the environment and the amount of NOx that can be given off by the vehicle is regulated by the EPA. Diesel engines produce the most NOx and the diesel emission standards require low NOx levels. Honeywell has developed NOx adsorber technology which is sensitive to sulfur in the fuel. The Honeywell sulfur filter reduces sulfur ‘on board’ which in turn lowers the NOx levels. The sulfur filter has the ability to reduce sulfur levels from 15 ppm to 3 ppm. By doing this the filter reduces the sulfur and NOx released into the air, as well as increasing fuel economy. This filter benefits not only the environment but also the driver to increase fuel economy. As seen in the graph below the amount of NOx capacity with the sulfur filter compared to the baseline is obvious. With the sulfur filter the NOx levels can be sustained over a longer run time compared to an engine without a sulfur filter.
I have addressed the obvious emissions from an engine and the multiple different ways that Honeywell has addressed this increase in EPA regulations. However, what do all these things do? They keep the harmful emissions from being released into the environment and in turn out of the lungs of the people. But what keeps the people in the cars safe from emissions when cars around them are producing exhaust. That exhaust is going right into the car behind it and then into the cab through the vents or in through the windows. This came to the attention of Honeywell after the American Lung Association came out with their article “State of the Air: 2007” and it mentioned that in most cases the air inside the cab of a vehicle is often more dangerous than the air outside of it.
The reason for this is the amount of ozone being released by vehicles. Vehicles don’t produce straight ozone but they do spew out some of the raw ingredients for ozone and particle pollution, the most widespread and deadly types of air pollution. Studies are confirming that not black smoke could take months to years off your life and also harm children for life. Scientists keep finding out more about how dangerous they are. Ozone (O3) is an extremely reactive gas molecule composed of three oxygen atoms. Ozone is the primary ingredient to what is called smog which is very dangerous for people’s well being.
This is one of the major reasons that Honeywell has addressed these issues with their cabin air filter line. The Fresh Breeze cabin air filter helps to filter the air, which comes in through the vents, of harmful air pollution. Outside air that flows through your vehicle’s air conditioning, heating and ventilation system can expose passengers to contaminants such as road dust and pollen. With the use of baking soda and activated carbon that are embedded into the filter it will make the air you are about to breath in cleaner than before.
In conclusion the EPA regulations have increased ten fold from the past when the biggest concern was horse power not the emissions. People are exposed to the emissions from vehicles every day and through scientific testing of the amount and type of emissions, they can be very harmful. All the products I have discussed are being brought to the public and OE manufacturers because the amount of vehicles on the roads is increasing every year. Some people might say that they don’t work at a factory or aren’t exposed to that much gas or harmful emissions. However as seen above even your daily commute to work can be harmful to you and your family. If these emissions can take months or years off of my life I would do anything to keep myself healthy. Will spending a few extra dollars for a product that can reduce the emissions you take in deter you from buying them? If so aren’t you actually putting a price on how much your life is worth?
