Lubricants Roadmap to '07
Steve Sturgess
Executive Editor
The next round of emissions regulation, due to hit in January '07, brings with it a virtual prohibition on sulfur. Interestingly, this has much broader implications than any previous emissions target, said Dan Arcy at a recent Shell lubricants briefing.
Where before the engine manufacturers developed new technologies – such as electronic engine controls, high-pressure injection and most recently exhaust gas recirculation – this time around it is a three-way cooperative effort between the engine engineers, the fuel suppliers and the lubricants industry.
As Shell's technical marketing manager and lubes industry spokesman, Arcy has been in the development trenches as the specification PC10 evolved into the next-generation diesel lubricant category, CJ-4. Lube oils must be certified to this standard for use in all diesel engines manufactured after next January. But CJ-4 is a tough standard to meet and, said Arcy, the next generation Rotella T from Shell represents a step-change in lubes technology at least as significant as the introduction of multigrade oils.
The low-sulfur requirement has driven the change,and this is where the three-way effort has been necessary to achieve the lowered emissions for 2007.
Absolutely essential in lowering particulates to the next level is the inclusion of exhaust aftertreatment in the form of a diesel particulate filter. The rare-metal catalysts that are required are sensitive to sulfur products, and at today's fuel sulfur levels, would be poisoned in short order. So to enable the emissions performance, fuel industry has been required to produce ultra low sulfur diesel (ULSD) from Oct. 15 this year. The fuel has only 15 ppm (parts per million) of sulfur, down from today's 500 ppm.
This raises several concerns, all of which must be addressed by the fuel industry and the user, Arcy said at the meeting in late June. The first is that contamination of the fuel in the distribution process – most notably through the pipelines – means that the refiner must have 8 ppm fuel going out of their refineries. Another is the lubricity of the fuel in the modern ultra high pressure injection systems. A third is the low temperature performance of the ULSD.
It is up to the retail distributors to ensure the fuel at the pump that carries the ULSD sticker complies with the regulation. It is the responsibility of the user to ensure drivers pump ULSD if they are driving trucks equipped with the particulate filters that are part and parcel of the '07 emissions solutions.
This is important, because what will be available is today's low sulfur (i.e., 500 ppm) fuel both from refineries that do not have to meet the new levels till 2010, and also from contaminated ULSD that has exceeded the 15 ppm spec in the distribution process. Pump labels should have been in place on ULSD pumps since June 1st this year. Trucks with '07 engines will carry labels on the fuel tanks/side skirts reminding drivers to use only ULSD. At terminals, says fuels experts, fleets should ensure they draw down to less than 20 percent of tank volume four times, refilling with ULSD before fueling '07 trucks at terminals.
Against this background, it's easy to understand that the lubricants for '07 must also have a low sulfur content, and the rewrite of the lubes spec that results in CJ-4 addresses this. But it's worth the effort, said Arcy. In 2007 it will take six trucks to put out the same emissions as a single truck did in 1988; in 2010 this jumps to 66 trucks, according to EPA.
The CJ-4 spec also addresses ash from oxidized lubes. This, along with wear metals, is what, in the longer term, plugs up the particulate filters and requires the filter maintenance. The good news, as reported here before, is that these maintenance intervals could be 300,000 to 400,000 miles apart. But these long intervals are only made possible by the switch to the CJ-4 oil category.
According to Shell's Arcy, there is no doubt that the new oils are better for engines of any year. In Shell's case, the development of the new Rotella T With Triple Protection addresses wear and deposits as well as emissions. In older engines, the low-sulfur requirement is unnecessary, but the reduction in deposits prevents ring sticking and bore wear, and the anti-wear chemistry is a real plus. In laboratory and on-road testing, Shell has demonstrated a 50 percent lower rate of wear with significantly less iron in oil analysis.
Of course, CJ-4 lubes will likely cost more, though market conditions will determine the premium. And that begs the question: Will fleets use a lower-cost lube for older engines and the new premium for '07s? Shell is backing both, with Rotella T and Rimula brands carrying the CJ-4 category "doughnut" with continuing availability of CI-4 oils under the Rimula brand. Drain intervals will be the same on '07s as previously. According to Arcy, it will be up to fleets to be cautious and use oil analysis to determine if they can extend oil drain intervals on the new engines. Coinciding with the requirement for ultra low sulfur fuel, Shell plans to roll out its new products on Oct. 15, and it is likely other lube marketers will follow suit.
Total Comfort System Introduced
Espar Heater Systems, the Ontario, Canada-based supplier of independent auxiliary heating systems for Class 8 trucks, has introduced its "Total Comfort System," which includes three options of battery-powered mobile air-conditioning systems.
Espar, which is best known for supplying warmth to truckers during cold winter months, said it recognized the fact that Espar customers needed more than just heat. With anti-idling laws in place, ever-rising high fuel prices and government rebates taking hold, Espar said it wanted to offer a full "all season" package to its customers.
To do so, Espar did two things: It partnered with several A/C developers to bring a full line of air-conditioning units into the heavy-duty truck market. And the company quadrupled the size of its manufacturing facilities.
Espar now has three air-conditioning units available – all fully enclosed, independent battery-powered systems. These include a roof-top mounted unit, an under the bunk system and a rear wall split-mount unit.
The A/C's range from 3,500 BTu/hour to 12,000 BTu/hour and are 12- or 24-volt powered. These systems cool the bunk without engine idling, comply with anti-idling laws, reduce operating costs, reduce engine wear and reduce fuel costs.
To accommodate this growth, Espar moved into new facilities earlier this year. The new building is nearly four times the size of the former facility, encompassing more than 81,000 square feet, located at 6099A Vipond Drive, Mississauga, Ontario.
Espar is the manufacturer of auxiliary fuel-operated heating systems that enable drivers and fleet owners to shut down the engines and still get a quiet, comfortable night's sleep without idling the engine. These heating systems are quiet, compact and efficient.
Return on investment can vary, depending on the temperatures of the route traveled, but typically have pay backs in six months, according to Espar. And with fuel prices at the levels they are now payback is accelerated.
Espar's biggest market in North America is Class 8 trucks, which account for more than 70 percent of the company's overall sales.
