Additive based diesel particulate Filter
Initially, PSA in a joint development with Rhodia equipped passenger cars with A-DPF. Now, SUV and Heavy Duty vehicles benefit from the technology. Improvements made to the system and therefore to the performance of the Eolys™ additive have enabled a reduction in on-board volume. With second generation Eolys™, launched in 2002, the additive tank required refilling every 140,000 km (87,500 miles). Third generation Eolys™, currently being launched, enables a maintenance-free system with only 1.5 litres on-board for a range exceeding 250,000 km (155,000 miles).
The PSA/Rhodia A-DPF system is a closed system, able to reduce diesel particulate to a degree of 99.9 per cent. PSA (Peugeot-Citroen) as a major manufacturer of diesel engines adopted this system in 2001. Manufacturers sourcing diesel engines from PSA, such as Ford, Mazda, Volvo, Mitsubishi, Fiat vans, and BMW for their diesel powered Mini, are also using the Rhodia A-DPF system.
After more than 6 years’ practical experience and with more than 2.5 million vehicles on the road - with zero recalls - the Additive-based Diesel Particulate Filter (A-DPF) with Rhodia’s Eolys™ technology has demonstrated its efficiency, robustness and durability under all driving conditions.
It is clear that the closed A-DPF system differs from open retrofit particulate filters. In the Netherlands the Ministry of Environment began a programme on September 12, 2006 subsidising the fitting of diesel particulate filters on older diesel engines. According to the latest statistics, more than 32,000 have been fitted. Volvo was the first in free fitting these open retrofit filters passing the 11,614 mark. Volkswagen overtook them with 14,744 retrofits. The subsidy of € 500 to € 1,500 - according to the size of the engine - is cashed by the fitter. Open retrofit diesel particulate filters as fitted in this programme have been tested by the Dutch technical institute TNO. It was found that a reduction of particulate emission was achieved between 20 and 55 per cent, 44 per cent on average. In many cases this reduction is sufficient to allow access to city zones where only Euro IV engines qualify.
Mr Steinmetz points out that Rhodia needs their A-DPF system to be integrated in the total engine control which involves more engineering than just fitting a filter in the exhaust pipe. More space is required, as well as a higher price. In addition to the passenger car market, Eolys™ technology has proved its value in the retrofitting of light, medium and heavy-duty vehicles. These applications are particularly demanding in respect of cost, durability and performance, as well as under severe thermal management conditions. Rhodia’s Eolys™ is not only used in retrofit applications for buses, delivery and commercial vehicles but also in off-road applications such as construction machinery, forklift trucks and generators. Importantly, Rhodia is actively involved in urban vehicle retrofit partnerships with many cities in France, Germany, Switzerland, China, Korea and Japan. In these cases the unit price of € 3,000 – € 6,000 is paying off because of the almost 100 per cent elimination of diesel particulate emissions. Also engineering and finding space under the bonnet is less of a problem.
This development is currently ongoing for Euro V applications with SUV, utility and heavy-duty vehicle manufacturers. The advantages offered by A-DPF technology are key to these applications. A-DPF ensures optimum performance under all driving conditions, motorway or urban, and requires very limited fuel consumption, compared to 3 to 5% for other technologies. Moreover, A-DPF technology is completely transparent for the driver and passengers: the system requires neither intervention by the driver nor a change in driving style. Currently there is no equivalent available in the marketplace.
Heavy-duty applications will also benefit from the advantages offered by A-DPF technology for DPF-DeNOx combinations. Due to its outstanding performance, this technology offers wide integration flexibility in these two emissions control systems (DPF located upstream or downstream of a De-NOx catalyst), which constitutes a key element in current US and future European emission standards. Mr. Steinmetz mentioned that Rhodia supplies up to half of all coating of 3-way catalysts.