Adblue® Pollution Prevention Technical Information

Safe storage and use of emission reduction

solutions (ERS) - e.g. AdBlue

　

1. Introduction

Stricter exhaust emissions for commercial vehicles with diesel engines, (buses, trucks, HGVs and coaches) have been issued by the EU, (Euro 4 in Oct 2005 and Euro 5 in 2008). To meet these standards the automotive industry has adopted several technologies. One is

ERS are stored at refuelling sites and are becoming a common feature at filling stations for commercial diesel vehicles and private depots. Vehicles will have an ERS tank, from which the solution is injected into the engine exhaust stream immediately after the combustion chamber. ERS consumption is between 4 and 6% of the diesel consumption. Selective Catalytic Reduction, where harmful exhaust gases are converted to nitrogen and water by catalytic conversion. AdBlue is a trade name for an emission reduction solution used for this process.

2. Storing and using ERS.

ERS are usually an aqueous solution of urea. If you store handle and use ERS according to manufacturers’ instructions and our guidelines, they pose minimal risk to operators and a limited risk to the environment. However, urea solution is very polluting to surface water and groundwater and has caused several serious pollution incidents from spills at farms where it was stored and used as a fluid fertiliser.

Because urea solution contains ammonia it’s corrosive to some metals, such as copper and its alloys. If tanks and pipework become corroded there is a higher risk of a spill that could cause pollution – which is against the law.

It’s important that ERS are stored in containers that are specifically designed and manufactured from materials that are suitable for use with urea. This also applies to all storage ancillary equipment, such as valves, dispensing nozzles and pipework.

Urea based ERS are soluble in water and should be kept out of surface water drainage systems discharging to the environment. They

3. Reduce the risk of causing pollution

Tank manufacturers are now producing storage solutions specifically for ERS. Steel and plastic storage systems with integral secondary containment are available. Some companies may supply specialist Intermediate Bulk Containers (IBCs) that are delivered full and then collected when empty. We recommend that you use storage and dispensing systems that are specifically designed for use with ERS.

You should make sure that:

1. Your container, pipework and dispensing equipment are suitable for use with urea.
2. You have secondary containment for the container and ancillary equipment.
3. The dispensing area drainage is isolated from surface water drains.
4. You have a trigger nozzle with an auto shutoff to dispense ERS. Make sure that the nozzle can’t be left in the open position.
5. You have appropriate emergency equipment to deal with large and small spills. For example, you could use proprietary spill kits, drain mats, pipe blockers, or permanent valves on drainage systems to provide containment.
6. You have an emergency plan and suitable training for dealing with spillages or other accidents. See Incident Response

4. Need more information?

Contact your local office on 08708 506 506, or email enquiries@environmment-agency.gov.uk.

For general pollution prevention advice see Pollution Prevention Pays.

Pollution Prevention Guidelines (PPGs) are available free from our offices or our Website www.environment-agency.gov.uk/ppg

will not be removed in an oil separator so it’s important to isolate drainage from your dispensing area from the surface water system to reduce the possibility of spills and drips causing pollution.

 

AdBlue® misfuelling; the facts

Replacement of dosing, SCR and CAT units.

To prevent cross contamination we offer the worldwide patented AdBlue® Misfuelling Cap which only allows a 19MM gun entry.  Our solution comes with the AdBlue® magnet inbuilt.

The protection system consists of a ready mounted adapter that has been designed for the different sizes in adblue tanks.  The refilling neck comes in two diameters (58 and 77 mm).
We offer a cap solution for each diameter.

Only the correct AdBlue® refill pistol will fit into the opening - No access for diesel, gas, other pistols or contaminants.

For additional safety, there is a flap on the inside, which closes the opening.  It can be opened by the AdBlue® refill pistol.  The intergrated magnet releases the inserted AdBlue® refill pistol to refill the tank.  The upper part of the lid, fastened on a rubber band, closes the tank.

wrong liquid in adblue - misfuel advice

The AdBlue^®/DEF, which is used on diesel powered vehicles in order to clean the exhaust gases with SCR technology (Selective Catalytic Reduction), has some special characteristics which have to be considered.

The fluid crystallizes when in contact with air and causes corrosion when in contact with some common metals and other materials. For a correct function of the SCR technology it is important that the chemical is not contaminated, and in order to prevent that refilling is done in the wrong tank the refilling inlet has been designed and standardised according to ISO standards

• Prevents the risk for spillLess risk for spills and corrosion.
• Only AdBlue^®/DEF can be refilled in the tankPrevents wrong fluid to be filled in the AdBlue^®/DEF tank, which could cause serious damage to the SCR system
• Can be retrofitted
  The equipment can be retrofitted on existing vehicles

For more information, help and support for adblue contamination please visit the adblue cap website

adblue key cap contamination solution for misfuel scr

Take a look at our new adblue key cap misfuelling website for more misfuelling news and advice.

Iveco announces Euro VI engine line up with no EGR

Iveco and Fiat Powertrains have announced a Euro VI engine line which meets the emissions standards without using Exhaust Gas Recirculation (EGR). Instead the new engine range relies on Selective Catalytic Reduction (SCR) and a Diesel Particulate Filter (DPF) to meet NOx limits.
Fiat Powertrains' (FTP) new SCR technology will be introduced onto the new Cursor and Tector engine ranges for heavy-duty trucks and buses.
Alfredo Altavilla, Iveco Chief Executive Officer, said: "The technology that reduces fuel consumption and additional operating costs to their minimum is the correct technical choice. FPT Industrial's 'SCR Only' exhaust after-treatment fulfils this important need.
"It is clear that Euro VI vehicles will be more expensive; technology has a price and a value. We will introduce suitably equipped vehicles when our customers ask us to do so."
The new technology includes the following features, according to FTP:
• Optimised fluid-dynamics modelling of exhaust gas and AdBlue injection on SCR catalysts.• Feed forward control logic to enable precise AdBlue dosing in order to abate incoming sensed NOx emissions.
• Ammonia and NOx sensor technology for extremely accurate exhaust gas sensing, enabling adaptive AdBlue dosing to compensate for any ageing of the SCR catalyst.
• Insulated tube turbulence mixer technology to allow a homogeneous urea hydrolysis and distribution in the exhaust gas stream by introducing a swirling motion.
Euro VI emissions norms will apply to heavy-duty vehicles from the from 1st January 2014

AdBlue...detect diesel oil contamination in your truck's AdBlue tank

Anyway there was Biglorryblog, amiably chatting to a fleet engineer from a major truck rental company (begins with an 'F') and he mentioned the problems of people putting diesel in the AdBlue tanks. "You can't do it!" piped up another operator who was listening in to the conversation, before adding: "You can't get the diesel pump spout into the AdBlue tank filler neck--they're different sizes." My thoughts exactly....but my rental friend calmly came back with a sobering response..."You don't have to. You only need to stick the nozzle into the hole pull the trigger and the splash-back from the gun as the cut-out works still goes into the tank and it's enough to ruin the AdBlue..." Well I have to admit that was a new one on me

This is a point in case that shows just how sensitive the adblue solution is.

AdBlue Contamination

All European truck manufacturers currently offer SCR equipped models, and the future Euro6 emission standard is set to reinforce the demand for this technology. SCR systems are sensitive to potential chemical impurities in the urea solution, therefore, it is essential to maintain high standards of AdBlue quality according to the ISO 22241 standard.

The use of SCR technology in Europe made it necessary to develop an AdBlue supply infrastructure. AdBlue is available from thousands of service stations, this locator finder is updated monthly with new Retail sites selling AdBlue. It can also be purchased in canisters of 5 or 10 litres at service stations. Larger quantities of AdBlue can be delivered in, for example, 208 litres (46 imp gal; 55 US gal) drums, 1,000 litres (220 imp gal; 260 US gal) Intermediate Bulk Containers (IBCs), and bulk.