DECSE to continue as APBF-Diesel Emissions Control program

10 October 2000

Representatives of governmental agencies, trade associations, and private industry are jointly funding a new program to identify the optimal combinations of fuels, lubricants, diesel engines, and emission control systems to meet projected emission standards for the 2000 to 2010 time period. The program will also identify properties of fuels and vehicle systems that could lead to even lower emissions beyond 2010. The program is known as the Advanced Petroleum-Based Fuels--Diesel Emissions Control (APBF-DEC) program. Five groups provide major funding and support to the APBF-DEC program: the US Department of Energy (DOE), the Engine Manufacturers Association (EMA), the American Petroleum Institute (API), the Manufacturers of Emission Controls Association (MECA), and the American Chemistry Council. Industry is also providing significant in-kind resources.

The US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the California Air Resources Board (CARB) have agreed to participate in the APBF-DEC program’s work groups and EPA will provide in-kind technical assistance. Additional technical support is provided by the National Petrochemical and Refiners Association (NPRA).

This test program can provide timely information to both government and industry. In 1999, EPA announced a phase-in of stricter emission standards for light-duty vehicles beginning in 2004. In May 2000, EPA proposed new emission standards for heavy-duty vehicles and a standard for the sulfur content of highway diesel fuel. The APBF-DEC program will provide data and objective analyses of results on the effects of fuel and lubricant properties on operating and emissions performance of advanced automotive and heavy vehicle systems. These results will be used by government and industry as technologies are developed for deployment later this decade. The four-year APBF-DEC program is expected to have a 50/50 government/industry cost share of about $35 million, including $25 million in funding and $10 million in in-kind contributions.

Representatives from all sponsoring organizations serve on the APBF-DEC Steering Committee. Three systems work groups have been organized to document the effects of fuel and lubricant properties on both criteria and unregulated emissions for a variety of automotive and heavy vehicle engine/emission control systems. The work groups are:

Fuels, engines, selective catalytic reduction (SCR)/diesel particulate filter (DPF) technologies;
Fuels, engines, NOx adsorber/DPF technologies; and
Lubricants. A work group on unregulated emissions provides support on measuring these substances for the three systems work groups. Additional support is provided for experimental design and data analysis, fuel and lubricant provision, and communications.

The APBF-DEC’s mission is to:

Meet projected emission standards during the period 2000 to 2010, while maintaining continuous improvement in engine efficiency and durability
Maintain customer satisfaction with vehicle performance
Provide the basis for economical transport of people and goods
Meet additional potential constraints (e.g., emissions of unregulated substances, including ultrafine particulate and greenhouse gases) and
Explore the potential to achieve even lower emissions of criteria and unregulated pollutants beyond 2010.

The APBF-DEC program is an outgrowth of the Diesel Emission Control Sulfur Effects (DECSE) project, which is scheduled to conclude this fall. Results of DECSE to date are provided in four interim reports, which are available on the World Wide Web at: http://www.ott.doe.gov/decse. The final DECSE report will be available on the web site this fall. Information about the APBF-DEC program will soon be available at http://www.ott.doe.gov/apbf.

For further information, contact Helen Latham at Battelle, phone 614-424-4062, fax 614-424-5601, E-mail lathamh@battelle.org.

Source: APBF-DEC