Holm Truths: Emissions & The Environment

Diesel Engines and the Environment

Diesel engines have long been the motor of choice for vehicles used in construction and agricultural applications. Their reliability in the field, combined with their power, good fuel efficiency, low cost of operation and rugged durability have resulted in the majority of heavy-duty machinery running on diesel fuel. However, as their actual emissions have been understood, with the associated environmental and personal effects, the diesel engine is now under the microscope.

Change in Perception Due to Particulates (NOx and CO)

Whereas the diesel engine was once considered to be the greenest option to power machinery, they are now believed to be the main contributor to pollution as a result of the emissions from the exhaust, and they are being blamed for associated health issues. There have been policies and restrictions put in place across the globe to negate the ill effects that diesel engines have on the planet and the people who work with them. 

Due to the increasing pressure to reduce the impact that the emissions have, extensive research has been undertaken on diesel exhaust pollution, and treatments to control the emissions as they pass through the exhaust system. 

Emissions and Their Effects

The diesel engine emits four main pollutants. Carbon monoxide, hydrocarbons, nitrogen oxides and particulate matter. 

Carbon monoxide is not only hazardous to human health, but the environment as well. CO has been proven to interact with many other gases and compounds within the atmosphere. When these reactions take place in the presence of sunlight, these compounds can form ozone, and contribute to climate change. Carbon monoxide also contributes to the greenhouse effect, by interacting with gases in the troposphere and stratosphere. 

Hydrocarbons are a compound of hydrogen and carbon, caused by burning fossil fuels. Again, these compounds have been identified as a significant contributor to global warming, along with being a noted soil and environmental contaminant, that can stunt, and even stop, vegetation growth. The nitrogen oxides that are emitted from diesel exhausts, can also have this effect on flora.

Particulate matter is a major contributor to climate change and can have adverse effects on the surrounding environment and air quality. Not only do these particles affect the visibility we experience, due to hazes and smog, but have been linked to causing acid rain, contaminating riverways and water systems that ecosystems rely on.  They also reduce the air quality and can contribute to health issues in individuals. 

Advances in diesel engine and filter technology have significantly contributed to the reduction of emissions and, in turn, the level of harmful components entering the atmosphere. 

Diesel Particulate Filters, or DPF for short, capture soot in the exhaust system and hold onto it, to stop these particles entering the atmosphere. DPFs have been proven to remove up to 99.9% of particles, including ultrafine particles, coming from the engine. Developments in ceramic walled flow filters have been seen to remove nearly all sizes of carbon particles, even down to less than one hundred nanometres. 

Given their excellent ability to remove these particulates, they have become a requirement across the industry, in order to align with emissions legislation. Fitting a high-performance oil filter, and maintaining these parts in the interim and full-service schedules, will allow your diesel particulate filter to work efficiently, and allow the filter to regenerate itself when the maximum level of soot retention has been reached.

After passing through the particle filter, there is another relatively recent innovation, developed to treat exhaust emissions with what we know as AdBlue®. In this system, commonly known as a “selective catalytic reduction system”, a mix of purified water and urea (the AdBlue®) is injected into the system, and converts the nitrogen oxides in the gas into nitrogen and water, turning up to 95% of nitrogen oxides into ammonia, before being converted into nitrogen, water and carbon dioxide.

A major way to reduce your emissions is to ensure that your machinery is running as efficiently as possible. Ensuring that the engine is receiving high-quality air, lubrication and AdBlue®, is the best way to be certain you are maximising efficiency levels.

We at Holm stock filters to both negate the environmental effects of using diesel engines and those that ensure maximum engine efficiency.  We offer a comprehensive range of filters, easily searchable by machine, manufacturer and / or part number, via our Filter Finder smart search facility. The filters we offer are built to the same high specifications as the manufacturers' own service parts, or better, meaning peace of mind for performance, longevity and reliability is assured.

To make using our parts even more convenient, we also offer service kits, specifically tailored to your machine. These kits cover the entire filter system, meaning you can be assured every part of your engine is working at its best to reduce the environmental impact.  You can find service kits for both 500 interim and 1000 hour full servicing on our website.

Don’t forget, that eliminating emissions completely is not yet possible, and there are other dangers when operating vehicles. Our activated carbon filters are able to reduce the concentration of harmful nitrogen dioxide by filtering the air entering the cab, reducing health issues, increasing productivity and minimising workforce illness. These filters also remove dust, bacteria and mold from the air entering the cabin by absorbing them with catalyst technology. The cost of replacing these filters is low, but their performance and importance should not be understated.

Have any questions or would like to discuss something with our team, please head to our contact page or alternatively phone Holm on 01403 914400.