16.08.2007
Customers want clean solutions
Aschaffenburg, 16 August 2007. — Linde Material Handling has reported that demand for particle filters for diesel trucks is increasing.
The company announced that over the last five years, the proportion of diesel trucks fitted with particle filters has been rising steadily — by as much as 12% last year. Linde MH has been supplying integrated particle filters for its entire diesel truck range for a number of years now, and its filters achieve up to 95% efficiency. By fitting these in conjunction with modern diesel engines, the manufacturer has succeeded in driving down soot particle emissions far below legally permissible limits.
With their many benefits, trucks with diesel drive remain very popular “all-rounders” — in addition to low consumption, longer engine service life, lower servicing needs and consistent fuel quality, they score highly in comparison with other types of drive. For instance, diesel-operated trucks can be driven for longer periods, over longer distances and up and down greater inclines, without any significant alteration in exhaust gas composition.
However, any bright light inevitably casts a shadow. The emissions generated by a diesel engine and, more specifically, the soot created during combustion are classified as harmful to health. The German regulation TRGS 554 (Technical Regulations on Hazardous Substances) therefore stipulates which measures must be implemented in order to prevent damage to health and the corresponding contamination of transported goods. According to the provisions of the TRGS, therefore, any vehicle which is to be used inside an enclosed space must be equipped with a low-emission engine running on low-sulphur or sulphur-free fuel and be fitted with a diesel particle filter.
Linde Material Handling equips all its truck ranges exclusively with exhaust-gas-optimised diesel engines which run on low-sulphur fuel (in Germany, the maximum permissible sulphur content for diesel fuel has been limited to 0.035%t or 350 ppm since January 2000). Evidently, modern engine technology combined with the hydrostatic drive of Linde trucks goes a long way to relieving the burden on the environment. This is impressively confirmed by the eight-stage test set out in EU Directive 97/68/EC. This directive stipulates eight defined test cycles which are conducted on the test stand to determine the level of emissions such as carbon monoxide (CO), hydrocarbons (HC), nitrogen oxide (NOx) and particulate matter.
According to these specifications, engines must not produce more than 0.6 grams of soot particles per kilowatt-hour, for example. Linde trucks come in well below this threshold value. Take, for example, the particle emissions of the 2.5-ton H25D diesel truck, which are measured at 0.104 g/kWh. But that's not all. In order to get a handle on the remaining soot particles, Linde also offers its customers the option of installing particle filters, which can either be ordered at the time of purchase or otherwise easily retrofitted, in which case they can increase the resale value of used trucks.
On the one hand, these measures enable the manufacturer to meet the specifications imposed by law, which require that any vehicle used in an enclosed space be fitted with a particle filter. On the other hand, Linde is also making a significant contribution to creating a more environmentally-friendly workplace.
The particle filter unit, which can be up to 9 inches long depending on the model, is installed in place of the exhaust pipe. The insulated, double-walled housing is located in a monolithic filter unit that consists of multiple two-way, sealed channels with porous ceramic walls. Before the exhaust gas is released into the atmosphere, it has to pass through the monolith. As it does so, the solid particles such as soot and dust are deposited on the walls.
The integrated Linde MH particle filter is burned off outside. The driver starts the diesel burner by pressing a button. Unlike systems which use additives, the process is deliberately designed not to take place during operation inside the hall. The by-products of the burn-out, which takes six to seven minutes (around 15 minutes are required to allow for cooling), are largely C02 and water vapour. It is easy and comfortable to operate, and there is no need to change the filter cartridges.
Linde Material Handling GmbH is based in Aschaffenburg and is one of the world's leading manufacturers of trucks and warehouse vehicles. It is also one of the most important producers of hydrostatic and electric drives, which are used in its own trucks as well as in construction, farm and forestry machinery. Linde Material Handling GmbH is part of the KION Group, which is the European market leader in industrial trucks with the truck brands Linde, STILL and OM; in the global market, it holds second place. Linde Material Handling employs approximately 12,500 people worldwide and in 2006 recorded annual sales of almost EUR 2.6 billion.
