Bluetec Technology exclusively from Mercedes-Benz

[fasteddy]

Advanced Power
BLUETEC ? the technology behind the cleanest diesel in the world
?   From autumn 2006 ? first series production cars with BLUETEC
?   With BLUETEC the cost-effective fuel diesel also becomes clean and fully compatible with global standards
?   In the commercial vehicle sector, BLUETEC is already successfully in operation in over 20 000 vehicles
With the launch of the Mercedes-Benz E 320 BLUETEC in autumn 2006, Mercedes-Benz will be writing a new chapter in the success story of diesel fuel. This vehicle is the pioneer of a new generation of diesel-engined vehicles to be equipped with innovative BLUETEC technology. BLUETEC turns CDI vehicles in every class into the cleanest diesel-engined vehicles in the world ? coupled with already legendary levels of traction, cost-effectiveness and operating range. The
E 320 BLUETEC will be introduced to the US market in autumn 2006 and there are plans to offer BLUETEC in Europe, certainly no later than 2008, in a passenger car.
With this innovative modular BLUETEC technology package, Mercedes-Benz is turning the diesel engine into a high-tech drive unit with the potential to satisfy even the most stringent of exhaust emission limits, and to do so right around the globe. With BLUETEC, Mercedes-Benz CDI vehicles in every class will become the cleanest diesel-engined vehicles on the planet, while at the same time consuming 20 to 40 percent less fuel than comparable petrol-engined vehicles. Take the
E 320 BLUETEC for example: the V6 diesel engine under its bonnet is expected to achieve fuel efficiency levels of 6.7 litres per 100 km (35 mpg), making it one of the most economical and one of the cleanest vehicles in its class.
Our company demonstrates that BLUETEC can deliver compelling performance coupled with great fuel efficiency and exceptionally low emission levels with its vision, the GL 320 BLUETEC. This full-size SUV is powered by a V6 diesel engine with 155 kW/211 hp, a torque rating of 540 Nm and anticipated fuel consumption figures of 9.5 litres per 100 km (25 mpg). With a 20 to 40 percent fuel advantage over a comparable petrol-engined vehicle, this is by a considerable margin the most fuel-efficient full-size SUV in the USA.
During the last year in Western Europe, 7.2 million of these new diesel cars have been registered, meaning that every second buyer opted in favour of diesel: for Mercedes-Benz buyers, the diesel share actually accounted for 54 percent. With its clean and fuel-efficient diesel vehicles, Mercedes-Benz surely has the right answer for the future.
BLUETEC - a modular technology package to minimise emission levels
BLUETEC is a modular concept employing a range of co-ordinated technical measures, some of which minimise raw emissions inside the engine while others provide an effective way of scrubbing exhaust gases. This package tackles each relevant factor contributing to exhaust emissions in turn and reduces each to a minimum. An oxidation catalyser and particulate filter are two such components, while other techniques are employed to effectively cut down on oxides of nitrogen. BLUETEC technology is employed primarily to tackle these oxides of nitrogen, the last exhaust gas component for which, due to underlying concept-related reasons, emission levels from diesel engines are still higher than those of their petrol counterparts.
The first series production vehicle with BLUETEC will be the E 320 BLUETEC and customers in the USA will be able to own one from model year 2007 onwards. The company is planning to be in a position to offer the European market a diesel car equipped with BLUETEC technology by no later than 2008. Development activities on the European market, where the focus of attention is fixed firmly on low CO2 emissions, are concentrating on ways to adapt BLUETEC technology to suit European driving profiles and to find the most consumption-neutral (i.e. CO2-neutral) way of implementing it on this market. Any comprehensive roll-out of BLUETEC requires availability across the board of virtually sulphur-free diesel, i.e. fuel with less than 10 ppm sulphur content.
 
Diesel engines in cars ? a Mercedes-Benz success story
More than 80 years ago, Mercedes-Benz became the world?s first vehicle manufacturer to employ Rudolf Diesel?s combustion principle in a truck engine. This was followed 70 years ago by the world?s first diesel-engined series production car, the Mercedes-Benz 260 D. This technology is significantly more efficient than the petrol engine and has been improved upon many times over the years. A major contributing factor towards the modern diesel engine was added in 1997 by a decisive leap in technology: the introduction of common rail direct injection combined with four-valve technology. Since that time, the acronym CDI has stood for unrivalled fuel economy and for a gigantic increase in torque ? a synonym for high traction and a guarantee of motoring pleasure ? now often delivering diesel-engined vehicles higher performance levels than their petrol-engined counterparts.
If the diesel engine could still be said to have any disadvantages remaining over the petrol engine, these would have to be in its specific emission levels, particularly of soot particles and oxides of nitrogen. However, when it become the first company to introduce a zero-maintenance particulate filter in conjunction with the EU4 exhaust standard in autumn 2003, Mercedes-Benz achieved exceptional levels of particulate emissions. Moreover, despite internal engine modifications made over the last 15 years which have already cut emissions of oxides of nitrogen by about 75 percent, Mercedes-Benz is by no means resting on its laurels. The objective is a clear one: with this innovative BLUETEC technology, diesel cars from Mercedes-Benz have the potential to comply with the most stringent of exhaust emission limits, and to do so right around the world. At a date in the near future, Mercedes-Benz will be in a position to offer the cleanest diesel engine in the world in each and every class of vehicle.
How does BLUETEC work?
For many years now development engineers from Mercedes-Benz have been driving forward technical solutions aimed at cleaning up exhaust gases, and to outperform the future emission standards required in Europe, Asia and the USA. A central aspect of this work is to come up with methods for reducing oxides of nitrogen (?denoxification?) efficiently and cost-effectively. This technology for the cleanest diesel engines in the world goes by the name of BLUETEC.
To bring together all the technologies involved in a sensible package, Mercedes-Benz is working to a phased schedule comprising the following points:
?   Optimisation of engines and their combustion processes to reduce raw
emissions as far as possible. This includes electronic engine control, four-valve technology, 3rd generation common-rail direct fuel injection with piezo injectors, variable geometry turbochargers and exhaust gas recuperation.
?   With oxidation catalysers, emissions of carbon monoxide (CO) and uncombusted hydrocarbons (HC) are minimised.
?   The particulate filter, standard equipment in many countries in all Mercedes-Benz diesel-engined cars since the summer of 2005 cuts down particulate emissions by up to 98 percent. This outperforms the current EU4 particulate limit values (0.025 grammes/kilometre) by a substantial margin. Applicable US limit values are also achieved.
?   The oxides of nitrogen ? the concentration of which, due to concept-related reasons, is higher in diesel engines than it is in petrol engines ? are reduced with BLUETEC to such an extent that the most stringent emission limits in the world can be met. There are two ways of doing this: as in the E320 BLUETEC ? a further development of the DeNOx accumulator catalyser with combined SCR catalyser - or the more elaborate but even more effective AdBlue injection process. The process known as Selective Catalytic Reduction (SCR) delivers the best performing method of treating exhaust gases known at this time. SCR achieves up to 80 percent reductions in oxides of nitrogen. Mercedes-Benz
engineers are demonstrating the combination including AdBlue injection in their Vision GL 320 BLUETEC and are developing this process into a series production system for use in passenger cars.
The SCR process is based on the addition of the reducing agent AdBlue to the exhaust tract. AdBlue is an aqueous urea solution that is stored in a special tank. Because the vehicle requires an average of just 0.1 litres for every 100 km
(or between 1% and 3% of diesel consumption), the tank is only designed to be topped up by service personnel at regular maintenance intervals. When AdBlue is injected into the pre-scrubbed exhaust, ammoniac (NH3) is released, which causes the nitrogen oxide to be reduced to harmless hydrogen and water in the downstream SCR cat converter. For this process to work effectively, it is crucial that the volumes be adapted to the prevailing engine status. The technology solution employed depends on both the vehicle concept in question and the required rate of removal of oxides of nitrogen.
BLUETEC is already a successful key feature in Mercedes-Benz commercial vehicles
In Europe, BLUETEC technology has been used with great success in Mercedes-Benz commercial vehicles since 2005. The technology has since acquitted itself admirably in more than 20 000 Actros, Axor and Atego trucks, substantially reducing nitrogen oxide and already bringing levels below the emissions standards for trucks which will apply from 2009. Another benefit is the lower road tolls for trucks with Euro 5 technology until the year 2009. In Europe, the supply network for AdBlue already comprises more than 2500 filling station outlets.
As far as commercial vehicles are concerned, DaimlerChrysler opted for BLUETEC, based on SCR technology, very early on as the technical solution to the fulfilment of the Euro 4 and Euro 5 emissions standards and future European emissions categories. All European manufacturers have since followed suit, developing SCR-based technology to meet their Euro 5 obligations. DaimlerChrysler won the international ?Golden Oil Drop? competition in 2005 with this innovative BLUETEC diesel technology.
 

[fasteddy]

DaimlerChrysler?s roadmap for sustained mobility
?   Environmental protection through technological innovation
?   Optimisation of internal combustion engines, new fuels, hybrid and fuel cell technology: these are the keys to sustained mobility
The car has contributed more to our quality of life and personal freedom than almost any other single invention because it answers the human urge, going back to the dawn of time, for independence and individual mobility. For DaimlerChrysler, whose founding fathers are considered to be the inventors of the motor car, innovation has been the key to global success right from those early days. Numerous groundbreaking developments from the engineers at DaimlerChrysler have brought vital progress to the construction of automobiles and made the company a global leader in technology. The affirmation that innovation is being used to achieve future-proof and sustainable solutions also applies to environmental protection and the issue of sustainable mobility. The automotive manufacturer intends to continue to make a decisive contribution to realising environmentally friendly and sustainable mobility.
There are at present about 900 million cars worldwide and this figure is growing by 60 million each year. In the face of such a fast pace of growth and the mobilisation of major economies such as China or India,  the question as to the future of individual mobility and energy requirements has become more urgent than ever. At DaimlerChrysler as an automotive manufacturer, the customer and his ideas of comfort, safety, driving pleasure and agility are given high priority. But at the same time the company wishes to react constructively and positively to the social, economic and legal requirements and, indeed, move ahead of them through the development work it does.
In view of the finite nature of fossil raw material reserves, ensuring sustainable mobility is one of the key challenges of the future.  In this context the finite nature of fossil resources as well as the global growth in energy consumption and the associated rise in carbon dioxide in the atmosphere has moved centre stage. The objective for automotive manufacturers is clear:  the consumption of fossil fuels and emissions must be reduced and alternatives for the future must be developed. A significant part of the 5.6 billion euro research and development funds at DaimlerChrysler are assigned to this objective each year.
But the company is also convinced that this objective can only be achieved through an integrated approach comprising the complete mobility system ? starting with the vehicle itself, through the issue of fuel, to an examination of transport infrastructure.
Challenge: sustainable mobility
In order to achieve progress on the path to sustainable mobility, it is necessary to optimise the system as a whole from the fuel to the vehicle and the drive system. Only the optimum interaction between fuel and drive will allow us to come closer to the objective.
As an automotive manufacturer, DaimlerChrysler sees this path as one of evolutionary change for which a multi-stage overall concept was developed:
?   In the immediate future, the focus will be on optimising conventional drive technologies and fuels. Hybrid concepts will bring further consumption and emission benefits. They could introduce a transitional phase to electrical drives.
?   In a further step, synthetic and renewable fuels such as bio-fuels will supplement conventional fuels.
?   In the long term, fuel cell drives offer the best prospects for the future. Today already numerous field tests are being carried out and the technology is being constantly developed. Here pure hydrogen could be a promising fuel, but methanol and other hydrogen carriers could also be an option.

 
Optimisation of combustion engines
Combustion engines will remain the dominant type of drive for many years to come, if only because of the large number of existing vehicles. Furthermore, even after 100 years of technological development the concepts of Otto and Diesel still hold a great deal of potential. Hence the most important short and medium-term goal is to optimise the current petrol and diesel engines and make them even more fuel efficient and low emission.
The company was able to achieve notable progress in both areas since the early 1990s: in cars alone exhaust emissions were reduced by 70 percent and more, and this also ? or indeed specifically ? included the largest vehicle classes. At the same time average consumption, and thus CO2 emissions, could be reduced by about
30 percent during this period.
In petrol engines, the optimisation of combustion and charging, direct injection, downsizing and other measures will lead to a further reduction in consumption. One example is the new generation of petrol engines with piezo direct injection and spray-form combustion processes, available for the first time in 2006 in the Mercedes-Benz CLS, which offer a further ten percent reduction in consumption with an increase in performance and torque.
In diesel engines, economic and efficient by nature, the focus is on reducing emissions. Here great progress was achieved through the common-rail technology, the introduction of particles filters and also through the innovative ?BLUETEC? exhaust after-treatment system. ?BLUETEC? reduces nitrogen oxides in particular so that diesel engines have the potential to comply with even the strictest emission regulations throughout the world. The objective is to make petrol engines as efficient as diesel engines, and diesel engines as clean as petrol engines. Intensive research is continuing in this field and concepts such as ?Diesotto? are therefore being tested which aim to combine the best parts of petrol and diesel drives.
Hybrid concepts, too, i.e. a combination of combustion and electrical engines, use existing energy more intelligently. They can, for example, recover energy used for braking which brings advantages in urban regions in particular. In order to develop the next-generation hybrid drives efficiently and with the customer in mind, DaimlerChrysler, General Motors and the BMW Group have linked up in a cooperative arrangement.
Clean and regenerative fuels
Consumption and emissions can only be reduced further in combination with optimised fuels. Fuels which are cleaner than today can also help to reduce emissions considerably in existing vehicle fleets. The demand for the worldwide introduction of low-sulphur fuels to enable economical and clean, modern engines has become the focus of attention.
Natural gas, too, represents an option for widening the resource base. It burns with very low emissions and produces about 20 percent less in CO2 emissions than petrol. With the Mercedes-Benz E 200 NGT, the company has the highest performance saloon with such a drive on the market. Many regions of the world have large quantities of natural gas which at present are still being flared off to no benefit. The increased use of these reserves through the production of so-called gas-to-liquid fuels (GTL) could represent a sensible solution to this problem because the synthetic fuels won in this way are very pure and contribute to a further reduction of emissions.
At the same time, bio-fuels constitute the entry point to a world of almost CO2-free mobility. They only produce as much CO2 during combustion as they took from the atmosphere during growth. The combustion of bio-diesel, produced from plant oils, offers advantages in comparison to diesel from mineral oil. The same applies to bio-ethanol made from wheat, maize or sugar cane. In the USA, so called flex-fuel vehicles which can drive with an 85-percent bio-ethanol-petrol mixture play an important role. DaimlerChrysler already has 1.5 million such vehicles on the road. It is, however, true that only a small part of these plant substances can be utilised in this process, and this restricts the scope for using these fuels.
Even better prospects are offered by so-called ?biomass-to-liquid? fuels (BTL) such as ?SunDiesel?. This fuel was developed and is manufactured in cooperation between DaimlerChrysler and Volkswagen as well as CHOREN and Shell. The raw materials for this particular diesel fuel are wood chips but in general any form of biomass is suitable for producing such fuel. As the life-cycle assessment shows, it reduced CO2 emissions in comparison to conventional fuels by about 90 percent. With a forecast market share of 20 percent in Europe, SunDiesel can achieve much to protect the climate even in the short term. Tests at DaimlerChrysler have confirmed the outstanding quality of this fuel and it is planned to fill diesel cars with SunDiesel when they leave the factory as soon as sufficient quantities are available.
In addition, DaimlerChrysler has undertaken to create the technical prerequisites in its future vehicles for admixing 10 percent of bio fuels to make a further contribution to a reduction of CO2 emissions in the short term.
The fuel cell: a new energy principle
The fuel cell generates electricity through the controlled reaction of hydrogen and oxygen and this is used to drive a powerful electric motor. The small on-board power unit opens the door to a completely new range of applications: it can supply the growing number of electronic components in the vehicle with energy, and can also deliver power to static consumers such as the air conditioning or auxiliary heating systems. In other words, this technology opens up new vistas for the future of personal mobility. Fuel cell vehicles achieve high efficiency levels; they run quietly and operate entirely without pollutant emissions: all that emerges from their exhausts is pure water.
Back in 1994, when the then Daimler-Benz AG unveiled NECAR 1, the first fuel cell vehicle, it was still just a research laboratory on wheels. Since that time, engineers have worked tirelessly, imbued with a pioneering spirit, and have created several generations of fuel cell vehicle to verify the functional capability of this drive system. That drive system has become progressively smaller, lighter and more capable, and
at the present time there is a fleet of more than 100 fuel cell vehicles undergoing practical tests with customers in Europe, the USA, Japan, China, Singapore and Australia. This fleet of fuel cell vehicles, the largest any manufacturer has employed for practical tests, has now clocked up over two million kilometres, gaining valuable insights for ongoing technological development work. By the midpoint of the next decade, the company anticipates a market launch of fuel cell vehicles across a wide front in selected regions of the world.
The technologically most feasible power source for fuel cell vehicles is compressed hydrogen, but alternative power options are also available and are undergoing trials. In the longer term, the fuel cell should provide a way of achieving zero-emission, sustained mobility, especially if it proves possible to produce hydrogen in a regenerative manner, for example by using solar, wind, water or geothermal power.
Other renowned vehicle manufacturers have now committed themselves to this development effort. Through a high level of investment, already in excess of one billion euros, DaimlerChrysler has clearly underscored its commitment to and its awareness of its shared responsibility in, this essential component in our technological future.
An integrated approach for the future
The automotive industry has an innate and vital interest in securing a sustained future for personal mobility. The development of appropriate technologies will be as important for the competition of the future and the survival of the sector as it will be for the stability of our national economies. To achieve this objective, we cannot however pursue improvements to vehicle technology in isolation. Instead, what is called for is an integrated approach and a shared effort by the automotive industry, the oil companies and the world of politics. The challenges facing our ecosystem are ones that can only be addressed through partnerships of all involved parties, predicated on a shared sense of responsibility.
The global challenges of the future can only be tackled by combining forces. In this context, cooperation between companies is essential in order to pool know-how while at the same time sharing the high cost of investment required. However, a greater level of international cooperation at the political level is also urgently required in order to drive forward the global topic of ?Energy for the Future?.


DaimlerChrysler Media