converting old diesels to be 'clean'

[stickyburr]

what particulate trap/ cat converter can be added to make old diesels cleaner . lik to old vw or benz etc?

[Sludgy]

Adding a cat should be pretty easy, just put it upstream of the muffler. The iwould take care ofa about half of the particulate. A filter is much tougher to install, since it needs to be purged and regenerated periodically.

NOx is hard to control without chemicals.

[kamesama980]

It might be better but it will still be far dirtier than the new ones. much of the difference is in the electronic control systems and higher pressure multi-stage injection. Unless the cat can burn off the particulate matter, it'll get plugged up too.

[trollbait]

Are exhaust filters with disposable media available?
I believe they might be used over in Europe. Didn't work here because CARB required a maintance free system filter system.

[theholycow]

Isn't that what a DPF is? http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Diesel_particulate_filter

[dieselmech]

Kamasama980
Your dead on.
Electronics and high pressure systems reduced the majority of particulate, the filters were there just to catch the last little bit. If you pull the exh off a 6.7 ford and run dual stacks, there is still no smoke when you stomp on it...ummm....don't ask how I know hehehehe

[trollbait]

Most, if not all, DPFs in NA are the regenerating type. When the filter element is clogged, the system will burn off the accluminated soot. The single use element is just replaced when clogged, like the air filter.

CARB, supposedly, wouldn't certify single use filter element DPF because they required the owner/driver to actively maintain system. If they didn't, the DPF might fail, and soot gets into the air.

The potential irony here is that the regenerating types don't magicly make the collected soot disappear. They reduce it into even smaller particles, which are more harmful by getting deeper into the lungs.

[seaglf]

yeah the whole emissions required on modern diesels is ridiculous especially the EGR. They are going to have to come up with something completely different for diesels. The current emission controls take away the efficiency that diesels are known for. More MPG's equate to less emissions.

Anyway I f I where an engineer I would focus on some kind of scrubber using water or other fluid in the exhaust stream combined with a centrifuge to remove the particles for disposal, that would require the owners to either clean or the ecu just want let the car run. I am not an engineer so I don't really know if that type of system is practical. maybe there would be to much back pressure.

Anyway I remember reading in a book I have on Automotive emissions, that diesels put out less Nitrates of Oxygen which is the worst polluter. So a Catalytic converter is probably not really necessary.

[kamesama980]

more MPGs don't always mean lower emissions, just different ones (usually more NOx for various reasons

After working for a major diesel engine company...

Must be an old automotive emissions book or talking about NA diesels because NOx is the main thing they're worried about with diesels for the last 20 yearssince they run MUCH higher cylinder pressures (15:1-25:1 CR plus boost) which increases nox far more than spark ignited gas engines.

No, you can't retrofit new emissions equipment on an older engine not designed for it. passive cats for diesels were like late 90's/early 00's. they had problems clogging. for modern effective ones: just no. maybe some mildly effective, throwaway media, particulate filter but no "modern" true aftertreatment emissions system.