home I about us I how it works I nz-dealers I ask us I insurance I car-loans I contact us

The New Diesel Cars - Understanding how Clean Diesel Works

The days of the diesel car seemed long gone, but now they are making a comeback. Why? The new diesel cars get tremendous mileage, which makes a gas pump wary public very interested in the new diesel car concept.

Hate paying high prices at the pump? Well, you've been given some relief since demand has plummeted with the recession. When demand drops, so do prices. Unfortunately, low prices are going to be a thing of the past when the economy gets moving again. In fact, you've probably already noticed prices inching up as we head towards summer.

There are a host of new "clean diesel" cars hitting the market you might want to take a look at. The miles per gallon figures are staggering. How about the Volkswagen TDI Golf that gets 42 mpg in the city and 49 on freeways? How about the 35 mpg BMW 335D? These are just a few of the diesel vehicles coming onto the market as a non-hybrid method for dealing with high fuel costs. To increase performance, each is fuel injected and highly tuned.

If diesel is so great, how come we haven't seen these cars before? The problem was found in emissions. The diesel engines burned dirty. If you've driven behind an old Mercedes, you've probably noticed the cloud of exhaust! Regardless, the new cars have improved emission systems to deal with this issue. This is known as "clean diesel" technology and here is how it works.

The magic all happens in the catalytic converter. Well, for the most part. The converter is different than a gasoline version because diesel does not burn as much. The remnant of the combustion explosion is filled with particles, unburned diesel and other particulates. The diesel oxide catalytic converter cleans these like a normal converter. The device, however, also has a particulate filter. The filter catches unburned particulates. Superheated gasses are then passed through the filter and the particulates are incinerated. Between these two approaches, most pollutants are taken car of. Some car companies go further.

An additional system that is occasionally used with diesel engines is an ammonia system. A small tank of ammonia stores the liquid. It is then sprayed as a mist into the system. The ammonia spray bonds with nitrogen gasses and breaks them down into non-toxic, odorless and biodegradable elements. They are then burned away much as particulate are and the rendered exhaust is that much cleaner.

Diesel cars have come a very long way. The diesels you see in showroom are not your grandparent's diesels. The have excellent performance parameters and no blooming clouds of smoke. With mileage figures coming in regularly in the 30s and 40s, they are definitely worth taking a look at.

Article Source

home I about us I how it works I nz-dealers I ask us I insurance I car-loans I contact us