The Exhaust & Emissions business unit of Donaldson Co. recently announced the successful completion of a two-year field test of its NXF Emissions Retrofit System on a front end loader used by the City of Minneapolis. During the test period, Donaldson’s Emissions reduction system reduced significant levels of nitrogen oxide (NOx), particulate matter (soot), hydrocarbon and carbon monoxide (CO) emissions, according to the company.
The field test was conducted in conjunction with Project Green Fleet and the City of Minneapolis and featured a new retrofit technology choice – the Donaldson NXF emission system, which the company said was specifically designed to handle the heavy-duty emissions load created by off-road diesel engines. Test results show the Donaldson system removed 99% of particulate matter, more than 55% of the NOx, and more than 90% of the hydrocarbons and CO. Over the 4,000-plus hours of operation, the soot removed would have filled more than 15 55-gal. drums, while the NOx reduction was equivalent to removing four 2001-era school buses from the road each year, Donaldson noted.
“Last year, the City of Minneapolis had more than 30 miles of roadway improvements under way, with crews using heavy-duty off-road equipment to repair streets from harsh winter damage,” said Public Works Director Steve Kotke. “Given the results of this test, if we achieved this same result across our fleet of similar construction equipment, we’d potentially see an annual PM reduction of 461 lbs. (enough to fill over 100 55-gal. drums) and a NOx reduction equivalent to removing 23 school buses from the road each year. In addition, as older equipment is replaced by newer models, we’ll give strong consideration to manufacturers that support our initiatives to reduce air pollution in Minnesota.”
Donaldson said the purpose of the field test was two-fold: to support Project Green Fleet’s ongoing initiative to reduce air pollution throughout Minnesota; and for Donaldson to accumulate the minimum 1,000 hours of field testing required to apply for California Air Resources Board (CARB) and Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) verification. Regulatory agency verification is required in order to sell the new emissions reduction technology.
Project Green Fleet (www.projectgreenfleet.org) is an effort of the Minneapolis-based nonprofit organization Environmental Initiative to improve air quality and protect public health by reducing emissions from Minnesota’s diesel vehicles. “Donaldson has been a long-time participant in Minnesota’s Project Green Fleet and we support and applaud the initiatives this collaborative is taking to reduce air pollution around our State,” said Ted Angelo, general manager, Exhaust & Emissions at Donaldson.
Donaldson and the City chose to install the NXF emissions system in a front-end loader provided by the City of Minneapolis. “We customized the system to include a compact design to support ease of installation, as well as addressing the strict visibility requirements for CARB verification,” he added. “Our engineers monitored operation and collected vehicle and system data over the testing period and we are all pleased with the outcome. System durability and performance have exceeded our expectations. With these results, we will continue to optimize our system and pursue the necessary verifications for this filtration solution and continue to work with Project Green Fleet on emissions reduction technology.”
The tested NXF Emissions System is a complete emissions solution, combining diesel particulate filter (DPF) and selective catalytic reduction (SCR) technologies, designed specifically for off-road applications. For select Tier 0-2 engines, this system can deliver more than 85% NOx reduction and 99% particulate matter reduction, according to Donaldson.
