Re: Alltogether Now
NOx emissions can only occur if there are nitrogen compounds in the fuel.
No. The Nitrogen is in the air - its mostly nitrogen.
Modern diesels run very hot - it makes them marginally more fuel efficient (good for global warming). Unfortunately, the N2 becomes plain N, and since the O2 has also become plain old O, they get together like randy teenagers, and make NO.
The only fixes are: run the engine cooler (needs bigger engine, produces bigger particles of soot), or Urea injection, which only really works during emissions tests too. Under real driving conditions, there is either too much or too little Urea, depending on various unknowns. You might want to ask who is making money from Urea injection.
Or you could burn petrol, and have masses of unburned hydrocarbons (and a broadly similar amount of NOx because petrol engines run hot too) instead.
Biting the hand that feeds IT
