J Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Not to be upstaged, GE dropped this announcement
> today:
>
> Erie, Pa.-based GE Transportation Friday unveiled
> its next Evolution Series locomotive that the
> company says "will decrease constituent emissions
> by more than 70% and save railroad customers more
> than $1.5 billion in infrastructure and
> operational costs."
>
> The new locomotive will meet this standard with technological
> advancements > versus costly alternatives, which require special
> exhaust additives and infrastructure investments."

The "exhaust additives" are GE's dig at the competition's use of urea.

Quote:

Railway Age
Effective in 2015, the EPA will require manufacturers of locomotive diesel engines to lower particulate emissions 70% and NOx 76%, compared to engines first introduced in 2005. Alternative solutions, GE says, would likely rely on the use of a Urea exhaust additive to meet these Tier 4 emission standards, requiring railroads to build an extensive network of fueling stations across North America. But the GE's Evolution Series Locomotive will not require the additive and railroad customers will not have to incur the costs related to rail infrastructure upgrades, the company said.

I wish GE good luck implementing a technology that does not require urea injection to meet Tier 4 standards. However, just recently, Navistar, the last heavy truck manufacturer trying to implement a non-urea engine, has given up and announced they they will follow the rest of the industry in using urea.
[www.thetrucker.com]

The truck engines use urea in a ratio of about 2% to diesel usage. Many truck stops simply offer urea in a jug, which the driver adds to the urea tank when fueling. But given the volume of fuel that railroads use, they would likely need urea tanks and delivery piping at fueling locations. Not an investment to be taken lightly.