Additional Resources

Experts Showcase Advancements in Clean Diesel Technology to Improve Air Quality and Conserve Energy

Dramatic improvements in technology help clean diesel fuel a better future.

Chicago, IL - Attendees of the Diesel Engine Emissions Reduction (DEER) conference will learn how America's air quality is improving, thanks in large part to an unprecedented level of research and development of clean diesel technology over the last ten years.

For more than a decade the DEER conference, organized by the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), has served as a primary mechanism for the public exchange of state-of-the-art clean diesel research and development. This year's conference takes place at the Palmer House Hilton in Chicago, August 21-25, 2005.

"The DEER conference showcases results, progress and potential in reducing emissions and conserving energy, both critical priorities on our national agenda," said Allen Schaeffer, executive director of the Diesel Technology Forum (DTF), a co-sponsor of the conference. "The results of DOE-sponsored research partnerships and the application of these developments showcased at the DEER conference are having real impacts on our everyday lives," Schaeffer added.

For example, today's new diesel truck and bus engines produce one-eighth the nitrogen oxide (NOx) and particulate matter (PM) emissions compared to those built in 1988. By 2007, manufacturers will reduce key emissions - including NOx (a component of smog) and PM - by an additional 90 percent. By 2010, emissions levels will be near zero, a 98 percent reduction since 1988. Emissions from off-road machinery and equipment will follow a similar clean diesel pathway, achieving greater than 90 percent reduction in emissions by 2014.

DEER brings together leaders in the clean diesel community including engineers, scientists, academics, state and regional regulators, environmental researchers, and nonprofit organizations The DOE will showcase its cooperatively funded research and development projects with its numerous partners-national research laboratories, the nation's automotive transportation industry, universities, and other national and international organizations.

Several DTF members will be presenting cutting-edge technological and research developments-Aaqius & Aaqius, Caterpillar, Corning, Cummins, DaimlerChrysler, Delphi Corporation, Detroit Diesel, Donaldson, Ford, General Motors, Honeywell, International Truck & Engine, John Deere, Johnson Matthey, Robert Bosch Corporation, Siemens VDO and Volkswagen. All are recognized for their contributions to clean diesel technology.

During DEER, 11 sessions, 62 technical papers, and 57 poster sessions will be presented covering a broad range of technical and public policy issues, including engine development for light-duty trucks, energy efficiency, emissions reductions, natural gas, findings from environmental impact studies, global climate change and advancements in cleaner diesel fuels, and engines and aftertreatment devices.

DEER at a glance:

11 Research Laboratories: Argonne National Laboratory (NL), Desert Research Institute, Health Effects Institute, Lawrence Livermore NL, National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health, National Renewable Energy Laboratory, Oak Ridge NL, Pacific Northwest NL, Research Triangle Institute, Sandia National Laboratories, and Southwest Research Institute.

10 Universities: Louisiana State University, Lund University, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Michigan State University, Ohio State University, Pennsylvania State University, University of Houston, University of Michigan, University of Wisconsin, and West Virginia University

5 U.S. and International Government Organizations: U.S. DOE, U.S. EPA, California Air Resources Board (CARB), California Environmental Protection Agency, and French Agency for Environment.

# # #

The Diesel Technology Forum represents engine makers, fuel producers and emissions control manufacturers. It brings together the diesel industry, the broad diesel user community, civic and public interest leaders, government regulators, academics, scientists, the petroleum industry, and public health researches, to encourage the exchange of information, ideas, scientific findings, and points-of-view to current and future uses of diesel power technology. For more information about the Forum visit our web site at www.dieselforum.org.