As many drivers know, since the implementation of the Euro IV emission standards, urea has become an indispensable part of vehicle maintenance costs. Especially during the Euro V and Euro VI stages, the choice of urea has become more stringent. When it comes to adding urea to trucks, the first thing that comes to mind is purifying vehicle exhaust. So, does using inferior urea affect the power of the truck?
Why Do Trucks Need Urea?
As mentioned at the beginning of the article, trucks need urea to purify vehicle exhaust, thereby achieving energy-saving and environmental protection. Why did it start with the Euro IV emissions? The mainstream route for upgrading to Euro IV is SCR technology, which stands for Selective Catalytic Reduction technology. This technology requires the addition of automotive urea to meet the Euro IV emission standards.
Selective Catalytic Reduction technology (SCR technology) is when exhaust gas enters the exhaust mixing pipe after coming out of the turbine. A urea metering injection device is installed on the mixing pipe, which injects a urea aqueous solution. Urea generates ammonia gas (NH3) after undergoing hydrolysis and pyrolysis reactions at high temperatures. Nitrogen oxides (NOx) are reduced using ammonia gas (NH3) on the surface of the SCR system catalyst. Nitrogen gas (N2) is emitted, and excess ammonia gas (NH3) is also oxidized to nitrogen gas (N2). This technology is also the mainstream technology route in Europe, and almost all long-distance cargo trucks and large passenger vehicles in Europe adopt this technology.
Does High-Quality Urea Improve Power?
As mentioned earlier, the main function of urea is to purify vehicle exhaust, so no matter the quality of the urea, it will not help improve power. Moreover, automotive urea solutions are generally made by mixing high-purity urea and ultra-pure water in a certain proportion. If it is an antifreeze urea solution, a certain proportion of methanol needs to be added.
From the composition of urea mentioned above, we can know that urea is mainly composed of high-purity water and high-purity urea. Therefore, no matter the quality of the urea, it will not help improve power. However, although urea does not help improve power, using inferior urea or not using urea for a long time can have a significant impact on the truck.
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