White Papers » Centron Extends the life of EGR
Centron Extends the life of EGR
Centron Improves Electronic EGR Service Life
By Wil Cashen
This year, most new diesel engines will begin using (EGR) exhaust gas recirculation to curb emissions. The federal government has established new lower exhaust gas emission laws for all diesel engines sold in the USA. Beginning in October of 2002, the law require manufacturer’s to meet or exceed new more stringent emission regulations that has set in motion the use of EGR on most new diesel engines produced. EGR exhaust gas recirculation is a small valve mounted on the exhaust system that is used to reintroduce exhaust gases into the intake air stream. Past EGR introduced on automobiles in the early 1980s was actuated through a maze of vacuum lines and check valves all connected to the engines intake manifold. The new electronically actuated and controlled EGR valves when working in conjunction with the emissions closed loop sensors and ECC electronic computer controller performs well beyond that of the past vacuum actuated and controlled devices. Although EGR valves have a much greater capacity for control, their service life must still meet the high standards of emissions control devices for 5 years. In diesel applications many inconsistencies in fuel quality, component operation and any number of mechanical issues from turbocharger seal failure to clogged fuel filters can reduce the service life of the EGR. The diesel exhaust gas carries in it’s wake millions of particulates of carbon that deposit them selves on to any surface in the exhaust stream. These particulates can collect and create a scale build up on electronically actuated EGR valves. Although new electronic linear actuated EGR valves have a high frequency cleaning cycle algorithm designed into the controller software, the EGR value must be fairly clean and soot free to actuate properly. Centron reduces particulate soot that can collect on electronically actuated EGR valves increasing their operational life by an estimated 2 years or 200,000 miles.