Delphi claims sensor optimizes urea dosing

Luxembourg-Delphi Automotive reports it will have in operation an ammonia sensor that helps enable a diesel’s selective catalytic reduction (SCR) system to optimally control NO_x emissions. According to a Delphi announcement, the Delphi Ammonia Sensor, which will first be produced in 2012 for a European commercial vehicle manufacturer, measures ammonia in the exhaust stream after the SCR catalyst and signals the system to help provide proper urea dosing. In essence, Delphi reports, the ammonia sensor detects the breakthrough, or “slip,” of ammonia, and thus helps prevent the release of ammonia into the atmosphere. “This is a major engineering breakthrough and enables an entirely new solution for emissions control in the diesel industry,” said Dr. Da Yu Wang, principal staff scientist, Delphi Powertrain Systems. “Because of Delphi’s exhaust sensor expertise and dedicated engineering and research teams, we overcame the difficult challenges of how to make this technology to provide repeatable and reliable results. We were the first to develop and manufacture the technology for automotive applications.”