Diesel Engines Under Emission Pressure: Performance, Challenges, and Technological Solutions

Abstract

In 2015, the Dieselgate of Volkswagen diesel emission brought the emission problem of diesel engines into light, highlighting the gap between test results and real-world practice. The scandal draws international attention to environmental implications in terms of diesel engines, which are predominantly nitrogen oxides. However, diesel engines are still irreplaceably applied in some critical fields such as heavy-duty transportation, agricultural machinery, construction equipment, marine propulsion, military vehicles, and backup power generation, due to their high performance when it comes to torque, fuel efficiency, and durability. The essay reviews the basic structure of the diesel engine and its working mechanisms. With its imperative role, this essay focuses on the causes of pollution during combustion and potential emission filtration technologies, like Selective Catalytic Reduction (SCR), Exhaust Gas Recirculation (EGR), and Lean NOₓ Traps (LNT), that make it possible to significantly improve the quality of exhausted gas without harming its fundamental strengths. This essay also aims to determine whether diesel engines can continue to develop with the applied cleaning technology.