FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

INDUSTRY LEADERS AT EMISSIONS SEMINAR IN TOKYO COMMITTED TO AGGRESSIVE TIMELINES FOR CLEAN DIESEL ENGINES

New Engine Requirements Necessitate “Significant Changes” in Materials for Cooling Systems; Copper/Brass Lines Up to Replace Aluminum

Diesel engines could meet new clean air regulations with improvements in emission controls, according to Carl Kiser, a leading authority on thermal systems, speaking at a recent symposium co-sponsored by the Swedish Embassy and the Japan Automobile Manufacturers Association (JAMA) in conjunction with the Tokyo Motor Show.

The symposium “Future Environmental Challenges for the Automotive Industry” was devoted to broad issues relating to new clean air regulations. Diesel engine and truck manufacturers are rapidly developing new technologies to comply with stringent diesel emissions standards that will take effect in Japan, US and Europe in the next few years. The purpose of the symposium was to review progress to date.

Presentations from the symposium can be downloaded from the Web site for the Swedish Embassy in Japan: http://www.swedishtrade.se/japan/.

The symposium featured lectures by the following invited speakers:

• Hideaki Suzuki of the Tokyo Metropolitan Government described recent measures taken against diesel emissions in Tokyo.
• Hasse Johansson, Head of R&D at SCANIA, outlined new diesel-engine technologies.
• Professors Ingemar Denbratt and Erick Fridell, both of Chalmers University of Technology, Göteburg, Sweden, lectured on the diesel combustion processes and catalytic converters, respectively.
• Carl Kiser, Honeywell Turbo Technologies, Thermal Systems, explained the impact of emissions solutions on heat exchanger design.

Of special interest, Kiser described failure modes for aluminum at high temperatures, concluding that aluminum alloys do not possess the mechanical and thermal properties necessary to meet the design criteria for cooling systems for new clean diesel engines. According to Kiser, development work has shifted to copper/brass. Kiser concluded his presentation by emphasizing that there will be “significant changes” in charge air cooler (CAC) design with an “aggressive timeline.”

According to the International Copper Association, SHAAZ in Russia is already producing CACs made of copper/brass in volume and these CACs have been installed in URAL and IVECO-URAL trucks. Nanning Baling Technology Company in China recently announced new copper/brass CAC designs and dedicated a new plant for production of the same. These plants benefit from CuproBraze® technology, which consists of new alloys and a new process for brazing copper fins to brass tubes.

“CuproBraze production lines are springing up around the globe,” said Nigel Cotton, Automotive Manager for ICA. “New production facilities are already established, or soon-to-open, in the US, France, Finland, Russia, Japan, Thailand and China. We expect a steady increase in the global production of copper/ brass mobile heat exchangers.”

For more information, contact the International Copper Association, 260 Madison Ave, 16th Floor, New York, NY 10016-2400, Tel: 212-251-7240, Fax. 212-251-7245, or email mrosario@copper.org.

The International Copper Association, Ltd. is the leading organization for the promotion of the use of copper worldwide. The Association’s twenty-nine members represent about 80 percent of the world’s refined copper output, and its six associate members are among the world’s largest copper and copper-alloy fabricators. ICA is responsible for guiding policy, strategy and funding of international initiatives and promotional activities. With headquarters in New York City, ICA operates in 28 worldwide locations through a network of regional offices and copper development associations.

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