This week sees technical issues come to the fore in our truck-centric world, with technicians, AdBlue and hydrogen in the news.
AdBlue Supply Update
The Australian Trucking association reports that the Department of Industry, Science, Energy and Resources is continuing to engage actively with Australian Diesel Exhaust Fluid (DEF)/Technical Grade Urea (TGU) importers, producers and the fuel retailers and wholesalers on the status of the DEF market and the level of government involvement necessary for optimal market function.
The ATA’s current understanding is the Australian DEF market is now well supplied, inventories have recovered to pre-supply crisis levels, and any stock outs should be localised and temporary. The Department understands from ABS data that source-country supply chain diversification has improved compared to this time last year.
UD Technicians Rise to the Challenge
Round 2 of the UD Trucks Gemba Challenge has just kicked off as a part of UD’s global aftermarket competition. The Challenge pits service and aftermarket teams against technical challenges in the workshop. The competition culminates in a global final where aftermarkets teams from around the globe face off over workshop tasks.
Australia is fielding 46 teams in this year’s competition with a total of 164 competitors, this second round of the competition closes on August 2nd. The teams are vying for a guaranteed place in the global final to be held in Ageo, Japan.
Daimler’s Hydrogen Initiatives
Daimler Truck’s Mercedes-Benz GenH2 Truck fuel-cell prototype has been undergoing intensive testing, both on the in-house test track and on public roads. Another prototype is now being put into operation to test the use of liquid hydrogen.
A newly installed prototype filling station at the development and testing centre in Wörth, Germany enables the refuelling with liquid hydrogen. During the refuelling process, cryogenic liquid hydrogen at minus 253 degrees Celsius is filled into two 40kg tanks mounted on either side of the chassis. The hydrogen can be kept at temperature for a sufficiently long time without active cooling.
Daimler Truck says it prefers liquid hydrogen in the development of hydrogen-based drives, because the fuel has a higher energy density in relation to volume compared to gaseous hydrogen.
