What is AdBlue?
Having been described as a harmless, environmental reducing agent, AdBlue helps to make cars cleaner and more efficient. Resulting in less harmful vehicle exhaust emissions being released into the environment.
How does AdBlue work?
According to Emission Standards, vehicles using diesel must decrease their emissions to specific levels suited to the size of the engine. Due to this, the Selective Catalytic Reduction (SCR) system, a pollution control technology, has been installed into vehicle exhaust systems to reduce Nitrous Oxides present in emissions.
Although commonly mistaken as a fuel additive, AdBlue should not be contaminated or mixed with diesel whatsoever. While diesel is used to run the engine, AdBlue is designed around the SCR system and is inputted into an entirely different tank. Working with the catalyst, AdBlue converts 80% of the Nitrous Oxides coming from the vehicles into harmless nitrogen and water.
Having been used in some vehicles since 2005 when the Euro Emission Standards were originally introduced, regulation updates have gradually forced many vehicles to comply to AdBlue. The regulation now covers everything from new lorries, buses, farming and plant equipment as well as most cars. For many, AdBlue is still relatively new and filling up the vehicle with both diesel and AdBlue has not yet become second nature. Mistakes can still happen, even for those used to it. Just look at how often people put petrol in their diesel car.
Applications using Adblue
Adblue is used in an increasing number of applications, due to environmental legislation. Including:
- Commercial vehicles
- Buses & Coaches
- Agricultural machinery
- Construction machinery
- Passenger cars
- Rail
- Marine
Accidentally putting AdBlue in your fuel tank
Continuing to be a common, reoccurring issue, the miss-filling of AdBlue proves costly for the vehicle owner. Since not being compatible with many materials, miss-filling can corrode the many components used in the fuel system. Unfortunately, this results in thousands of pounds of damage along with having to pay to remove AdBlue from the tank.
How do magnets prevent misfiling?
ISO standards have left numerous AdBlue using vehicles to have a magnetic collar fitted into the fill point at the manufacturing stage. Within the filler neck, there is a fixed magnetic field which opens the magnet switch in the spout. Therefore, miss-filling into other fuel tanks is made impossible. Additionally, due to the size, petrol and diesel spouts do not fit into the magnet adaptor, accidentally filling the AdBlue tank with fuel is prevented.
To see whether your vehicle already has the magnetic connector, take a look into the AdBlue fill point for something that looks like the image to the right. If you aren’t sure whether you’re looking at the right part, hold something magnetic next to the AdBlue fill point and if you feel a magnetic pull, your vehicle already has one fitted.
Another magnet is located on the AdBlue pump at the end of the nozzle. In the same way, the magnet located on the nozzle will only allow AdBlue to flow when the magnet in the AdBlue tank inlet is present. The nozzle sensors only allow fluid to pass once it has been magnetically opened by the adaptor on the vehicle. Thus, these nozzles do not only provide a safer filling environment, they too play a major role in ensuring miss-filling does not occur.
For the correct filling of AdBlue into vehicles, magnets have proven to be a vital component. To prevent a costly accidental miss-filling, simply change your standard AdBlue nozzle to one containing a magnetic miss-filling spout.
Goudsmit UK
At Goudsmit UK we sub-contract manufacture a vast variety of magnets and magnetic assemblies to suit your requirements. Contact us today for more information at info@goudsmit.co.uk or on +44 (0) 2890 271 001.
For more information download our products and services brochure.
