Extengine Top Performer in National Diesel Emission Reduction Test

    FULLERTON, Calif.--Jan. 24, 2002--Extengine Transport System's new Advanced Diesel Emission Control (ADEC) System emerged as the top performer in tests of new diesel emission control technologies recently conducted by Environment Canada for the city of Houston.
    Like other cities across the country, Houston must find ways to meet federally mandated clean air requirements or risk losing federal highway funds.
    In the Houston tests, Extengine's ADEC System lowered nitrogen oxides (NOx) emissions (the most difficult diesel air contaminant to control) by 82% and particulate matter (PM) by 92%, exceeding reductions achieved by all other technologies tested. As a consequence of the test results the city of Houston is in the process of ordering multiple retrofit systems for city vehicles from Extengine.
    Dr. Pamela Berger, director of the Mayor's Office of Environmental Policy, characterized testing of Extengine's ADEC System as an important part of Houston-Mayor Brown's leadership in addressing the Houston-Galveston-Brazoria Region's air quality challenge.
    "It will be through widespread application of such innovative and successful technologies that regional compliance with requirements of the state implementation plan will be achieved," said Berger.
    In the tests, which involved nine manufacturers of emission reduction products or systems, each was applied to and tested on a piece of equipment owned by the city of Houston. Extengine's ADEC System achieved its notable results on a 10-year-old Gradall excavator with a 190-hp engine.
    "By retrofitting the ADEC System on older diesel engines, like those used in city trucks, buses and construction equipment, we can help cities like Houston meet their federally mandated clean air targets," said Phillip Roberts, president of Extengine Transport Systems.
    "Indeed, cleaning up older diesel vehicles with our advanced retrofit system will have a more immediate impact in reducing urban smog than any other practical means."
    The proprietary ADEC System employs a controller that senses when an engine creates NOx and diffuses tiny amounts of ammonia into the exhaust stream in direct proportion to the NOx being created. Technologies that use ammonia to reduce NOx in stationary diesel power plants have been used for more 25 years.
    What makes the ADEC System different is that it minimizes both the amount of ammonia required to reduce NOx emissions and the amount of on-board ammonia, making its use in diesel vehicles safe and cost-effective.
    "We were very impressed with the way Extengine's ADEC System performed in our real-world test," said Steve Dornak of the Mayor's Office for Environmental Policy. "It's the best retrofit system we've seen demonstrated."
    The Houston test confirms the results of prior tests of the ADEC System. The University of California at Berkeley, for instance, recently conducted a series of tests that verified the effectiveness of the ADEC technology. A white paper on those tests titled, "The Combined Effect of Ammonia Injection and Catalytic Reforming on Medium Duty Diesel Emissions," was published in September 2001.
    Extengine is working with large French and Chinese transport firms to integrate the ADEC System into new and older vehicles worldwide. The company is also in discussions with U.S. manufacturers to integrate the ADEC System into new diesel engine vehicles, marine vessels, locomotives and other equipment to meet more stringent federal air quality standards.
    For additional information contact Phillip Roberts at 714/774-3569, proberts@extengine.com.