Thermodynamic Analysis of Diesel Exhaust Fluid Cabinets

• Jose Luis Salinas
• Dexter Ball
• Muhammad Hassan
• Ryan Mckeever

Our project is sponsored by Semler Industries and entails refining two of their core products. The products include a diesel exhaust fluid storage tank and dispenser and are currently sold across the US. Since diesel exhaust fluid cannot be pumped or used after it has begun to freeze, it must be kept above 32 degrees Fahrenheit. This is a major hurdle for Semler industries, who is looking to expand their market share in the cold regions of the Americas (Northern US and Canada). Since the project entailed refining the products, we took the designs they currently had and computed thermodynamic analysis on them. This allowed us to examine which areas of the containers were potential locations for heat loss or had insufficient heating. The goal was to make the containers as efficient as possible using their current insulation materials. After finding those locations we were able to make recommendations for the design and heating methods of the cabinets that would allow for greater uniform temperature and a reduction in power consumption.