Cummins Inc. said it would add Selective Catalytic Reduction (SCR) aftertreatment to its heavy-duty products for 2010 to deliver improved fuel efficiency for its customers.
Cummins will combine recent advancements in catalyst technology with its unique engine systems to achieve the significant fuel economy improvements, the company said. The new catalyst technology, using copper zeolite, offers a greater conversion rate of nitrogen-oxide (NOx) pollutants to nitrogen compared to earlier technology. This results in significant advantages to optimize engine aftertreatment for fuel economy and reduced operating costs, in addition to meeting the near-zero emissions levels required by the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) 2010 regulations, according to Steve Charlton, vice president, heavy-duty engineering.
As previously announced, Cummins heavy-duty ISX engine family will incorporate the XPI fuel system, proven cooled exhaust gas recirculation (EGR), the Cummins VGT turbocharger, Cummins particulate filter and advanced electronic controls for optimized performance, fuel economy and reliability. Cummins Emission Solutions, a provider of SCR systems, will supply the integrated exhaust aftertreatment systems for Cummins heavy-duty and MidRange engines.
"Cummins expertise in engine system integration means that we have the capability to make the engine systems and aftertreatment technologies work together seamlessly," Charlton added. "The addition of the new SCR catalyst technology ensures that Cummins will deliver the best fuel economy in the industry and total operating cost benefits to our customers." Up to 5 percent better fuel economy is anticipated as a result of using the SCR technology. With fuel prices up 70 percent in the past 18 months, better fuel economy for Cummins customers was cited as the overriding reason to adopt the SCR solution for its heavy-duty engines, according to company officials.
"This move demonstrates Cummins ability to adapt to a changing environment by leveraging technology advancements from our MidRange engine development and Cummins Emission Solutions," said Ed Pence, vice president and general manager, heavy-duty engine business. "Our 2010 engine development is progressing on plan, and customers can depend on Cummins to deliver these new products on time, with the reliability, performance and fuel economy that they have come to expect from us." Field tests on the new system have been underway since the first quarter of this year, the company revealed. Since the 2010 on-highway engine is based largely on hardware already developed for the 2007 engine, company officials expect the new SCR solution for Cummins’ ISX to be ready in time for a January 2010 launch.
Previously, Cummins had announced a dual strategy to meet the 2010 EPA regulations, utilizing SCR for its medium-duty engine offerings while using only enhanced EGR for its on-highway products. The SCR process, the 2010 emissions strategy being adopted by the majority of other heavy-duty engine manufacturers, requires the use of diesel emission fluid (urea) injected into the exhaust in the presence of a catalyst to reduce levels of NOx.
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