The long anticipated arrival of 2010 emissions compliant diesel engines is fast approaching. With production lines set to begin building 2010 models, fleets can now order tractors with the new engines from some OEMs for delivery after January 1st of next year.
The long road to producing 2010 emissions complaint engines, from early design development onward, has included millions of miles of durability and performance testing in labs, on test tracks and on the road in fleets. As part of multi-year validation programs, manufacturers have tested engines and new emissions systems under a range of diverse conditions. These include hot and cold ambient temperatures; high altitude and sea-level operation; highway, urban, and mountain routes, and under heavy and lightly loaded
conditions.
MPG marks
Today, in particular, manufacturers are now more openly discussing results of fuel efficiency testing of 2010 engines, including providing specific details in some cases.Overall, our 2010 DD13, DD15 and DD16 engines with BlueTec emissions technology have performed extremely well in terms of fuel efficiency during testing,” said David Siler, director of marketing at Detroit Diesel. “Over-the-road vehicle testing with EPA 2010 engines has demonstrated a 3% to 5% fuel economy improvement over 2007 engines. The results have been similar in
engine-stand testing, and our customers are reporting comparable fuel economy improvement based on their evaluations of 2010 demonstration trucks.
“We feel that our 2010 engines will produce fuel economy levels comparable to that of pre-EGR engines in the late ’90s,” Siler added. “For example, our testing shows that the fuel efficiency of the 12.7-L Detroit Diesel Series 60 in 1998 can be matched by the 2010 DD15 14.8-L model.”
Improved fuel economy
Fuel economy, noted Cummins, is a significant advantage of its 2010 engine technology. Testing, according to the manufacturer, indicates that the Cummins ISX15 will deliver up to a 5% fuel economy improvement over the 2007 model ISX. In addition, the 2010 ISX11.9 will have fuel economy comparable to the 2007 ISM.
“Customers can count on our engines to be better in 2010,” said Steve Charlton, vice president, heavy-duty engineering at Cummins. “Our heavy-duty models for 2010 have a large sweet spot due to the low-temperature NOx conversion capability of the copper-zeolite catalyst, which means that these engines are extraordinarily driver-friendly. Fuel economy gains can be realized by even the most inexperienced driver.”
Extensive field testing
Dave McKenna, director of powertrain sales & marketing at Mack Trucks, said that the company’s
extensive field testing demonstrates that its Mack MP Series engines for 2010 are performing very well in customer test fleets. “This testing has also confirmed that our SCR (selective catalytic reduction) aftertreatment strategy results in significantly less active regeneration events of the diesel particulate filter (DPF), which increases fuel economy,” he noted.
“Mack’s testing revealed that our 2010 emissions control systems will allow near-zero amounts of NOx and particulate matter, and as a direct result our customers will experience near-zero DPF active regenerations,” McKenna continued. “Since we use SCR to remove NOx from the exhaust downstream from the DPF, we are able to tune the engine to produce better fuel economy. Using the NOx in the exhaust to passively regenerate the DPF avoids increased fuel consumption. We’re making simple chemistry work in our favor.”
Lower fuel costs
At Volvo Trucks North America, meeting emissions standards with SCR technology is helping increase the fuel efficiency of its 2010 trucks. “These trucks will deliver the near-zero emissions and improved fuel economy SCR-equipped trucks have demonstrated over two winters and more than three million miles of North American customer testing,” said Scott Kress, senior vice president, sales & marketing.
“We have also demonstrated that additional fuel economy improvements will be realized by eliminating active regenerations of the diesel particulate filter,” Kress added. “As a result, 2010 trucks will have lower fuel costs than comparable 2007 vehicles.”
Energy-efficient
Continuing on its chosen path to meet the stringent 2010 diesel engine emissions requirements with its Advanced EGR (exhaust gas recirculation) MaxxForce engines, Navistar is on track with its engine testing in both labs and on field units. “We’re excited about our progress in bringing to market some of the cleanest and most energy-efficient diesel engines ever produced,” said Ramin Younessi, group vice president, product development and business strategy.
Navistar has more than 60 test vehicles in operation today, logging thousands of miles every week. As testing and validation is finalized in preparation for launch, these 2010 test vehicles will have logged millions of driving miles in real-world conditions.
Fine-tuning
While completing testing in preparation for full production of 2010 engines, manufacturers note that their work isn’t done, and that they will continue to fine-tune engines, make necessary adjustments, and validate performance to ensure fleet satisfaction.
While initial and extensive testing points to improved fuel economy in 2010 engines, final results, of course, will only be confirmed once fleets start putting regular revenue producing miles on the new engines. FE
More about 2010 on-highway diesel engines at:
• Cummins – www.everytime.cummins.com
• Detroit Diesel – www.detroitdiesel.com
• Mack Trucks – www.macktrucks.com
• Navistar – www.MaxxForce.com
• Volvo Trucks North America – www.volvo.com/trucks/na/en-us
