A number of original equipment manufacturers, including Caterpillar, Cummins, Volvo Construction Equipment and John Deere Power Systems, recently announced Tier-4 Interim certification for newly made engines.
Implementation of Tier-4 interim emissions regulations begins Jan. 1 for engines in the 175- to 750-hp range, requiring a 90-percent reduction in diesel particulate matter and a 50-percent reduction in nitrogen oxide.
Caterpillar said its C13 ACERT and C15 ACERT engines received the United States Environmental Protection Agency's Tier-4 emissions certification in the 130- to 560-kW power category. The C13 ACERT and C15 ACERT, in addition to the company's certified C9.3 ACERT engine families, will power a number of Cat products including mid-range track-type tractors, motor graders and hydraulic excavators. Additionally, the C9.3 ACERT engine and its 13- and 15-liter counterparts are offered in several configurations and ratings for use by customers in the industrial, agriculture and petroleum markets.
“Our Tier-4 focus is not just about emissions — it is about the customer as well,” said Steve Gosselin, marketing and product support vice president. “Our ultimate goal is to exceed expectations by developing products that are more efficient, add more customer value and reduce emissions without sacrificing performance.”
Volvo Construction Equipment received Tier-4 interim emissions certification from the EPA for its Volvo D13 (13 liter) and Volvo D16 (16 liter) engines. EPA certification for Volvo's D11 (11 liter) engine was received in August.
The EPA-certified units are built with ultra high-pressure variable fuel-injection systems, cooled exhaust gas recirculation, precise variable-geometry turbo turbocharger controls, a new engine management system and an integrated exhaust aftertreatment system, equipped with a particulate filter and thermal regenerator.
John Deere Power Systems said its PowerTech PVX 6.8L above 130 kW (174 hp) and its PowerTech PSX 6.8L engine have been EPA certified as compliant with Interim Tier-4 regulations. The engines were also certified by the European Union as compliant with Stage III B regulations. The PowerTech engines join Deere's certified 9.0L engine models that were certified early this year.
Deere met the challenge with cooled exhaust gas recirculation for Nox control, adding an exhaust filter for reducing PM. The engines will feature full-authority electronic controls, a 4-valve cylinder head, a high-pressure fuel system, single-variable geometry or series turbocharging and an air-to-air aftercooling system.
Cummins Inc. said it began production and supply of its first EPA Tier-4 Interim and EU Stage IIIB-certified engines and aftertreatment for early installation by off-highway equipment customers.
The QSB6.7 engine is certified to a higher power output of 300 hp (224 kW), while the QSL9 engine increases output up to 400 hp (298 kW). The 6.7-liter and the 9-liter engines have received EPA and EU emissions certification as integral systems with Cummins Particulate Filter exhaust aftertreatment, enabling a unique level of integration and packaging efficiency.
“With the production release of the QSB6.7 and QSL9 engines for 2011 emissions, Cummins builds on its early leadership in Tier-4 development work, concept installation and field testing,” said Hugh Foden, executive director, Cummins off-highway business. “Although much of the Tier-4 emissions technology is new to the off-highway industry, it is not new to Cummins. Key enablers, such as the Cummins Particulate Filter after-treatment, exhaust gas recirculation and variable-geometry turbochargers were available from within Cummins' own technology portfolio and successfully used with our EPA 2007 on-highway engines.”
In addition to approval by the U.S. EPA and EU regulatory agencies, the QSB6.7 and QSL9 engines also received California Air Resources Board certification to enable 50-state compliance.
Further information on Tier-4 emissions is available on the Web at www.tier4.info.
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