After extensive field tests in a wide range of applications and operating conditions, leading engine maker Cummins will expand its 15 litre ISX and Signature engine offerings in 2013 with the addition of SCR – selective catalytic reduction – emission controls.
To be known as the ISXe5, the SCR engine will be offered alongside existing ISX and Signature engines which use cooled exhaust gas recirculation (EGR) and a diesel particulate filter (DPF) to meet ADR80/03 emission requirements.
“We will continue to see strong demand for our ISX and Signature EGR engines based on feedback we have received from customers,” said Sean McLean, general manager of automotive products for Cummins South Pacific.
“The ISXe5 is joining our 15 litre product line to provide a further technology choice.”
Critically, the SCR engine will offer the same performance ratings as current EGR engines, from 450 to 600 hp and 1650 to 2050 lb ft of torque.
“The ISXe5 has the same base engine design as our current product but incorporates an XPI (extreme high pressure) common rail fuel system, wastegate turbocharger and a single overhead camshaft,” says McLean.
Cummins explains the XPI fuel system operates independently of engine speed and provides injection pressures greater than 30,000 psi, delivering very precise injection and combustion control.
Meantime, all Cummins ISX and Signature EGR engines will continue with the twin overhead camshaft design used since the 15 litre family’s inception.
A statement from Cummins insists, ‘As the only diesel engine manufacturer with in-house integration of all critical subsystems from air handling to exhaust aftertreatment, Cummins is able to optimise the combustion process to maximise fuel economy.’
All ISXe5 engines will include the highly effective Cummins Intebrake, dispensing peak retardation of 600 hp.
The SCR exhaust after-treatment on the ISXe5 is a fully integrated system developed by Cummins Emissions Solutions (CES), dosing urea into the exhaust stream to reduce oxides of nitrogen (NOx) emissions.
SCR is nothing new to Cummins. The urea-based emissions system is already a feature of several Cummins engine models, including the popular 8.9 litre ISLe5.
According to a Cummins statement, 10 ISXe5 engines have been field tested in Australia since early 2012 and there are now more than 20 trial engines in service across a range of heavy-duty applications.
“Our extensive field test program will make certain that reliability and performance of the ISXe5 meets customer expectations while also ensuring that Cummins’ branch network is ready to support the product when it goes into service in 2013,” Sean McLean explains.
The ISXe5 will go into production at Cummins’ Jamestown plant in the US for availability in Australia in 2013.
Further tightening of Australian emissions regulations is expected in 2016/2017 with the introduction of ADR80/04 which, according to Cummins, will require a combination of technologies including SCR.
“By the time ADR80/04 is introduced we will have had extensive experience with these technologies under Australian conditions,” Sean McLean concluded.