The 15 litre version of the HELM platform is now in Australia. There’s also a 10 litre version and a 7.2 litre version using the similar clean sheet design platforms that Cummins are developing and releasing.
Development of the next generation design came hand-in-hand with the requirement for multiple fuel capability. The natural gas version is available in North America today, while the hydrogen variant is still under development with an expected release in the coming years.
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The commonality of the platform comes from one engine block with three different cylinder heads to manage the various fuel delivery options. This approach offers a commonality of training, tooling and parts as well as, from a customer perspective, allowing them to have options in their fleets, depending on the fuels that they have available to them.
By using a clean sheet design for the engine block, Cummins achieved a significant weight saving. It’s a similar shape to the current X15, minimising packaging issues when developing a new vehicle,
“What we do, with any of our designs, is look for the the areas where we need to make changes, to suit three point mount or four point mount installations, 12 or 24 volt requirements, for example,” says Sean Maclean, Director and General Manager at Cummins Asia Pacific.
“We have those different options available in our current product, and we’ll do that with HELM.
“The 15 litre is about 225 kilos lighter than our X15 Euro 6 in the diesel version. The PX 15 engine in the DAF XG is the first version of this product in this region. This product, in the diesel version, will also be available for other brands, at 660hp, 2360 foot pound of torque and 225kg lighter.”
When it comes to the other cylinder heads offered in the future, different requirements will mean different weight. When it comes to the natural gas version, now available in North America, and the hydrogen version, Sean expects them to come onto the market by the end of the decade.
Cummins already has versions of some of the smaller displacements available in some markets, including a seven litre version and there are test cell 15 litre engines running at the moment. Cummins’ work on a hydrogen powered fuel cell work is continuing, but does provide some challenges, in terms of issues like cost, according to Sean.
“One of the benefits of the X15D is that it’s very engine-like, it’s very familiar for a technician, for a driver, for an OEM trying to install the product,” he says.
“It’s a lot different to opening up the bonnet and seeing a fuel cell and some batteries.”
The X15D currently fitted in DAF XGs are coupled with the ZF AMT, but Cummins is also working with Eaton to integrate the Endurant into a driveline.
“As we move towards the 10 litre version of this HELM engine on the diesel side, that is the natural successor to the nine litre engine that we’ve had in this market for a number of years,” Sean says.
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