march2023 - 10

The EPA has also drastically increased the
definition of what a heavy-duty engine's useful
life period should be, which Schaeffer is more
concerned about.
" The more significant impact of the rules are
the business side of the useful life and warranty
requirements, which have jumped from 435,000
miles to more than 800,000 miles for an OTR
tractor, " he explained. " This means that all parts
of these emission control systems must be able
to function for much longer periods of time than
today, and manufacturers will be on the hook
warranty wise at some level for how well the units
perform not just in years 3 and 4, but in years
7 and 8, assuming about 100K miles a year. So
there is a significant business/economic aspect
to this rule that is new for manufacturers, and
will certainly drive up the cost of a new truck. "
Another challenge is that OEMs not only have
to improve on diesel engines, but concurrently
develop battery-electric and fuel cell electric vehicles
to comply with zero-emission guidelines in
California and several other states.
" That makes balancing those investments with
the next round of emissions standards development
and compliance particularly challenging
from a business perspective, " Schaeffer noted.
On the postive side, he noted, the first and
second owners would benefit by having more
warranty coverage pertaining to some of parts
of these engines.
But the big question is if engine manufacturers
can find a way to eke out even more emissions
control than they have already?
" I think they can get there mostly with improvements
to the technologies we have today, such as
new SCR configurations and combustion enhancements, "
Schaeffer asserted.
The good news is OEMs' engineers have already
spent a lot of time figuring out how to meet these
more stringent emissions standards and will
continue developing new technology and designs
over the next few years.
Cummins, North America's leading engine
maker, has already been researching and testing
some promising new innovations, which should be
ready in time for 2027 rules, according to Matthew
Spears, executive director for global regulatory
affairs at Cummins.
" You can definitely expect to see new engine
hardware and new aftertreatment hardware, "
he said last fall at the American Trucking
Associations' Management Conference and
Exhibition. " There are a number of technology
paths that could or should be available to comply. "
» The SPIER System from SPI.Systems
Corporation is an upfit that can be used to
reduce emissions on any diesel truck, from
current models dating as far back as 2010,
including highway and work trucks.
SPI.Systems Corporation
One of these may be Catalyzed Diesel Exhaust
Fluid technology, or CAT-DEF, a catalyst- and
surfactant-modified diesel exhaust fluid solution
developed by the Southwest Research Institute.
Spears explained this technology uses a modified
Cummins X15 engine that employs a different
valve train to allow for cylinder deactivation,
along with a second aftertreatment system on
the upstream selective catalytic reduction (SCR),
located between the turbocharger outlet and
diesel particulate filter.
According to Dr. Charles E. Roberts Jr., director
of the Commercial Vehicle Systems Department at
the Southwest Research Institute, " A combination
of surface-active agents and heterogenous catalysts
blended into CAT-DEF reduces deposits by
90% with potential reductions up to 98%. "
Spears noted hardware changes like this will
increase DEF consumption, but not by a significant
amount.
New regulations aside, engine makers have also
worked to continuously improve their on-highway
diesel engines to stay ahead of the competition.
And if those weren't enough, engine makers have
responded to the call for decarbonized solutions
by delving more into advanced fuels, including
propane, natural gas, and even hydrogen.
In short, there will be several new engine
options coming in the next few years, and fleets
will first have to figure out which fit best for their
application and region. And then maintenance
departments, dealers, and independent shops will
have to find ways to support these engine types.
There's a lot to keep up on, so Fleet Maintenance
» The S13 is
Navistar's
final internal
combustion
engine, CEO
Mathias
Carlbaum said.
Navistar
asked the manufacturers themselves how they
plan to cross that emissions finish line in four
short years.
OEM progress
Cummins
Last year was a bold one for Cummins, with the
leading engine maker acquiring Meritor, a leader
in making brakes, axle, and other components.
10 Fleet Maintenance | March 2023
" The more significant
impact of the rules are
the business side of the
useful life and warranty
requirements, which have
jumped from 435,000 miles
to more than 800,000
miles for an OTR tractor. "
Allen Schaeffer, executive director,
Diesel Technology Forum
" We continue to see enhanced integration with
different elements of the powertrain, including
through our transmission joint venture, Eaton
Cummins, and with axles through our acquisition
of Meritor, " said Katie Zarich, director of on-highway
communications at Cummins.
She agreed with Spears that the new standards
are obtainable.
" The EPA 2027 Low-NOx Final Rule provides
clarity and allows Cummins to refine its product
plan and concentrate our resources on delivering
those solutions, " said Zarich. " The next generation
of medium- and heavy-duty fuel agnostic engine
platforms will meet those regulations. "
Zarich also noted that field tests help the
company learn more about how engines and
powertrains perform in the real world and help
fleets evaluate new features and developments.
Daimler Truck North America
The latest advancements in the Detroit heavy-duty
lineup are the Gen 5 updates to DD15 and DD13
engines, reported Len Copeland, product marketing
manager. " More than 50% of the parts of the
engines are included in the update, " he said.
" Updates that improve fuel economy for the DD15
had ripple effects as well because to enable them
we increased the compression ratio to 21:1 and
that required strengthening the block, the head,
and many other internal parts.
" Another large area of focus with the Gen 5
update were new features that improve aftertreatment
performance, " Copeland continued. " One of
those was the introduction of Thermocoasting.
march2023

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of march2023
