Automotive Engineering - December 2024 - 6

TECHNOLOGY REPORT
tion in 2.5 PM particulate emissions and
a 30% reduction in soot emissions.
Engine makeovers
FPT Industrial engineers designed a new
heavy-duty engine that makes gains in
performance and braking power while
lowering fuel consumption and weight
when compared to its predecessor. The
XCursor 13 (XC13), which is FPT's first
single-base multi-fuel engine, also meets
2025 European Union CO2 reduction
targets for heavy-duty trucks. " It's easily
the most exciting time within our industry
since its inception, " said Ivan Tate,
technical center director for FPT
Industrial, headquartered in Turin, Italy.
The new 13-L inline 6-cylinder XC13
FPT's XC13 engine, shown on display at the 2024 ACT Expo, can run on multiple fuels, including
diesel (left), natural gas and hydrogen (right).
Feedstock capacity can support an additional
1.8 billion gallons of biomassbased
diesel production through 2025,
according to industry research.
Using low-carbon biomass diesel in
internal combustion engines could reduce
atmospheric carbon by 70%, according
to Howell. " The industry is doing
the work. So B100 [pure, unblended
biodiesel], RD100 [renewable diesel] or
a blend of the two will be viable options
for low net-carbon combustion in 2030,
2050 and beyond, " Howell said.
Diesel-fuel sulfur content in the U.S.
market is 15 ppm maximum, although
certain off-road applications can use a
higher sulfur diesel. Mary Dery,
Innospec's Performance Additives technical
director, pointed out that untreated
diesel fuel can create engine performance
issues. For example, if a fuel injector
is dispensing a direct stream ver6
December 2024
sus an aerosol spray, that's problematic.
" It means the fuel is not going to combust
properly in the combustion chamber,
which leads to poor fuel economy.
And it ends up making more particulates, "
Dery said, adding a fuel detergent
can resolve the issue.
Dery cited several field-trial examples
to illustrate how a diesel fuel additive
can improve engine performance. In a
field test involving a John Deere 5100E
farm tractor with 1,800-plus hours of
operation, the vehicle's untreated fuel
injector was removed, revealing deep
caverns of deposits.
" It looked like a volcano. But after
only 100 hours of operating on a detergent
additive in the fuel, the deposits
around the [fuel injector] holes eroded
away, and the NOx emissions were reduced
by 30 percent, " Dery said. She
also noted that there was a 34% reduchas
compacted graphite iron castings
for the cylinder block and cylinder
heads. " This enables us to be lighter but
also more rigid, " Tate said, adding that
the materials change also helps with
emissions and the amount of cylinder
pressure that can be maintained.
Friction reduction resulted from using
new materials for the connecting rod
pins and crankpins. Other changes include
a new valve train system, using a
variable oil and water pump, and employing
advanced combustion control
and thermal management.
In its diesel configuration, the XC13 -
compared to the predecessor C13 -
gains 2% more power and 12% more
torque, achieves up to 7% lower fuel
consumption, reduces weight by 10%
and nets a 29% improvement in braking
power. XC13's natural gas version gains
9% power and 10% torque, consumes
up to 8% less fuel, cuts weight by 10%
and improves braking power by 300%,
compared to its C13 predecessor.
" One of our biggest requirements
was to increase the braking power of
the engine brake, " Tate said. The diesel
version of the XC13 engine provides up
to 600 hp (442 kW) and 2,100 lb-ft
(2,850 Nm), while the natural gas variant
offers up to 520 hp (382 kW) and
1,840 lb-ft (2,500 Nm).
Stanadyne, Katech Engineering and
the Propane Education & Research
Council's (PERC) involvement in a liquid
propane gas (LPG) engine project
AUTOMOTIVE ENGINEERING
SAE/RYAN GEHM

Automotive Engineering - December 2024

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Automotive Engineering - December 2024