DETROIT, Aug. 31 /PRNewswire/ -- As part of its presentation at the recent
Diesel Engine Emissions Reduction (DEER) Conference in Chicago, Illinois,
Detroit Diesel Corporation (DDC) announced that it has demonstrated technology
to achieve greater than 45 percent brake thermal efficiency while meeting the
2007 emissions regulations -- a result of its collaboration with the United
States Department of Energy (DOE) on the Heavy Truck Engine project. This
target is a key milestone for fiscal year 2005 project objectives. This
technology demonstration lays a strong foundation for the next generation of
development, targeting 50 percent thermal efficiency at 2010 emissions
regulations. Brake thermal efficiency is a measure of the amount of fuel
energy converted into useful power during the combustion process in the
engine.
"In current production heavy-duty engines we usually see a brake thermal
efficiency of about 41 or 42 percent, so for us to demonstrate greater than 45
percent efficiency as part of our advanced engineering effort is a significant
achievement for Detroit Diesel," said Carsten Reinhardt, president and chief
executive officer for Detroit Diesel Corporation. "We are excited about the
potential future results this project may yield."
"We are very pleased to continue to partner with Detroit Diesel
Corporation for the advanced development of diesel engine technologies," said
Ed Wall, director of the Office of FreedomCAR and Vehicle Technologies at the
United States Department of Energy. "The technical demonstration of greater
than 45 percent thermal efficiency is a significant milestone towards meeting
strategic DOE objectives."
Continued Collaboration to Improve Future Diesel Engines
The Heavy Truck Engine project between government and industry, which
consists of cost shared cooperative agreements with several of the major
domestic diesel engine manufacturers, was initiated in 2001 to substantially
increase the efficiency of the engine while meeting future emissions
standards. These cooperative agreements are under the Office of FreedomCAR
and Vehicle Technologies and are managed by the National Energy Technology
Laboratory located in Morgantown, West Virginia and Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
"Our continued collaboration with the United States Department of Energy
allows us to evaluate high-risk but potentially high-reward technologies.
This project will lead to the development of innovative combustion processes
enabled by advanced fuel systems, air systems and control technologies that
can attain high efficiencies and near zero emissions. Although significant
time and industry investment are still required to bring the demonstrated
technologies to the market, this project provides a solid technology base, for
such an effort," Reinhardt added.
The Heavy Truck Engine project continues a long history of successful and
highly collaborative projects between DOE and DDC that help develop advanced
technology to boost engine efficiency while reducing emissions. Examples of
other recent projects include the Light Truck Engine project and the Low
Emissions Aftertreatment and Diesel Emissions Reduction (LEADER) project. As
part of these projects, DDC developed advanced technologies for light truck
and passenger car platforms, demonstrating future emissions standards that
exceeded the project goals. Some of the technologies and tools developed
under these projects are utilized in the current DOE-DDC Heavy Truck Engine
project.
DDC is committed to the success of such collaborative projects that lay a
strong foundation for subsequent industry-funded product development and
eventual commercialization of promising technologies to improve thermal
efficiency. This will lead to improving our Nation's energy security by
reducing dependence on foreign oil while contributing to a cleaner air
environment.
Since 1992, the Series 60 engine has been the most popular heavy-duty
truck engine in the Class 8 market based on R.L. Polk registrations. One of
the reasons for the popularity of this engine is its significant fuel economy
advantage over other engines in the same class as evidenced by numerous fuel
economy trials conducted by trucking companies.
The Series 60 engine is available in vehicles produced by business units
of Freightliner LLC. Freightliner LLC is the largest manufacturer of heavy-
duty trucks in North America and a leading manufacturer of medium-duty and
specialized commercial vehicles.
Detroit Diesel Corporation is the leading manufacturer of on-highway
heavy-duty diesel engines for the commercial truck market. The company offers
a complete line of engines from 170 to 515 horsepower for the on-highway and
vocational markets. Through its corporate headquarters in Detroit, Michigan,
Detroit Diesel is engaged in the design, manufacture, sale and service of
these products in addition to supporting alternative and hybrid engine
strategies for the commercial truck marketplace. Detroit Diesel is a
subsidiary of DaimlerChrysler and part of the Freightliner Group of companies.
SOURCE Detroit Diesel Corporation
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Related links:
http://www.detroitdiesel.com
Company News On-Call:
http://www.prnewswire.com/comp/239425.html
CONTACT:
Liane Bilicki, Communications Manager of
Detroit Diesel Corporation, +1-313-592-5266, or
liane.bilicki@detroitdiesel.com
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