Deutz Talks Electrification and Other Alternatives

On our sister site, NewPowerProgress, Germany’s Deutz AG talks about the future it sees for electronic powertrains in off-highway equipment, following its acquisition of electric-specialist Torqeedo.  But at the same time, the Cologne, Germany-based manufacturer is also looking at other alternatives. In other words; everything is on the table.

Deutz CEO Dr. Frank Hiller, said the most potential for full electric solutions is below 37 kW power output and for hybrid solutions below 4L engine displacement, in the first steps. This means developments in this direction will start from the 19 kW TCD 2.2 diesel engine and move upwards in the engine range.

As the same time, Deutz is working on other technologies in order to become a supplier of drive systems.  These technologies encompass alternative fuels, bi-fuels, gas, and other technologies.

Recently the company issued an announcement on alternative fuels which stated the approval for the latest generation of the entire TCD engine range as well as all older Deutz engines without exhaust aftertreatment, for operation with paraffinic diesel fuels and biodiesel or biodiesel blends (this fuel approval formed part of technical circular ‘Fuels 0199-99-01218/4’).

Deutz also attended the 15th International Conference on Renewable Mobility, Fuels of the Future 2018, in Berlin, Germany, in early 2018. There the company presented the results from two of its research projects. 

In one project, carried out jointly with the University of Rostock, Deutz examined how EU Stage 4 emissions standard industrial and agricultural engines performed when run on biodiesel. The investigation concentrated, for illustrative purposes, on a TCD 3.6 industrial engine and on how the use of biodiesel affected exhaust aftertreatment. Its results were used to issue the approval for the use of biodiesel mentioned above. 

The second project concerns a fundamental investigation of the injection and combustion behavior of vegetable oil fuels and transferring their use to an EU Stage 4 and 5 emissions standard engine system.

Deutz also researched various fuels from renewable energy sources and said that there are already ways of producing synthetic diesel fuel using green electricity and a special electrolysis method.  Because of its chemical composition, synthetic diesel fuel produced by this method can be mixed and used with fossil-based diesel in any ratio.

Behind all this research there is the mission to ensure that customers will be able to find the ideal system for their particular application from within the Deutz technology portfolio. The final aim is to achieve drive technologies that are efficient and carbon neutral in equal measure.