Engine News From Agritechnica

BY ROBERTA PRANDI

It is the farmer’s time in Hanover, Germany. The city is flooded with exhibitors and visitors for the biggest agricultural event in the world, Agritechnica. The organizers said they expect 400,000 visitors through this weekend, the finale of the week-long event. Hotel prices have skyrocketed, restaurants are packed and the city is already in early Christmas mood.

But the real buzz is inside the show grounds. Reporting from the three halls dedicated to Components and Systems, the mood is excellent and quite a few news announcements have been made.

Upcoming EU Stage 5 emissions regulations are still taking center stage among engine manufacturers, but a lot is going on in alternative powertrains as well.

Here are some engine highlights from the first days of the show.

According to Deutz’ recently-appointed CEO Frank Hiller, “Deutz is aiming for market leadership in the field of innovative off-highway drive systems.” And a lot of the ‘innovative’ is about e-mobility, enhanced by the acquisition of German specialist Torqeedo.

Such a statement from a quintessential diesel manufacturer somewhat obscured the unveiling at the show of the engines already certified for EU Stage 5, specifically the TCD 3.6, 4.1, 6.1, 7.8 and TTCD 6.1 and 7.8 diesels.

FPT Industrial followed a string of recent new engine announcements with a new unit for mid-range tractors, the 105 kW/141 hp F36 diesel, which offers 14% more power than the existing F34 engine. Alternative drivetrains are also a hot topic at FPT, but in this case, the developments are more in the direction of natural gas (CNG and LNG) engines than electrification.

Kohler Engines, while completing its Stage 5 lineup with the KDI 3404 Hi-Power engine, also announced Kohler Flex, an integrated suite of engine systems designed to enable the KDI engine range to comply with all emissions standards around the world.

Cummins presented its first structural engine for agricultural tractor applications. The Stage 5 B6.7 diesel is rated 243 kW/326 hp with a peak torque of 1375 Nm/1014 lb. ft., 30% higher than in the Stage 4 engine.

MAN Engines unveiled a new 9 L diesel for agricultural applications. The D1556 offers a power output from 205 to 324 kW (275 to 434 hp) with 1550 to 1970 Nm (1143 to 1453 lb. ft.) of torque at 1150 to 1300 rpm (more information on this engine is included in the October issue of Diesel Progress International).

Volvo Penta presented its Stage 5 compliant D5 and D13 engines and confirmed and strong performance for its industrial division in 2017 with a good outlook for the future.

Stage 5 ready engine solutions are also being showcased at Perkins, including the Syncro 3.6 L and 1200 Series diesels. In addition, the smart Perkins SmartCap (with repetition intended) with My Engine App are also being highlighted for the aftermarket.

Perkins has expanded its industrial engine range with the addition of the 2400 Series at EU Stage 5 and it was shown for the first time at Agritechnica. Focused on delivering power density and performance, the 12.5 L engine will be capable of power up to 430 kW (577 hp) and 2640 Nm torque.

Perkins said the 2400 Series will use technologies including a compact aftertreatment, non-EGR (exhaust gas recirculation) air system and the latest electronics — controlling all engine and aftertreatment systems with a single engine mounted control module — to provide high performance characteristics while lowering customer’s cost of ownership.

Perkins added that design technology and high-efficiency selective catalytic reduction (SCR) are the key enablers for a combined diesel particulate filter (DPF), SCR and diesel oxidation catalyst (DOC) aftertreatment. Designed for transparent thermal management, the aftertreatment requires no operator interaction and has no impact on machine performance, Perkins said. The small package size and flexible mounting options will lower the cost of installation and are ideal for the agricultural and construction sectors, the company added.

The 2400 Series is designed to meet Stage 5 and EPA Tier 4 final. In addition, Perkins will be certifying all existing Stage 4/Tier 4 final products in its 9 to 18 L range to meet Stage 5.

Rolls-Royce is presenting its MTU Stage 5 diesel engine lineup, which includes new ratings for the 6R1000 engine (280 kW/375 hp) and the 6R1500 (480 kW/644 hp).

On the Rolls-Royce booth, Finnish forestry machines manufacturer Ponsse confirmed that it is testing the Stage 5 MTU 6R1000 unit on its Ergo harvester. The engine has completed over 1000 hours of operation and Ponsse has ordered an additional five MTU Stage 5 engines.

The 9.0 L displacement band is obviously very popular and Liebherr has unveiled a new four-cylinder inline engine – the D964 – with an output of up to 300 kW/402 hp. The unit will be available in 2019 and is one more brick in Liebherr’s new generation of diesel engines for Stage 5 emissions standard.

Kubota is presenting an interesting concept — a comprehensive line of engines available in diesel, gasoline/petrol, LPG and natural gas versions. The engine footprint is the same for each and Kubota said that the gasoline versions are on a par with the corresponding diesels in terms of torque and performance.