John Deere Power Systems (JDPS), Waterloo, Iowa, has announced the technology solutions it will use to meet the stringent Interim Tier 4/Stage III B mobile off-highway emissions regulations for the company’s complete lineup of industrial diesel engines. These regulations require at least a 90 percent reduction in particulate matter and up to 50 percent reduction in nitrogen oxides (NOx) from previous Tier 3/Stage lll A requirements.
JDPS will continue to offer the familiar John Deere PowerTech displacements of 2.4L, 4.5L, 6.8L, 9.0L and 13.5L. Power ratings will also be similar to the Tier 3/Stage III A offerings.
For all of its engines 56 kW (75 hp) and above, John Deere will start with its Tier 3/Stage III A PowerTech Plus engine platform, which includes cooled exhaust gas recirculation (EGR) for NOx control, and add an exhaust filter for reducing particulates. Displacements in this power range include the 4.5L, 6.8L, 9.0L and 13.5L in-line, four- and six-cylinder engines, all of which feature a four-valve cylinder head, high-pressure fuel system, turbocharging and an air-to-air aftercooling system. As with previous emissions tiers, John Deere will offer appropriate levels of technology for specific customer needs in a wide variety of applications.
John Deere was the first engine manufacturer to widely commercialize cooled EGR and variable geometry turbocharger (VGT) technologies in off-highway applications, introducing them in 2005 with the start of Tier 3/Stage III A regulations. During Tier 3/Stage III A, John Deere has accumulated significant operating hours with these technologies in off-highway applications and has established a proven record of reliability. Other engine manufacturers are just now considering the use of these effective technologies in their off-highway Interim Tier 4/Stage III B product offerings.
“Our proven record with cooled EGR was a major driver in our decision to continue using it for Interim Tier 4/Stage III B,” said John Piasecki, director of worldwide marketing, sales and customer support for JDPS. “John Deere engines have a strong reputation of performance, durability and reliability, and we are designing our new engines to exceed those expectations.
“After much evaluation and testing, we found that an exhaust filter and the use of cooled EGR, coupled with our proven Tier 3/Stage III A PowerTech Plus engine platform, is the best Interim Tier 4/Stage III B solution for meeting emissions and for delivering the performance, reliability, durability and low operating costs our customers have come to expect from John Deere engines,” Piasecki said.
John Deere has developed an exhaust filter consisting of a diesel oxidation catalyst (DOC) and a diesel particulate filter (DPF) specifically to meet the demands of off-highway applications. The DOC reduces carbon monoxide, hydrocarbons and some particulate matter. The downstream DPF traps and holds particulates remaining in the exhaust stream. Trapped particles are eventually oxidized within the DPF through a process known as regeneration. Under normal circumstances, the regeneration process will not have an impact on machine operation and will not be noticeable to the operator. Another benefit of the exhaust filter is that it replaces the need for a muffler in most applications.
The company also announced a new naming convention and ratings for its Interim Tier 4/Stage III B engines. The names will capitalize on the PowerTech brand but add a three-letter suffix that designates the engine’s technology package. An example of the new names is the PowerTech PVX 6.8L. The new ratings for the John Deere Interim Tier 4/Stage III B lineup will apply to the five models in the 130 kW (174 hp) and above power class.
The three letters define the engine’s technology platform, turbocharger and exhaust filter. All of the John Deere Interim Tier 4/Stage III B engines with ratings 130 kW (174 hp) and above are designated “P,” indicating the Tier 3/Stage III A PowerTech Plus technology platform that features 4-valve cylinder heads, cooled exhaust gas recirculation, full-authority electronic engine controls, high-pressure fuel systems and air-to-air aftercooling. These engines use either a variable geometry turbocharger (designated “V”) or series turbochargers (designated “S”), and they also feature an exhaust filter (designated “X”).
“The versatility of this naming convention enables us to use it for Interim Tier 4/Stage III B and future emissions regulations,” said Doug Laudick, manager of product planning.
The engine models and ratings 130 kW (174 hp) and above for the John Deere Interim Tier 4/Stage III B lineup include:
PowerTech PVX 6.8L: 130 kW – 187 kW (174 hp – 250 hp)
PowerTech PSX 6.8L: 168 kW – 187 kW (225 hp – 250 hp)
PowerTech PVX 9.0L: 187 kW – 224 kW (250 hp – 300 hp)
PowerTech PSX 9.0L: 224 kW – 317 kW (300 hp – 425 hp)
PowerTech PSX 13.5L: 261 kW – 448 kW (350 hp – 600 hp)
The primary difference between the PowerTech PVX and PSX engine models is the variable geometry turbocharger (VGT) versus series turbochargers, consisting of a VGT and a fixed-geometry turbocharger. The 13.5L model is available only with series turbochargers. The PowerTech PVX engine models deliver similar power, transient response, peak torque and fuel economy as the Tier 3/Stage III A engine models they replace. The same performance benefits are extended to the PowerTech PSX engine models, which also provide improved low-speed torque and enhanced high-altitude operation.
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