John Deere Power Systems (JDPS), Waterloo, Iowa, will exhibit its entire Interim Tier 4/Stage III B diesel engine lineup at ConExpo 2011. JDPS became one of the first engine manufacturers to achieve EPA and EU Interim Tier 4/Stage III B certifications. In early 2010— months before the regulation date for 174-hp (130 kW) and above engines— the PowerTechTM PVX 9.0L and PowerTech PSX 9.0L models were certified as compliant with Interim Tier 4 and Stage III B emissions regulations. Since then, the PowerTech PVX 6.8L above 174-hp (130 kW), PowerTech PSX 6.8L and PowerTech PSX 13.5L have joined the 9.0L engine models as certified.
“The EPA and EU certifications of all our 130 kW (174 hp) and above engines only strengthen our belief that we are offering the right technology at the right time,” said Brian Brown, manager of worldwide marketing support.
EPA Interim Tier 4 and EU Stage III B emissions regulations began Jan. 1, 2011 for 174-hp (130 kW) and above engines. They require a 90-percent reduction in diesel particulate matter (PM) and a 50-percent reduction in nitrogen oxide (NOx) from previous Tier 3/Stage III A requirements. The Interim Tier 4/Stage III B regulation effective date for 75-hp (56 kW) to 174-hp (130 kW) engines is Jan. 1, 2012.
John Deere is meeting the challenge of Interim Tier 4/Stage III B regulations by starting with its proven PowerTech Plus Tier 3/Stage III A in-line, four- and six-cylinder engine platform—which includes cooled exhaust gas recirculation (EGR) for NOx control—and adding an exhaust filter for reducing PM. These engines feature full-authority electronic controls, a four-valve cylinder head, a high-pressure fuel system, turbocharging and an air-to-air aftercooling system.
JDPS 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. Since then, the company has accumulated significant operating hours with these technologies in off-highway applications and has established a proven field record of reliability.
“We remain committed to ensuring that our engines withstand the extreme vibration, temperatures and duty cycles found in off-highway applications,” said Doug Laudick, product planning manager. “Our Interim Tier 4/Stage III B approach continues to use cooled EGR coupled with an exhaust filter, providing a simple, field-proven solution that offers our customers the best total fluid economy.”
“Interim Tier 4 emissions regulations present a unique integration challenge,” continued Laudick. “Our experience integrating Interim Tier 4 engines into our own equipment provides us with the experience, expertise and resources to help our OEMs overcome that challenge and efficiently integrate IT4 engines with their machines.”
JDPS is targeting the start of limited production for engines 75- to174-hp (56- to 130-kW) to be available seven to nine months ahead of the January 2012 regulation date. Interim Tier 4-compliant engines below 74-hp (56 kW) are available and in production today.
The engine manufacturer expects to maintain fuel-economy levels similar to those achieved with their Tier 3/Stage III A engines, which feature the same cooled EGR and VGT technologies. JDPS’ cooled EGR engines operate efficiently with ultra low-sulfur diesel as well as biodiesel blends, providing owners and operators with optimal performance and fuel-choice flexibility.
The company elected not to use selective catalytic reduction (SCR) for its Interim Tier 4/Stage III B solution. Its cooled EGR and exhaust filter approach provides OEMs and end users a proven solution with the best total fluid economy. The single-fluid approach of cooled EGR means owners and operators won’t have to incur the cost of diesel fuel plus the additional cost for diesel exhaust fluid (DEF) required by SCR systems.
“For Interim Tier 4/Stage III B, we’re not only looking at fuel economy, we’re taking into consideration total fluid consumption,” Brown said.
Also, operation of John Deere’s cooled EGR solution does not require operator intervention. SCR may be an appropriate technology for the future, when it is more developed for off-highway applications; however, it is not necessary for Interim Tier 4/Stage III B.
John Deere has optimized the package size for its Interim Tier 4/Stage III B engines. All of John Deere’s engines with cooled EGR and an exhaust filter will require space similar to the Tier 3/Stage III A engine and muffler they replace.
Engines below 75-hp (56 kW), which include the JDPS PowerTech M 2.4L, PowerTech E 2.4L, and PowerTech M 4.5L engines, meet Interim Tier 4 and Stage III A emissions regulations without the use of cooled EGR or an exhaust filter. PowerTech M 2.4L and 4.5L engines feature a two-valve cylinder head, a fixed-geometry turbocharger, mechanical unit pump fuel system (2.4L) and mechanical rotary fuel system (4.5L). PowerTech E 2.4L engines feature a similar two-valve cylinder head and a fixed geometry turbocharger, but add full-authority electronic engine controls, an electronic unit pump fuel system, and are air-to-air-aftercooled.
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