John Deere Receives Certifications for Off-Highway Interim Tier 4 Engines

John Deere Power Systems (JDPS), Waterloo, Iowa, announces their PowerTech PVX 9.0L and PowerTech PSX 9.0L models are the first of their off-highway 56 kW (75 hp) and above engines to be certified by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and European Union (EU) as compliant with the Interim Tier 4 and Stage III B regulations.

“The EPA and EU certifications of our 9.0L engines are tremendous milestones for JDPS, and demonstrate our commitment to the environment,” said Doug Laudick, product planning manager for JDPS. “The timing of the certification—and being one of the first manufacturers to certify Interim Tier 4/Stage III B engines—reinforces John Deere’s leadership in the off-highway engine market.”  

Interim Tier 4/Stage III B emissions regulations begin January 1, 2011 for 130 kW (174 hp) and above engines and 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.

JDPS met the challenge of Interim Tier 4/Stage III B regulations by starting with their proven PowerTech Plus Tier 3/Stage III A in-line, six-cylinder engine platform — which includes cooled exhaust gas recirculation (EGR) for NOx control — and adding an exhaust filter for reducing PM. These engines will 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, according to the company which, since then, has accumulated significant operating hours with these technologies in off-highway applications and has established a proven field record of reliability.

 “The PowerTech PVX and PSX 9.0L engines have already gone through the customer equivalent of nearly 200,000 hours of testing. Field and lab testing continues to ensure the final product will meet the unique requirements expected from off-highway diesel engines,” said Laudick.”

With their 56 kW (75 hp) and above Interim Tier 4/Stage III B engines featuring cooled EGR and VGT technologies, JDPS expects to maintain fuel-economy levels similar to those achieved with their Tier 3/Stage III A engines. 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.

“We achieved best-in-class fuel economy with many of our Tier 3/Stage III A engines,” said Brian Brown, manager of worldwide marketing support for JDPS.

In choosing a solution for Interim Tier 4/Stage III B, JDPS elected not to use selective catalytic reduction (SCR). John Deere’s 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.

The certified and compliant PowerTech PVX 9.0L offers up to 224 kW (300 hp) while the PowerTech PSX 9.0L offers up to 317 kW (425 hp). PowerTech 9.0L engines will go into production in May 2010.

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