Cummins will meet 2002 emissions deadline

[KCJackson]

Here's a press release from Cummins where they applaud the EPA and DOJ for not backing off the agreed-upon emissions rules and dates with "the big 5" diesel manufacturers. The others claimed they could not meet the standards in time, and asked to have the agreement amended or altered.



What does it mean to us Rammers? In a word - "ISBe" - the next generation engine that will be introduced along with the redesigned Ram 2500-3500 next summer.



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CUMMINS INC. APPLAUDS EPA/DOJ DECISION REGARDING NO AMENDMENTS TO INDUSTRY-WIDE EMISSIONS CONSENT DECREES



Cummins only Engine Manufacturer to Publicly State It will Meet October 2002 Emissions Requirements



Columbus - 6 Jun 2001





Columbus, Ind. . . . Cummins Inc. (NYSE:CUM) confirmed today that it had received a letter from the U. S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the Department of Justice (DOJ) reaffirming the government's intention to enforce the terms of the consent decrees Cummins and four other U. S. engine manufacturers negotiated with the government in 1998. Over the past few months, several of the other consent decree signers had urged the EPA and the DOJ to consider amending the decrees to provide for a delay in producing lower emissions engines. Today, the EPA and the DOJ unequivocally reaffirmed that the government would not consider any amendments to any of the decrees.



Under the consent decrees, the signers agreed to produce engines meeting the 2. 5 g/bhp-hr standard for oxides of nitrogen (NOx) and nonmethane hydrocarbons (NMHCs) by October 2002. In April, Cummins confirmed that it would meet the consent decree deadlines. Cummins is the only engine manufacturer that has stated publicly its ability to meet these more stringent standards, which will result in an additional 38 percent reduction in NOx emissions from current emissions standards for all on-highway products.



"We have invested considerable resources to meet our commitments, and are confident that our development of emissions control technologies, coupled with our OEM partnerships, will allow us to provide customers with a reliable, durable product that contributes to a cleaner, healthier, safer environment," said Tim Solso, Cummins Chairman and CEO.



Cummins will meet the standard using cooled exhaust gas recirculation technology (EGR). "We extensively researched all technical solutions, and concluded that the only feasible technology for meeting the 2. 5 gram (NOx + NMHC) levels is with exhaust gas recirculation," said John Wall, Cummins Vice President and Chief Technical Officer. "No other option provides the benefits of fuel economy, cost, responsiveness and overall performance, and in our view, no other currently available technology can achieve a 2. 5 gram (NOX + NMHC) emissions level in this timeframe. "



Cummins, headquartered in Columbus, Ind. , is the world's largest producer of commercial diesel engines above 50 horsepower. The company provides products and services for customers in markets worldwide for engines, power generation, and filtration. Cummins reported sales of $6. 6 billion in 2000. Press releases by fax may be requested by calling News on Demand (toll free) at 888-329-2305. Cummins' home page on the Internet can be found at http://www.cummins.com.

 

[RobG]

And by going back to EGR, they're cutting the life of the engine in half, or worse.



Glad I have my 2001...



Rob

 

[Blakers]

Sounds like they're in cahoots with the environmental extremist wackos out there. Yes it's good to make engines cleaner and more efficient, but not under pressure from the extremist groups run by counter-culture liberals who evaded the draft and didn't inhale.



Blake

 

[RobG]

The worst part is how bad EGR is for a diesel engine. It makes sense on a gas engine, but on diesel, it just sucks.



Now... here's a passing thought... you know those particulate traps that we might end up with eventually... why not (seriously) install one inline with the EGR system to trap all the soot being pumped back into the motor? That could eliminate the big problem with engine longevity... Yeah, it'd be a maintenance item, but if the filter could be made to last long enough that you only change it every few thousand miles, it'd go well with oil changes.



Rob

 

[Power Wagon]

But egr can be disabled

 

[Vaughn MacKenzie]

Lower emisions over engine lifespan?

I would bet that the cumulative NOx emissions produced over the useful life of the engine would be considerably higher on an EGR engine versus a non-EGR, because of the carboning up of the engine and reduced performance & efficiency.



It would be nice if common rail injection could find its way into the ISB for awhile before the EGR requirement kicks in. But if not, those of us in "the know" can do the green-friendly move that Power Wagon suggests. . . BLOCK OFF the EGR



Vaughn

 

[Benson]

I remember reading somewhere a while ago that there will be one or two years of the common rail engine before the EGR arrives. Don't know if this is true, we'll see.

 

[Andy Perreault]

Re: Lower emisions over engine lifespan?

Originally posted by Vaughn MacKenzie

I would bet that the cumulative NOx emissions produced over the useful life of the engine would be considerably higher on an EGR engine versus a non-EGR, because of the carboning up of the engine and reduced performance & efficiency.

I had an interesting talk with Doug Holfeldt, the Air Bulldog Hood/Dam Air guy in Pocatello, Idaho. He talked about the benefits of water injection. He said that a motor that has run with water injection will be absolutely clean inside, the steam created by the water injection cleans off all the carbon buildup. He said all the tractor pull competitors use it.

RobG, that's a good idea you have there, you ought to e-mail Cummins and suggest that their engineers look into it.

(off subject here... ) Vaughn, are you going to Timberline Dodge this weekend?

Andy

 

[JohnE]

The last I heard was by Cummins publicly accepting the 2002 standards on the medium & heavy duty series it was deferred on the light duty series.



I haven't seen an EGR version of the ISC (8. 3) Cummins engines nor do I believe that they have it on the market. (We did have an order with Detroit Diesel series 50 that had cooled EGR and a Garrett variable turbine turbocharger. ) The ISC & ISB most closely resemble each other in the Cummins US line and I expect parallel development on both models.



A big part of the NO<small>X</font> reductions was the introduction of the <em>IS</em> series of engines, ISB, ISC, ISL, ISM, ISX. Electronic timed injection pumps was the largest factor. I haven't heard when a common rail delivery system will be across all models. I wonder when variable turbine turbos will be available for the ISB, ISC, &amp; ISL…



John

 

[Blakers]

He talked about the benefits of water injection. He said that a motor that has run with water injection will be absolutely clean inside, the steam created by the water injection cleans off all the carbon buildup. He said all the tractor pull competitors use it.

RobG, that's a good idea you have there, you ought to e-mail Cummins and suggest that their engineers look into it.

There's also a tremendous amount of energy from the steam generated from the water... 1 cu in of water becames 12,000 cu in of steam at atmospheric pressure.



Lubrizol by me just developed a new technolgy where diesel fuel can be mixed with water in an 80:20 ratio that will not disperse and will burn in a diesel engine just as regular fuel oil will.



Blake