Engineering & Mining Journal

JUL 2014

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As one of the few major engine builders providing Tier 4 Final-compliant engines without a DOC, Liebherr said its "SCR only" solution assures no damage to the aftertreatment system even if the machine is run on fuel with a higher sulphur content than recommended. This is particularly beneficial for equipment rental suppliers. Its Tier 4 Final engines also can be used in countries where sulphur-free fuel is not always available. Volvo Penta Considers Cost of Ownership Volvo Penta said it recognizes that total cost of engine ownership is a concern for OEMs and operators alike—which is why it focused on driving down operating costs for its Tier 4 Final engines, as Darren Tasker, director of industrial business in the Americas, explained. When equipment OEMs choose new engines for their products, it's not enough to just look at the initial cost of the engine: they also have to think of the total cost of ownership their customers will face over the engine's lifecycle. "For most operators, 'total cost of own- ership' translates into 'return on invest- ment,'" said Tasker. "Total cost of owner- ship is how efficient an engine is to oper- ate over its lifetime and what it will cost to run during that entire period." Volvo Penta, said Tasker, calculates total cost of ownership as engine price + integration cost + cost of operation and service - resale value. Because fuel costs account for up to 95% of lifetime ownership costs, boosting fuel efficiency can dramatically reduce TCO. Volvo Penta's primary method of improving fuel efficiency is achieved by using SCR and EGR. As there's no DOC or DPF, which require regular upkeep and replacement, Volvo Penta claims its after- treatment system is less costly to maintain and operate—and that it also greatly re- duces ventilation costs for mining equip- ment. According to the company, replacing a less efficient engine with one of its Tier 4 Final engines can reduce ventilation needs by up to 30 m 3 of air flow per hour. It also pointed out that, unlike some competitors who deal with engine integra- tion through their distribution channels, it has application engineers with integration expertise in each global region who are fully familiar with its products and who interface directly with large OEMs to iden- tify efficient integration solutions. "Anything we can save on installation costs, the OEM can translate into a lower purchase price for its customers," Tasker said. "We've invested heavily in our applica- tion engineering resources, and we feel our approach is fairly unique in the industry." Meeting the Challenge of Equipment Migration Because nonroad, mid- to high-horsepower diesel emissions are currently only tightly regulated in the U.S., Canada, Europe and Japan, with a few other countries such as Brazil and China trying to put similar con- trols in place, most of the remaining glob- al market can still use "less-regulated" engines—prompting the OEMs, somewhat ironically, to devise techniques for partially unwinding carefully crafted emissions-con- trol technologies to ensure continued oper- ability when used higher-tier equipment is sold to customers in less-regulated regions. "Tier 4 used equipment migration is a complex issue," said Ramin Younessi, vice president, Caterpillar Industrial Power Systems Division. "Challenges arise due to diverse emissions regulations, the need for dealer readiness training and the need to help customers understand how to operate and maintain these next generation prod- ucts. Most importantly, customers contem- plating the purchase or modification of used Cat Tier 4 products need to under- stand and comply with their local regulato- ry requirements." Late last year, Cat announced its strat- egy for meeting the needs of customers selling and purchasing used Tier 4 Interim products for operation in lesser regulated countries, where prevailing fuel quality and fuel sulphur content vary widely. Based on extensive testing, analysis and field valida- tion, Cat determined that its Tier 4 Interim engine systems between 156 kW and 895 kW (7-32-liter displacement engines) will not require modification to operate in less- er regulated countries. For Tier 4 Interim engines rated below 156 kW, Cat will offer authorized modification processes that remove aftertreatment from a machine, and commercial engine configurations to enable operation in lesser regulated coun- tries. The modification processes, which includes decertification, became available this year to customers in lesser regulated countries through local Cat dealers. Younessi added, "With the migration strategy, we're looking forward, ahead of the Tier 4 Interim products that are already finding their way overseas to lesser regulat- ed countries. Tier 4 Final products won't be far behind the Interim products, which is why the strategy we've developed focuses on a solution for today's customers—and for future customers." Beginning with Cat dealers in locations identified as higher probability recipients of used Tier 4 equipment, the company said it was preparing them to support the migration of used equipment to lesser reg- ulated countries. These dealers will have access to service training, parts stock, service tooling and product information, including detailed information on specific product availability. MTU, Volvo Penta, Scania and other builders also announced new high-sulphur fuel changeover strategies. MTU's Sulphur Tolerance Solution is now available for Tier 4 Interim MTU Series 900, 500 and 460 engines, and will be available for its complete lineup of Tier 4 Final certified Series 1000–1500 engines in the near future. The solution will enable OEMs to utilize the latest MTU engine technology in countries where ultra-low sulphur diesel (ULSD) fuel is not available, and will also protect MTU engines from harmful effects of high sulphur fuel. Bernd Krueper, vice-president of global industrial sales, MTU Friedrichshafen, said, "This new capability will also sim- plify design, ordering, and installation processes for OEMs and repower cus- tomers around the world." Cummins will offer a Sulphur Tolerance Kit, allowing export of used Tier 4 Interim and Tier 4 Final equipment into regions where ULSD is not available. The kit, according to Cummins, is intended to pro- vide options to operators and dealers who may ultimately sell Tier 4 powered equip- ment in the used market, offering flexi- bility in the regions into which they de- liver the equipment. The Sulphur Tolerance Kit includes new engine calibrations and hardware. Attacking total cost of ownership from yet another angle, Volvo Penta said it also tries to ensure its engines are attractive at the point of resale, offering residual value even after long use. One way of doing that is by allowing an engine to be "de-tiered." This may include removing the aftertreat- ment system and making modifications to allow for higher sulphur fuel use so that the engine can be sold in non-regulated mar- kets. This capability, according to the com- pany, is now a feature of all of Volvo Penta's Tier 4 Final products. JULY 2014 • E&MJ; 41 www.e-mj.com D I E S E L E N G I N E S EMJ_pg38-41_EMJ_pg38-41 7/2/14 3:26 PM Page 41

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