After diesel

A look at some offshoots-hybrids, HCCI, and alternative fuels-to the ever-popular diesel engine in the off-highway industry.

While tightened emissions standards and high fuel prices have driven manufacturers to reduce fuel consumption in internal-combustion engines, the off-highway industry is taking it off road with engine and combustion technologies such as SI/EGR, HCCI, hybrid diesel-electric, and alternative fuels.

Thomas Reinhart, Institute Engineer in the Engine Design & Development Department at the Southwest Research Institute (SwRI) says upcoming gasoline technologies with spark ignition (SI) are attractive for smaller off-highway machines up to 300 hp (220 kW).