Heavy-duty engine design

What are the most significant factors influencing the way engine developers approach near-term design and development cycles? Two experts provide their insights from recent programs.

Engine developers face numerous challenges in their work. When building the new clean-sheet design C3.6 engine, Caterpillar Industrial Power Systems considered several factors including customer feedback and lower owning and operating costs. The result of this development process is a compact 134-hp (100-kW) engine that provides a 5% increase in power density and 12% increase in torque compared to its predecessor engine, the C3.4B.

Introduced at a Caterpillar press event in late October in Clayton, North Carolina, the new diesel engine is dual-certified to EU Stage V/U.S. EPA Tier 4 Final nonroad emission standards and generates 406 lb-ft (550 Nm) of torque at 1500 rpm. The company says the new engine's smaller package features flexible aftertreatment solutions including engine-mounted options that provide OEMs with simplified installation and reduced integration costs.