Daimler-Benz High Output Engines -A Study in Compact Design

To meet the increased power demands for special vehicles, Daimler-Benz started the development of a compact, liquid-cooled diesel engine family some 12 years ago. The objective of this development was to obtain a maximum output from a given bulk volume while maintaining well-known diesel engine characteristics. The basic layout of this family was such as to offer a high degree of versatility and to allow continued development.

Based on this existing engine family, the development of a 1500 hp engine was started about three years ago. Reducing the bulk volume and, at the same time, increasing the specific output, resulted in a very compact engine, producing 28.4 hp per cu ft of bulk volume. This paper presents some of the considerations made in the design of these engines and some interesting technical data.