The impact on off-highway machinery.
Sauer-Danfoss recently launched a new, dedicated emissions solutions section on its website.
The www.sauer-danfoss.com/emissions site is an additional resource to help OEMs address the challenges that come with Tier IV and Stage IV compliance and complements Danfoss’ 2008 formation of a Global Emissions Team.
Tier IV/Stage IV legislation
Legislation limiting diesel emissions was first introduced in Europe and the USA in the mid ’90s. Since then the noose has been gradually tightening. After addressing on-highway emissions regulators turned their attention towards emissions generated by off-highway or non-road diesel equipment.
Legislation enacted in the USA and Europe about five years ago to phase in a drastic reduction in emissions from off-highway diesels will soon come into force after a grace period that was built in to allow manufacturers to gear up for the changes.
Quantum leap
“For off-road vehicle manufacturers, it is no secret that lower emission requirements for new engines will have a significant impact on future generations of machines,” according to Rick Sporrer, Sauer-Danfoss Sales Quality and Technical Services director. “By our estimates, over 10 000 different machines will need to be redesigned. This is much more than an engine issue – machine design is taking a quantum leap in complexity right now.”
Changing performance characteristics
In order to meet the required emission regulations, a number of engine characteristics will be affected. For example, engine application operating speeds and speed bands will be reduced. Engine power levels and torque will change. Along with all this, there will be greater system heat rejection. What does this mean for vehicle performance? According to the Sauer-Danfoss team, several things, including the following:
* Available hydraulic flow will be reduced.
* Net vehicle power output will be reduced.
* Heat rejected to the environment will increase.
* Available installation space around the engine will be reduced.
Sporrer adds, “All this will change components and the way power is distributed in the machine. How we determine the most viable solutions is dependent on any number of technologies which may be employed.”
Sauer-Danfoss is performing lab tests, conducting dynamic simulations, evaluating proof of concepts, validating and documenting how best to recover power losses so customers produce more efficient, productive machines. Focused on providing solutions for propel, work, control and vehicle management functions, Sauer-Danfoss is positioned to integrate best-in-class products to meet the significant challenges posed by the arrival of Tier IV and Stage IV.
Solutions on the Web
To assist OEMs in identifying the right solutions, the new emissions solutions section features research articles, tools, white papers and industry publication features, all resulting from Sauer-Danfoss research. The web section also serves as a repository to links that are relevant to global emissions regulations and engine technology information.
In addition, new and recently developed Sauer-Danfoss products serve as the building blocks of new machine systems. These include the PLUS+1 family of microcontrollers and related products, electronically actuated H1 piston pumps and motors, SGM and D Series gear motors.
Sporrer concludes, “In this convergence of machine development challenges – new engine regulations, the economic downturn and limited resources – our Global Emissions Team has taken the time to understand the impact of engine requirements and to investigate and develop products and systems that meet the performance needs of the future.”
For more information visit www.sauer-danfoss.com/emissions or contact Ron Sheehan, Sauer-Danfoss, +27 (0)11 803 8390, [email protected], www.sauer-danfoss.com
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