Power and performance the focus of development for heavy-duty engine line
After nearly five years and $1.5 billion in development, the new heavy-duty Detroit Diesel DD15 engine was unveiled recently. The result of the largest investment ever made in the development of an engine by an engine manufacturer, the DD15 achieves its goals through the application of a new Amplified Common Rail System (ACRS), as well as innovative turbo compounding technology. This engine is the first in a series of new heavy-duty engines from Detroit Diesel which eventually will cover three displacement categories: 12.8 litres, 14.8 litres and 15.6 litres. The DD15 displaces 14.8 litres, and is a 6-cylinder, in-line design.
The market launch of the DD15 in the Freightliner Cascadia will take place in the second quarter of 2008, followed by the Freightliner Century S/T and Columbia models and the Sterling Set-Back L-Line and A-Line. In time, engines sharing this design will be available in all Daimler Trucks heavy-duty models, including Mercedes-Benz and Mitsubishi Fuso trucks. Ultimately, this engine platform will replace four, distinct, engine series used today by Daimler Trucks brands globally. Designed for the rigors of North American roads, the DD15 will be offered in output and torque variants from 455 hp to 560 hp and 1,550 to 1,850 lb/ft, including dual torque ratings for special applications. The DD15 anticipates customers’ needs for fuel consumption, responsiveness, pulling power, maintenance costs, and environmental sensitivity across North America. With its combination of exhaust gas recirculation and a particulate filter for reduced emissions, the DD15 is tailored to North America’s EPA ‘07 emissions regulations, and its advanced design will make it ready to take on the upcoming EPA 2010 standards with a simple downstream selective catalytic reduction (SCR) device that optimizes fuel efficiency while reducing harmful NOx emissions. "Instead of revamping one of our current engines to comply with EPA standards, we designed a brand-new platform that takes all of the emissions requirements into account," said Jim Gray, Detroit Diesel program director for the DD15. "The result is an engine that offers both power and fuel savings in an EPA ‘07-compliant package." One of the central attributes of the new DD15 is clean and efficient fuel combustion. This is based on the first electronically-controlled ACRS used in commercial vehicles. This type of high-pressure injection system with a common rail system inherently runs quietly. ACRS is the first common rail system that controls the entire injection sequence at any operating point. As the highest pressure is only generated in the injectors, the injection processes are extremely stable. This results in quiet, re-fined operation with low fuel consumption and reduced emissions. The performance of the DD15 is due in part to the combination of a turbocharger with intercooler and turbo compounding technology. At the rated engine speed of the DD15, the turbine reaches a rotation speed of more than 40,000 rpm. Power is transferred to the gear drive, and therefore to the crankshaft, via a shaft and a hydrodynamic coupling. The design of the DD15 is based on six vertically arranged in-line cylinders. With compact dimensions and a length of only 56.1 inches, the engine not only suits conventional designs but also fits in cab-over-engine trucks. For high pulling power, the DD15 has a bore of 139 mm and a stroke of 163 mm, which leaves stroke reserves for future increases in swept volume.
The market launch of the DD15 in the Freightliner Cascadia will take place in the second quarter of 2008, followed by the Freightliner Century S/T and Columbia models and the Sterling Set-Back L-Line and A-Line. In time, engines sharing this design will be available in all Daimler Trucks heavy-duty models, including Mercedes-Benz and Mitsubishi Fuso trucks. Ultimately, this engine platform will replace four, distinct, engine series used today by Daimler Trucks brands globally. Designed for the rigors of North American roads, the DD15 will be offered in output and torque variants from 455 hp to 560 hp and 1,550 to 1,850 lb/ft, including dual torque ratings for special applications. The DD15 anticipates customers’ needs for fuel consumption, responsiveness, pulling power, maintenance costs, and environmental sensitivity across North America. With its combination of exhaust gas recirculation and a particulate filter for reduced emissions, the DD15 is tailored to North America’s EPA ‘07 emissions regulations, and its advanced design will make it ready to take on the upcoming EPA 2010 standards with a simple downstream selective catalytic reduction (SCR) device that optimizes fuel efficiency while reducing harmful NOx emissions. "Instead of revamping one of our current engines to comply with EPA standards, we designed a brand-new platform that takes all of the emissions requirements into account," said Jim Gray, Detroit Diesel program director for the DD15. "The result is an engine that offers both power and fuel savings in an EPA ‘07-compliant package." One of the central attributes of the new DD15 is clean and efficient fuel combustion. This is based on the first electronically-controlled ACRS used in commercial vehicles. This type of high-pressure injection system with a common rail system inherently runs quietly. ACRS is the first common rail system that controls the entire injection sequence at any operating point. As the highest pressure is only generated in the injectors, the injection processes are extremely stable. This results in quiet, re-fined operation with low fuel consumption and reduced emissions. The performance of the DD15 is due in part to the combination of a turbocharger with intercooler and turbo compounding technology. At the rated engine speed of the DD15, the turbine reaches a rotation speed of more than 40,000 rpm. Power is transferred to the gear drive, and therefore to the crankshaft, via a shaft and a hydrodynamic coupling. The design of the DD15 is based on six vertically arranged in-line cylinders. With compact dimensions and a length of only 56.1 inches, the engine not only suits conventional designs but also fits in cab-over-engine trucks. For high pulling power, the DD15 has a bore of 139 mm and a stroke of 163 mm, which leaves stroke reserves for future increases in swept volume.
