John Deere Diesel Tech Shows How Companies Adapt

This is a story about John Deere that illustrates the evolution of diesel technology from the dark ages to what it has become today. The John Deere slogan, "Nothing Runs Like A Deere," helped create an army of loyal fans in the agriculture industry. We've heard stories of farmers who were buried wearing their John Deere caps. 

The article is titled Making History By Leaving Little Behind. The story outlines the company's continuous development and adoption of new technologies to meet increasingly stringent market demands, most specifically related to emissions regulations and requirements. 

Similar stories could be written about Cummins, Navistar, Caterpillar and others, so in one sense the John Deere story is not entirely unique. On the other hand, the graphics in this story are incredibly enlightening and help show the transformation that the diesel industry has undergone. We encourage you to follow this link and check it out. It shows the remarkable advances all diesel engine manufacturers have achieved when it comes to a cleaner environment, most specifically pertaining to NOx reduction and particulate matter (PM).

The story here is a detailed presentation of the technical hurdles that John Deere worked out to meet ever more stringent emissions standards without sacrificing performance. That last phrase is the second half of the equation that can't be disregarded.

The best way to see the achievements of modern diesel engine builders is to look at the baseline of 1996. These engines used a higher-pressure fuel system, multiple aspirations, 2- or 4-valve cylinder heads, larger displacements, engine callibration and directed top liner cooling to improve oil control. In addition to emissions compliance, the customer experience included improved fuel efficiency, increased power and higher peak torque, among other things. Compared to where the regulators wanted to take things, though, they had a long ways to go.

From 1996 to 1999 the company set about to hit the first set of more stringent targets that were to go into effect in 2000.

What's interesting is how the manufacturers and Federal agencies worked together to achieve these improvements. Reasonable government officials understand that technological development takes time. The industry had four years to comply, not four months or four weeks. Tier Two kicked in in 2001 with its twin objectives of 50% reduction of particulate matter and 20% reduction of Nitrous Oxides.

The next target for NOx was to go into effect in 2006, an additional 40% reduction. 

On top of this the 2011 targets were an additional 90% reduction in PM and 50% in NOx. In addition to optimized engine calibration and a high-pressure fuel system, new advances included series turbochargers, smart exhaust filters, exhaust temperature management (ETM), several technologies to keep things cooler and ultra-low sulphur diesel fuel (ULSD). 

The 2014 target was an addition 80% reduction in NOx. 

These graphics illustrate the remarkable progress that has been achieved over the past 25 years when it comes to improvements in diesel technology. 

Follow the link at the end of this article to see full size.

In each iteration, the objective has been to meet emissions regulations without sacrificing performance. Kudos to the engineers who behind the scenes who have so doggedly dedicated themselves to meet these targets for the benefit of all.

Here is where you can find all the details for each stage.
https://www.deere.com/en/campaigns/engines-and-drivetrain/diesel-engine-technology/

The Next Ford F-150: Combining Old-Style Diesel Tech in a Futuristic New Design

As any student of automotive history knows, truly "new" breakthroughs don't just happen. Perhaps they are conceived in an "aha" type of moment but the engineering can take years to work out. All kinds of new engine designs have been conceived during the past century. Most of what we are familiar with are incremental improvements on basic designs. Even these take time to work out the kinks. For this reason many vehicle owners are reluctant to jump right in on the first year of a new engine design.

Needless to say, automakers and engine builders work very hard to minimize the speed bumps. Extensive testing is a given. And it all takes time.

Last month The Drive published a story about a new engine design for the next Ford F-150. The tech article by Caleb Jacobs takes a look at the direction Ford is taking with its most popular truck. The goal here is not just fuel economy but energy efficiency, and to achieve it they are drawing upon an older tech concept: pre-chamber ignition.

We've been reading a lot about pickups getting bigger, stronger and more muscular. What Ford is doing here is moving in the direction of diesel's other strength: efficiency. Jacobs opens by noting that with the dawn of a new EV age, most manufacturers are putting their creative energy in that direction, not in new technologies dependent on oil. What Ford realizes, however, is that the EV revolution is going to take decades till full adoption. The benefits outweigh the risks when you think it through.

At this point I will interject that there was a time when the earth was considered the center of the universe. Copernicus proved otherwise, that we were just a tiny speck in a massive decentralized space. This realization became known as "The Copernican Revolution." That is, the idea the earth was at the center and everything revolved around us was now proven wrong. Funny thing is, this "revolution" took 100 years before it became accepted as widespread knowledge. So it is that transitions take time, and though the EV revolution is more than two decades old, it has only just begun.

Ford has been investing heavily in this new engine design, $10 million over three years. Here's an attempt to describe what they are working on.

Last fall Road and Track did a story on Maserati's new MC20 Supercar that uses pre-chamber ignition. "Pre-chambers are exactly what they sound like: separate chambers inside the cylinder head connected to the main cylinder area. There are two types: active and passive. Active pre-chambers contain a spark plu and fuel injector, and ignite after a lean air-fuel mixture is brought into the cylinder. Normally, this mixture wouldn't have enough fuel to ignite on its own, but the fuel from the pre-chamber is enough to create an optimal air-fuel ratio, and speeding up the combustion process, improving efficiency."

The pre-chamber concept is an old diesel idea that has been used in the racing world as well. The Ford engineers are adding a little twist to the concept, some kind of compressed-air alongside the fuel injector. The objective is "to achieve faster, cooler combustion that burns fuel more completely while also producing fewer NOx emissions."

The real challenge is always in the translation from drawing board to reality. In theory, this will bring us one step closer to the ideal truck of the future, powered by fuel and not batteries, powerful and efficient simultaneously. 

Another surprising feature of the new engine design is that it will be 15% lighter than the current engine, with subsequent improvement in mpg as well. 

Go check out the story here at The Drive. They also have a video there on how the pre-chamber ignition setup works. 

This Road & Track story explains and clarifies Maserati's pre-chamber ignition design.

Heart-Stopping Power: Gale Banks' 1200-HP Tri_Charged Duramax

When it comes to motorheads, the hunger for power seems near universal. According to Wikipedia, hot rodding was birthed in Southern California in the late 1930s. People raced modified cars on dry lake beds northeast of L.A. with rules established by organizations like the Southern California Timing Association (SCTA). Unofficial street racing took place anywhere where you had more than a handful of teens and a stretch of straight, flat road.  

Most of these teens grew up and moved on, pursuing careers, supporting families. Then there were the others for whom the experience of speed and power ignited a passion that became the fuel that powered their careers. One of these  boys with an aptitude for mechanics was Gale Banks, now president of Gale Banks Engineering. Three parts engineer, one part "mad scientist", Banks has spent a half century tinkering with technology, keenly focused on improving the internal combustion engine. His special interest has been diesel engines.

To give you an idea of just how far Gale Banks is willing to go to extend the capabilities of diesel engines, Greg Acosta wrote this story for EngineLabs.com: More Power With Less Boost: Banks 1,200-HP Tri-Charged Duramax.

One of the things that makes this article so significant is that the author is not only writing about a briilliant engine builder at the height of his powers, we're encountering the rare transparency of a man who is sharing everything openly. Banks has been part of a world where secrets are the norm. Competition means finding an edge, not sharing your edge. 

The Duramax engine Banks has been incrementally improving is suitably named "Mad Max". It's something he's been focused on and fine tuning for two-and-a-half years. In this article we don't just read details about the power this setup can achieve. In addition, Banks provides a breakdown of what all the readouts mean, and what the dyno data really means. As Acosta puts it, "In a world where data is hoarded and protected like the gold in Fort Knox, Banks is freely sharing not only his findings, but explaining the findings as well."

For Banks, one of the key metrics is Manifold Air Density (MAD). Since it's a Duramax he's been playing with, could this acronym be the secret to why he calls this engine a Mad Max?

Acosta writes, Using his preferred metric of Manifold Air Density, Banks breaks down the amount of air he needs to reach his 1,200-horsepower goal, and how, exactly, it will be measured on the dyno. “Manifold Air Density is the best indication of the engine’s power potential. You can forget about boost pressure, because it’s part of the MAD calculation. Manifold Air Density is the bottom line,” says Banks.

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The engine was originally built for a Monster Truck. If you'veever wondered what those monsters had under the hood, this story will peak your interest on that level, too. The photos draw you in, but the details are what make this a valuable article to be bookmarked by any serious gearhead seeking to learn how to make dyno adjustments for maximum diesel power. 

Here's the link to the full story:

More Power With Less Boost: Banks 1,200-HP Tri-Charged Duramax

https://www.enginelabs.com/news/more-power-with-less-boost-banks-1200-hp-tri-charged-duramax/

 

About Gale Banks

Gale Banks is an American hot rodder, drag racer, engineer, and entrepreneur who grew up in Lynwood, California. His company, Gale Banks Engineering, sells performance parts for automotive and marine engines. It specializes in diesel engines, and high end cutting edge equipment, performance parts, and auxiliaries

--From Engine Labs today

Why Do Diesel Engines Make More Torque Than Their Gasoline Powered Siblings?

Jason Fenske, Engineering Explained

Have you ever wondered why it is that diesel engines make more torque than gasoline engines? On one level they are essentially the same, an metal block in which pistons move up and down when the fuel detonates. The energy produced gets transferred to the drivetrain which sets the truck in motion. 

That being said, why the difference in torque?

The answer to this question can be found at a YouTube channel called Engineering Explained.  The video is aptly titled Why Diesel Engines Make More Torque Than Gasoline Engines. The host for this presentation is Jason Fenske. 

Even though a cursory look at the two kinds of engines makes them appear similar, Fenske points out several subtle differences that appear small but have big consequences. They are as follows.

1. Compression ratio.

2. Speed of combustion.

3. Bore size vs. length of stroke.

4. Use of turbochargers.

5. Energy density of diesel fuel.

Gasoline is highly combustible, hence the pistons in a gasoline engine do not fully compress. It's the spark that does ignition. Diesel pistons are pushed further up within the cylinder because diesel fuel is ignited by the heat of compression.

The article includes a link to a 2014 blog post titled Throwback Thursday: What Does Torque in a Car Do? 

For each segment, Fenske explains with useful imagery and technical diagrams. If you aren’t a car nut, torque is basically force multiplied by distance - and it is what causes your car to accelerate. For car enthusiast beginners this blog post gives a great introduction to torque, how to measure it and what it can do in your car.

What's especially interesting is how a basic presentation like this has had 1.5 million pageviews. It's quite apparent that this is a topic more than just a few people have wondered about.

This story and video were found at 

Interesting Engineering

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