Back in 2008, when I first arrived at Diesel Power, I was able to attend the Diesel Engine-Efficiency and Emissions Research (DEER) conference held in Detroit. In order to read this article, you need to
Google: “Exclusive Coverage of DOE’s Diesel ThinkTank.” (As a side note, this roundabout way of finding past Diesel Power articles is about to change, thanks to a powerful new search engine our company is working on.)
At the conference, I was able to walk up and talk with Christopher Nelson. For now, Google “14.9L ISX with 10% Better Fuel Efficiency Jason Thompson Diesel Power” to see the Cummins Mr. Nelson is responsible
for—it catches its waste heat with a steam turbine. Although, at the time, there was so much I didn’t know about (for example: HCCI, PM, NOx, DOC, ICE, and SCR, as well as about 100 other acronyms). I learned more than I knew before thanks to this information-dense environment. I spent most of the time listening to presentations. I only asked one question, “What about algae?” It was during one of the presentations given by a major oil company. That particular spokesperson didn’t understand until someone told him it had to do with biofuels. At that time, biofuels
weren’t as important as they are today.
THE ELECTRIC AND EMISSIONS SCARE
Soon after the conference, I felt like there was a wave of battery-electric momentum. It felt like diesel was dying because of the increased cost of fuel and strict emissions regulations. At the same time, the auto industry was convulsing and the economy in general tanked. At one time, I wanted to build an electric car—then I found out how poor the energy density of batteries was. Then I looked into how and where batteries were built and what they were made of, and I was turned off. But that’s not to say I couldn’t be turned back on if they get better.
DIESEL REDEMPTION
I wasn’t able to attend the 2011 DEER conference, but GreenCarCongress.com has an article about it that includes a quote from Byron Bunker, Director of the Heavy-Duty Engine Center, Office of Transportation and Air Quality for the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA):
“The future of the internal combustion engine is bright and clear; I don’t think that could be any more obvious to all of us” and “While many over time have grown dismissive of radical new engine ideas, remember that they have the opportunity to change the dynamic...we should not discount novel engine designs.”
He added that future engines should:
• Be able to run on varied types of fuel
• Trade elastic power delivery for peak efficiency
• Be produced in high volume to reduce cost but tailored to specific use
• Use adaptive control schemes and sophisticated sensors
ACHATES POWER
Although opposed-piston engines (OPE) are radical to the consumer worldtoday, they are not new since the first versions were in operation more than a century ago. OPEs use two pistons in one cylinder and require no head
gaskets. The two-stroke compression-ignition design of Achates Power uses ports in the cylinder wall instead of a valvetrain to control intake and exhaust flow. This company presented the oil consumption, emission, and performance results from its 53 percent thermal-efficient engine at the DEER conference. It looks like its three-cylinder design will outpower the 6- and 8-cylinder engines we use and love today. Achates Power started back in 2004 when John Walton, son of Sam Walton (founder of Walmart), provided funding for Dr. James U. Lemke. I hope to take a tour of its San Diego facility and get to know this engine better. To learn more about it, check out www.AchatesPower.com.