Cummins takes QSK to Tier 4 Final

Cummins Inc. announces that the QSK high-horsepower engine range will move forward to meet EPA Tier 4 Final off-highway 2015 emissions with a combination of clean in- cylinder combustion and a new Selective Catalytic Reduction (SCR) clean exhaust system.

For most applications, the Tier 4 Final QSK engine and integrated SCR aftertreatment offer the installation simplicity of a drop-in replacement for the current QSK engine and exhaust muffler, with a similar size and equivalent noise reduction. While achieving very low emissions levels, Cummins Tier 4 Final technology also reduces the overall cost of operation, with QSK fuel efficiency improved by 5% to 10%, depending on the equipment duty cycle.

The new SCR clean exhaust system will be utilized on the next generation of 19-liter to 60-liter QSK engines across a broad 800 hp to 3,000 hp (597-2,237 kW) power range. The Tier 4 Final engines retain the exceptional power output and in-service dependability of the current QSK engines, proven in the most demanding high-horsepower applications. The SCR clean exhaust system will be scaled-up for QSK engines above 3,000 hp, including the new larger-displacement engine platform, with details due to be released in September.

Cummins Tier 4 Final technology brings common emissions architecture to a diverse range of high-horsepower applications, including mining, locomotives, marine vessels, oil and gas equipment, power generation, large cranes and other industrial equipment.

"Our next-generation QSK engines, integrated with the new SCR clean exhaust system, represent a game-changing technology that leaps ahead to achieve Tier 4 Final with the benefit of installation simplicity and improved fuel efficiency," says Mark Levett, Cummins Vice-President and General Manager - High-Horsepower Business.

"No other engine company has the depth of experience with SCR technology as Cummins, dating back to 2006 in Europe and now with almost 100,000 EPA 2010 on-highway engines operating with SCR in North America. Our ability to leverage this preceding SCR experience and optimize for high-horsepower applications with the new SCR clean exhaust system enables Cummins to deliver the right emissions solution for Tier 4 Final," Levett said.

"Our SCR technology has demonstrated outstanding durability in-service, equal to that of the engine platform. Using SCR aftertreatment for high-horsepower applications means we are able to avoid any major change to the engine platform and retain the dependability and power performance of our current QSK engines - and this continuity is of key importance to our customers.

"I am certain that these considerable advantages will continue Cummins clean-power leadership in the North American high-horsepower markets," adds Levett.

The Tier 4 Final clean technology builds on the proven success of the current QSK engine range. Cummins is the clean-power leader, with more Tier 2-compliant high-horsepower engines in-service than any other engine manufacturer.

Cummins SCR clean exhaust system reduces oxides of nitrogen (NOx) emissions to 3.5 g/kW-hr for Tier 4 Final off-highway, representing a more than 40 percent reduction compared with the Tier 2 level.

By focusing NOx reduction within the exhaust rather than during in-cylinder combustion, Cummins avoids the need to make any major change to the external engine platform. Using SCR also leaves a much higher performance threshold in-cylinder in order to focus on Particulate Matter (PM) reduction and improve fuel-efficiency.