Revealed for the first time earlier this month at EIMA 2014 in Bologna, Italy, and again November 25 at bauma China – one of Asia’s largest construction industry shows – the new KOHLER KDI 3404 engine has been developed in partnership with Ricardo and features the revolutionary Ricardo Twin Vortex Combustion System.
KOHLER Engines is promoting the new KDI 3404 engine as being unique in a number of respects: for technical innovation, performance, total ownership costs, operational and environmental benefits. Produced in the KOHLER Engines diesel production facility at Reggio Emilia in Italy, the new KDI 3404 4-cylinder engine is available in two models and four power ratings (55.4, 75, 90 and 100 kW, providing peak torque of 375, 475, 480 and 500 Nm respectively). In each case the new engine provides performance that is equivalent to larger displacement engines while delivering impressively low fuel consumption. The KDI 3404 complies with Tier 4 Final – Stage IIIB/Stage IV – regulations without the use of a diesel particulate filter. For sub 56 kW applications aftertreatment is solely via diesel oxidation catalyst while the higher power versions additionally use selective catalytic reduction. By eliminating the need for a diesel particulate filter, the KDI 3404 provides a compact and cost effective solution extending the engine maintenance intervals and enhancing the productivity of the machines powered by the new eco-friendly engine.
Ricardo assisted KOHLER Engines engineers in the development of the new KDI 3404 engine from initial systems specification through design and simulation – including use of the Ricardo WAVE performance simulation and VECTIS 3D CFD tools – to final calibration and validation testing. Crucially, and in common with the other KDI family and other leading off-highway engines, the new KOHLER KDI 3404 engine benefits from the use of the ultra-clean Ricardo Twin Vortex Combustion System, enabling the engine to achieve the toughest international emissions standards for this class of product, without the need for a diesel particulate filter.
“We are really proud to have been able to assist KOHLER’s engineering team in the design and development of the new KDI 3404 engine,” comments Dr. Andy Noble, Ricardo head of heavy-duty engines. “The KDI 3404 is a best-in-class new product that benefits from the incorporation of Ricardo’s state-of-the-art Twin Vortex Combustion System low soot technology. We congratulate KOHLER Engines on the launch of its new engine and thank them for choosing Ricardo to collaborate on its development.”
