DAF launches Euro6 MX Engine

Compared with the current Euro 5 standard, Euro 6 requires that nitrogen oxide (NOx) emissions must be reduced by a further 77%, while soot particle emissions must be cut by 66%. In concrete terms, this means that nitrogen oxide emissions have to be reduced from 2.0 to 0.46 grams/kWh, and soot particle emissions from 0.03 to as little as 0.01 grams/kWh. These are however not the only requirements: Euro 6 engines must meet these stringent requirements for a minimum of seven years or 700,000 km, in all operating conditions. In future, authorities will carry out random checks to ensure that vehicles are compliant with these standards, and new on-board diagnostics systems will warn the driver in the unlikely event that this is not the case.

A quarter of the Kenworth and Peterbilt trucks supplied in the United States since summer 2010 are equipped with the six cylinder 12.9-litre PACCAR MX engine with EPA10 specification. “This engine complies with current North American legislation, of which emission values come close to those set out in Euro 6”, explains Ron Borsboom. “We have therefore been able to build up vast experience of technologies we will now be applying in Europe for Euro 6, such as exhaust gas recirculation (EGR), a turbo with variable geometry and an active soot filter. We have further developed these technologies, focussing in particular on how we can best integrate them into European vehicle concepts. A good example is the higher position of the EGR cooler, which allowed us to place the turbo closer to the block, further reducing the overall size of the engine. This is an important factor when it comes to fitting the engine in our European cab-over-engine vehicle designs: it allows for a low cab floor to ensure ease of entry and maximum cab space. In addition, we will of course also be applying technologies to the Euro 6 PACCAR MX-13 engine that have recently been introduced as part of our ATe programme for Euro 5. An encapsulated exhaust manifold for even better turbo efficiency and optimised piston rings and cooling are just a few examples of these technologies.”

The PACCAR MX-13 engine is characterised by its combination of proven, state of the art technologies and a large number of technical innovations. “The block has been redesigned for even better stiffness and, like the cylinder head, it is made of strong compact graphite iron”, explains Borsboom. “With a view to ensuring maximum reliability and durability, as many functions as possible have been integrated. For example, plumbing has been cast into the cylinder block and head, and the two pump units that generate pressure in the common rail system have been integrated into the block, which means they can be actuated by the same camshaft that drives the valves. The fuel in the central pipe is supplied using smart dosing controls, to ensure optimum efficiency by only compressing the amount of fuel mixture that is really needed. This reduces hydraulic losses to a minimum.”

The common rail system of the new Euro 6 PACCAR MX-13 engine allows high injection pressures of up to 2,500 bar, and provides the opportunity to use pre- and post-injection, or a combination of both. This results in finer atomisation and many more possibilities to optimise combustion, ensuring the lowest possible emission and noise levels, and the lowest possible fuel consumption. “The highly advanced engine software and new sensors and actuators also play an important role in this respect, functioning even faster and more accurately to ensure that the best possible mixture of air, exhaust gases and fuel is injected at all times. This is also key in achieving maximum efficiency and low emissions”, says Borsboom.

The first live apearance of the MX – 13 engine will be at the BedrijfsautoRAI 2012 in Amsterdam. Click here for more info:

Click here for the rest of the press release on the new DAF engine!