Truck & Off-Highway Engineering - April 2021 - 6

TECHNICAL INNOVATIONS

Previously we talked about the
potential for hybridizing the Achates
engine.
Yes - it's a great technology for both
military and commercial applications.
We have a project funded by ARPA-E,
for a hybrid opposed-piston engine.
We're working with the University of
Michigan on that project; they're doing
development and testing of one of our
engines now. Anna Stefanopoulou [professor of mechanical engineering,
William Clay Ford Professor of
Technology, and SAE Fellow] is the
project's 'guru.' Much of the work
they're doing, on controls, is headed by
Heath Hofmann [professor, electrical
engineering and computer science].
What's your compressor strategy and
hardware?
Up until the middle of 2020, all the prototype engines used a turbocharger,
mostly off the shelf, and a supercharger
primarily from Eaton, to do our boosting work. We're a 2-stroke engine so we
have no pumping loop in the combustion cycle. Our direction now is toward
electrification - some type of e-turbo
along with an EGR pump. Our new engines under test are employing some of
those capabilities.
Lindsay Brooke

6 April 2021

POWER GENERATION

Perkins expands power range with new
electronic large engines
Perkins' new 5000 Series
engine range achieves full
recovery after first load step
within 13 seconds.

The timing of Perkins Engines' North
American launch of its most powerful
line of electronic engines, which delivers up to 1500-kWe emergency standby
power for a range of critical applications, was striking, given the widespread power outages that afflicted
Texas just weeks later. Engineered and
built to provide emergency power for
datacenters, hospitals and commercial
buildings, the 5000 Series already has
been tested for performance and durability with thousands of running hours.
" With multiple engine models offering
a substantial power output of up to 1500
kWe - ideal for a 1.5 MWe generator set
- every aspect of the new 5000 Series
engine range, from its load acceptance
capabilities to custom-created components and innovative engineering techniques, has been designed to optimize
our customers' needs for quick, reliable
and cost-effective power, " Americas
sales director Bill Giunta said in a release.
Optimized turbochargers enable the
new 5000 Series engines to deliver
load acceptance meeting ISO 8528-5
G2 and G3 standards, and the ability to
accept NFPA 100 percent block load.
The 5000 Series achieves full recovery
after first load step within 13 seconds.
" The engine's ability to very quickly
deliver stable backup power is a vital requirement for critical applications, " said
5000 Series product manager, Steve
Chesworth. " The 5000 Series is the culmination of many years of research, development and rigorous testing. "

" The Perkins team is looking forward
to providing additional engineering and
testing support for the 5000 Series, as
we work alongside our customers to
optimize engine performance in their
generator sets, " Giunta added.
The first model in the series to be released is the 5008C-E30TAG, an eightcylinder, inline 60-Hz engine available as
900 and 1000 kWe standby power
nodes. A purpose-built core engine that
includes refined injector flow rates and
an enhanced camshaft design delivers
lower fuel consumption and higher power density of 32.7 kWe/L from a smaller
footprint, Chesworth said.
Electronic sensors with wireless communication capability come standard,
allowing operators to remotely monitor
the generator and engine. The engine
has high ambient and altitude capabilities, offering up to 131°F (55°C) ambient
temperature. With a three-year, 1,500hour warranty for standby, the engine
reportedly offers lower cost of ownership including an oil service interval of
750 hours or two years and ease of
maintenance with single-side servicing.
" I'm very excited about the opportunities the 5000 Series will create for us
to extend [our] brand reputation and
further grow our business in North
America, " said Jaz Gill, VP of global
sales, marketing, service and support.
The 5000 Series will be supported by
Perkins' network of 92 distributors covering 183 countries.
Ryan Gehm

TRUCK & OFF-HIGHWAY ENGINEERING

PERKINS

We received a follow-on grant in late
2019 to continue the program. So, we
brought in Ricardo as the prime subcontractor. That follow-up program has
two goals. The first goal is to further
improve the efficiency. We think we
can get to a 20-percent advantage
over any other production gasoline
engine used in light trucks. The second
goal is to significantly reduce the
weight and cost of the engine. The
prototype engine is fairly heavy. In this
next phase we're going to reduce
weight significantly, to where it's competitive with a light-truck diesel. Our
aim for the second-generation 2.5-L is
to deliver diesel-engine efficiency with
gasoline fuel. Ricardo is a perfect partner; they're world-class in engine design and expert at optimizing mass in
every component.

Truck & Off-Highway Engineering - April 2021

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