Tier IV and Stage IV legislation put more pressure on reducing the emissions produced by diesel engines in off-road vehicles, and Sauer-Danfoss foresees that this will result in diesel engine characteristics changing and engine performance being affected in a number of ways. This includes available hydraulic flow being reduced, net vehicle power output being reduced, heat rejected to the environment increasing and available installation space around the engine being reduced.
“For off-road vehicle manufacturer’s, it’s no secret that lower emission requirements for new engines will have a significant impact on future generations of machines,” says Rick Sporrer, sales quality and technical services director. “By our estimates, over 10,000 different machines will need to be redesigned. This is much more than an engine issue: machine design is taking a leap in complexity right now.”
Sauer-Danfoss already has a range of products available that it says are suited to this new generation of machine, including the PLUS+1 family of controllers, H1P piston pumps, H1B piston motors, and SGM and D series gear motors for fan drive systems.
Sauer-Danfoss has established a global emissions team to work with off-road equipment OEMs to overcome the challenges of the new legislation, and is carrying out a range of tests and simulations to evaluate, document and validate concepts to recover horsepower loss and produce more efficient, productive machines for customers.
“The best solutions help customers identify the most efficient way to design more productivity into their machinery, while consuming less energy to get the work done” says Sporrer. “The best approach is to match the right solutions with the right applications.”
To support the work of its global emissions team, Sauer-Danfoss has launched a section on its website dedicated to emissions solutions. This includes white papers, research articles, tools and features resulting from its research, as well as links to relevant global emission regulations and engine technology information.
