Tognum carries out research on “green” rail diesel engine of the future

• mtu is technology partner in the EU research project “Green Heavy Duty Engine”
• Emissions below the nitrogen-oxide limits applicable as of 2012 without any exhaust aftertreatment

Friedrichshafen, 8 November 2007. As one of the partners on the EU basic-research project “Green Heavy Duty Engine”, the Tognum subsidiary MTU Friedrichshafen is developing technologies that will enable future diesel engines to fulfill the strict limits for exhaust emissions that come into force in 2012. The research project is focusing on heavy-duty engines for commercial vehicles and trains. For the area of rail engines, together with the national associations of rail operators and supplier industries, mtu is taking on the task of optimizing innovative combustion technologies and adapting them to the special requirements of rail engines.

The “green” engines of the future will be able to flexibly adjust the combustion process in the cylinders to all conceivable load situations, and will therefore operate with extremely low emissions under all loads. The mtu development engineers aim to fulfill the strict EU Stage 3B limits for nitrogen oxide (NOx) by means of measures taken inside the engine, that is, without any downstream nitrogen-oxide filters. Key features for achieving this goal are the recirculation of exhaust gases and a combined combustion process linking the combustion of a homogeneous fuel-air mixture with conventional combustion. This requires high-performance multiple fuel injection. A diesel-particulate filter guarantees the reduction of particulate emissions by around 90%, as required by the new regulations due to come into force in 2012.

The European Union is providing 50% financial support for the project, an amount of €760,000, in order to develop clean engines for trains and heavy trucks and to secure the technological leadership of European manufacturers of combustion engines in the next decade. After this project is concluded in February 2008, mtu will also participate in the planned follow-up project.

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Tognum

Tognum is one of the world’s leading suppliers of high speed diesel engines and complete propulsion systems for ships, heavy land and rail vehicles and of industrial drive systems as well as decentralized power plants, set-up in the two divisions mtu Engines and Tognum Onsite Energy Systems and Components.

Its product portfolio includes diesel engines in the power range from 20 to 9,100 kW, gas engine systems, gas turbines and fuel cells and is one of the most modern and comprehensive in its sector. In addition, the group develops and manufactures custom-made electronic control and monitoring systems for its engines and propulsion systems.

Sales of the Tognum Group amounted to EUR 2.5 billion in 2006. Today, the Group employs more than 7,800 personnel worldwide. It maintains a global sales and distribution network including 16 subsidiaries, more than 130 distribution partners and 1,100 authorized dealers.