When using diesel engines that meet the most stringent emissions legislation to date for off-road applications, you need to consider active regeneration as it can cause significant downtime. This is the process of reducing soot stored in the diesel particulate filter (DPF). The intervals between regenerations can vary greatly between engine manufacturers and their respective EATS (exhaust aftertreatment system) concepts. This can be minimised by choosing the right engine and EATS concept to suit your specific needs.
For more tips and suggestions on how you can improve uptime, download our Maximise Uptime guide.
The first important step is having the right engine for the right application (see our blog post on rightsizing) since the methodology for rightsizing an engine includes its aftertreatment needs. If the engine operates at the temperature needed to reduce soot to ash, then it will not need to stop for regeneration since this will be taking place constantly during normal operation. Having the engine sized correctly should also minimise the need to change particulate filters, which can be a time-consuming and expensive process for many operators.
Some of the factors you should consider when choosing the right concept are:
- Exhaust temperatures: Will it limit the operation of a specific application in anyway?
- Complexity: Does your engine need an extra or external system for heat management that will risk uptime?
- Hot or cold EGR solution and its consequences: Does your system need additional cooling performance that will impact the installation footprint in any way?
- Fuel consumption: Have you confirmed that any fuel not used directly by the engine is accounted for when specifying the total consumption?
If you have a good understanding of the above questions, you have a greater chance of choosing the optimal engine and aftertreatment system for your unique circumstances.
