MINING ENGINES awarded EU Stage V emissions certification and is now in production— more than 10 months ahead of the industry’ s newest and most stringent regulatory requirements.
“ The C9.3B ' s certification is an exciting milestone for Caterpillar,” says Jeff Moore, Product Director, Research and Development for 7.2- to 18-litre engines, " and we’ re confident that this engine will meet customer expectations for reliability and durability in a simpler, lighter package with more power and torque. Caterpillar has proven the merits of the C9.3B by testing the engine to its limits, both in the lab environment and in actual customer applications.”
The six-cylinder, 9.3-litre C9.3B engine builds on the core engine that has been in production since 2011, logging more than 200 million hours in real-world, off-highway operation. With a proven, reliable core engine, coupled with extensive diesel-particulate-filter( DPF) experience, Caterpillar has focused EU Stage V engine development on simplifying design, improving performance, and reducing installation complexity.
The C9.3B combines a new highpressure / common-rail fuel system with simplified systems for air, electrical, and aftertreatment to produce up to 340 kW( 456 hp) of power and 2088 Nm( 1,540 lb ft.) of torque, resulting in 18 % more power, 21 % more torque, and 12 % less weight, compared with its predecessor.
“ End users will see this refinement pay off with increased performance, up to 3 % less fuel consumption and exceptional starting capability in cold climates,” says Moore.
“ Patented after-treatment technology provides a compact, lightweight design that is 39 % smaller and 55 % lighter than the EU Stage IV / Tier 4 Final configuration, and the new design provides transparent regeneration to ensure optimum machine performance and uptime.”
As with all Cat 9- to 18-litre engines, the C9.3B is available in various configurations, including those with factory-installed, engine-mounted after-treatment systems and radiators. In total, more than 2,000 unique configurations are available for the C9.3B.
“ We understand that not all customers have the resources to design, manufacture, and validate on the same scale," says Moore. " For that reason, Caterpillar designs its products with the flexibility to accommodate various OEM requirements, resulting in lower installation costs.”
In addition to the C9.3B, the Cat large-engine, EU Stage V lineup also includes the 12.5-litre C13B, incorporating technology similar to that of the C9.3B and with power ratings to 430 kW( 577 hp).
Caterpillar also is certifying its existing C13, C15, and C18 EU Stage IV / US EPA Tier 4-Final engines to meet EU Stage V emission standards. Stage V certification for these engines will be achieved with no changes to customer interface points and with only minimal changes to the DPF, allowing customers to focus on overall improvement of their products. Cat engines and DPF solutions in this range have nearly 170 million hours of proven field performance.
Caterpillar began accepting EU Stage V orders for C13 through C18 engines in May 2018 and plans to ship production engines in October. The C13B will be available in 2019.
Addressing engine air intake
EP3 Technologies is a new company in the market, with the three Ps standing for Protection, Power & Performance. Its first product to market is EngineShield™ which is now being tested at a mine on a blasthole drill which will be followed by a dozer and then a mine truck.
EP3 Technologies’ EngineShield™ is now being tested at a mine on a blasthole drill which will be followed by a dozer and then a mine truck
EngineShield™ monitors the engine’ s air intake system and can detect particles that can damage or even destroy( dust) an engine. It essentially samples the induction air preferably post aftercooler using 1-4 small sampling lines which run to a particulate sensor. The sensor is very sensitive and can detect the smallest amount of dust. Remote telematics are available, branded EngineAlert™, which can send text and email notifications in the event of an alarm.
The system also has secondary benefits in that it can monitor vacuum and manifold pressure across up to four channels each and monitor the differences across those channels. Doing this EP3 Technologies can send notifications on ideal times to change air filters and monitor turbocharger performance and notify of possible turbo failures before the event occurs.
Eco-Edge’ s Primo IAS to slash idling costs
IM spoke to Debra Johnson, President and CEO of Eco-Edge about its revolutionary and paten pending Primo IAS- Idle Alternative System for mining. By reducing haul truck idling, the systemwill extend engine life, reduce maintenance, and reduce idle fuel consumption to less than 2 litres an hour. She states:“ After a mine defines what constitutes idling on their trucks( eg the parking brake or wheel lock is on, plus the truck is in neutral and not moving), the
system controller is programmed to the site’ s specifications. This process would include defining an acceptable idling time( say five minutes) and a warning to the operator that the truck is shutting down. The operator has the option to allow the truck to turn off or press an override if they will be moving shortly. Once the truck is shut down in a safe manner, Primo IAS takes over with a customised smart controller that has been programmed with the site’ s specifications of what to keep running and what to turn off. The climate control of the cab, to the operator, functions exactly as it did before with the same controls, except that the air conditioning is now coming from an auxiliary compressor in the Primo IAS housing that runs off a small diesel generator, while heat will come from coolant circulated through the hot engine block. An auxiliary heater, which would also run from the smart controller, can be added for colder climates. The 13 hp diesel engine is automatically turned on to charge the truck’ s batteries when needed and to drive the auxiliary compressor.
The first two prototypes ran successfully in two different mines. The first small scale production run has been operating with about 99 % reliability for the last 12 months.“ We have seen a range of idle reduction on both Caterpillar and Komatsu trucks depending on how the site defines its parameters, as well as how it measures idle. Generally, however, the system has been able to consistently reduce at least 1 / 3 of the defined idle. Given that haul trucks typically idle +/-30% of the time and run ± 6,000 hours a year, the numbers add up ickly. Interestingly, while we have not installed the systems on autonomous haul trucks, we have learned from multiple sources that for a variety of reasons, autonomous trucks generally idle more than human driven trucks and that Primo IAS could be very effective in that environment.” IM
JULY 2018 | International Mining 29