Caterpillar announces new emission technology
6 March 2001
Caterpillar Engine Division announced a new engine technology for reducing emissions, termed ACERT™, or Advanced Combustion Emissions Reduction Technology. This technology, to be employed on all CAT truck engines, will be, according to Caterpillar, “the primary technology for meeting emissions regulations through 2006 and beyond”. Industry insiders believe, Caterpillar developed the ACERT engines in an attempt to meet the 2004/2002 emission standards without the need to use cooled EGR (exhaust gas recirculation).
Caterpillar has not released much details on the ACERT technology. It said, ACERT is “a cost-efficient emissions technology that offers significant advantages over other options”. Caterpillar also said that, with the new system, there is “no need to cool hot exhaust gases in order to reintroduce them into the engine’s intake system; this results in less refit and less cost added to the initial truck price”.
The current CAT 3126E engine utilizing the new technology has been certified to the federal clean fleet fuel standard of a combined NOx+NMHC = 3.8 g/bhp-hr. For comparison, the federal 2004 standard (to be met effective October 2002 by Caterpillar and other Consent Decree signees) is set at a maximum of 2.5 g/bhp-hr of combined NOx+NMHC.
Caterpillar also offers dual fuel diesel-natural gas engines with the ACERT technology that meet the California optional low NOx standard of 2.5 g/bhp-hr.
New Caterpillar truck engines will employ the ACERT technology, integrated with the next generation HEUI™ fuel system and the latest in electronic engine control. No details have been revealed on the nature of the ACERT technology.
Caterpillar said it was focused on “developing a long-term emissions solution that will meet the current and near-term emissions requirements, as well as the even stricter emissions regulations proposed for 2007 and beyond”. By referring to the 2007 standards (which were finalized in December 2000 and recently confirmed by the new EPA Administrator) as “proposed”, Caterpillar implies that the regulation is still subject to negotiation between the industry and the EPA.