Cummins Inc. says it has reached an important milestone in the development of cooled exhaust gas recirculation (EGR) technology required to meet future emissions requirements, which are legislated at 2.5 grams oxides of nitrogen (NOx) plus non-methane hydrocarbon (NMHC).

This technology was demonstrated on the next generation of the Cummins B series engine and is also being applied to its other medium-duty and heavy-duty products, which are currently in field testing.

Cummins says it achieved a two per cent improvement in fuel economy compared to its current product, reduced NOx by 50 per cent, and reduced the time of unaided cold starts over 80 per cent. In addition, the throttle response of the engine significantly improved from today’s product as a result of the variable geometry turbocharging.

Exhaust gas recirculation technology allows for a portion of exhaust gas to be reused, effectively reducing exhaust emissions. To take advantage of this technology, Cummins used variable geometry turbocharging (VGT) developed by its wholly owned subsidiary, Holset. “The results are very promising,” said John Wall, Cummins vice president and chief technical officer. “We are extremely confident in the technology. It is really just an extension of the development path we have been on for some years. All of Cummins automotive engine platforms have been developed to be EGR capable.”

Cummins also announced that it would be providing engine owners with an electronic calibrationthat will generate lower levels of oxides of nitrogen (NOx). These calibrations will be available on 1996 to 1998 Cummins M11 Plus or N14 Plus engines.