Cummins adds SCR to 2010 engine technology for better fuel economy.

Cummins announced Aug. 13 that it will add selective catalytic reduction (SCR) aftertreatment to its heavy-duty products for 2010 to deliver the best fuel efficiency for its customers.

Cummins says adding recent advancements in catalyst technology to its engines will provide customers significant fuel-economy improvements and meet the near-zero emissions levels required by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s 2010 regulations. Cummins Emission Solutions, a provider of SCR systems, will supply integrated exhaust aftertreatment systems for Cummins heavy-duty and midrange engines.

The company says its decision to go with heavy-duty SCR engines to meet EPA-mandated 2010 emissions and NOx guidelines was made quickly – two weeks prior to its announcement – based on data establishing the superiority of new copper zeolite emissions technology compared to conventional iron zeolite technology commonly used in SCR particulate filters. Zeolites are, in essence, materials that act as molecular filtration systems. Copper zeolite technology emerged about two years ago as engineers sought more efficient exhaust gas filtration systems and became available for automotive applications late last year.

Among the advantages of copper zeolite SCR systems, Cummins says, are improved heat rejection, lighter weight and an increase in fuel economy from 1 to 5 percent, depending on application and duty cycles, when compared to other SCR- and EGR-equipped engines.

“With diesel fuel costs averaging between $4 and $5 a gallon, even a 1-percent savings in fuel costs can be tremendous for truck fleets,” says Jeff Jones, vice president of sales and marketing for Cummins, based in Columbus, Ind. “If a truck is burning 20,000 gallons of fuel a year, then a 1-percent increase in fuel economy will bring $1,000 per truck back to the company’s bottom line annually.”