S TAT E O F T H E I N D U S T RY
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Continued Improvements in Diesel Engine Technology Will be Necessary
responses provided by (left to right) Brian Kreifels, Vice President OEM Sales North America, Jeff Hemphill, Chief Technical Officer, and Shoukat Ali Bhamani, Chief Information & Digital Officer, Schaeffler
The need for diesel engines will remain strong for some time, necessitating continued improvements to meet emissions regulations and efficiency gains. Diesel, Electric & Other Power Alternatives How, if at all, do you see the role of diesel engines evolving in the coming years? Kreifels: The continued need for diesel engines to power commercial equipment looks to remain quite strong, especially in the near to intermediate term. While there are some applications that can be more readily electrified, there are many more applications where the available onboard electric generation or storage capacities are simply insufficient at this time. As a result, it will be necessary to continue to improve diesel engine technology to meet legislative requirements and market expectations which will drive efficiency improvements, enhanced in-cylinder emissions controls, and reduced total cost of ownership (TCO). With regard to improved efficiency, future diesel engines will increasingly rely on technologies that minimize friction and thermal losses. Here we see opportunities for technologies such as next-generation rolling element bearings, low-friction coating solutions as well as waste-heat recovery that have yet to be fully exploited. Variable valve actuation strategies as well as active, controlled management of the engine and vehicle systems’ cooling circuits can deliver further engine efficiencies. With respect to cleaner emissions, “in-cylinder” technologies can reduce or even eliminate the need for external
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OEM Off-Highway | OCTOBER 2021
aftertreatment devices while still achieving increasingly stringent overall emissions mandates. Indeed, many of the variable valvetrain technologies mentioned above can also be used to reduce in-cylinder emissions. In-cylinder solutions offer the inherent advantage of being able to eliminate the packaging and installation challenges posed by external aftertreatment devices. In addition, in-cylinder solutions offer better and more consistent emissions control over the engine’s entire lifecycle. What alternative fuels do you foresee entering the heavy equipment industry in the next 5-10 years? Hemphill: The U.S. is one of the few countries where all forms of transport collectively represent the largest source of CO2 emissions. This leads to continued pressure to reduce CO2 as well as other forms of emissions. Hydrogen is gaining momentum as a fuel with strong support from the federal government. This includes fuel cell powered vehicles as well as new efforts to burn hydrogen directly in combustion engines. At Schaeffler, we have experienced this momentum directly as we develop bipolar plates for fuel cells as well as subsystems like thermal management modules. Biodiesel remains a viable alternative as it can make use of existing infrastructure, though it still faces cost issues. CNG (compressed natural gas), meanwhile, has an attractive cost basis with natural gas prices remain-
ing low. However, this option would require a new infrastructure, and the investment has not yet justified itself. So, while a clear winner is not yet in sight, the industry is learning rapidly, and we are prepared to support the eventual leader.
Data, IoT & Connectivity What potential do you see in the use of artificial intelligence (AI) and augmented/virtual reality (AR/VR)—both for the design and manufacture of products as well as within equipment? Bhamani: At Schaeffler, we started our digital journey a few years ago, and we quickly started seeing the business benefits of AI and AR solutions in areas such as • AI visual inspection to improve work center performance • digital asset tracking and building digital data as “asset” to develop AI • VR-based remote services (e.g., customer support, factory maintenance) • condition monitoring to minimize downtime/increase machine run time. Earlier this year, Schaeffler launched its OPTIME condition monitoring solution for rotating machines. Data collected from this innovation could be further analyzed to provide artificial intelligence. The future development and implementation of AI and AR/VR will be crucial to building autonomous factories, supply chains and vehicles. |
