Westport makes Cummins LNG engines ready for commercial market
VANCOUVER -- Alternative fuel-power supplier Westport Innovations from Vancouver has received the California Air Resources Board (CARB) certification for its High Pressure Direct Injection (HPDI) technology adapted to the Cummins ISX heavy-duty truck engine. The executive order from CARB certifies the HPDI system to 1.2g/bhp-hr (NOx) and 0.02g/bhp-hr Particulate Matter (PM). "CARB certification represents the major milestone required for us to make the heavy-duty Cummins ISX HPDI LNG (liquefied natural gas) engine and fuel system available to commercial fleets in California for deployment in 2006," stated Michael Gallagher, president & Chief Operating Officer of Westport. "With almost 6 million miles of on-road experience, our own extensive development and engine testing in partnership with Cummins, and the hard work of our dedicated supply chain partners, we are confident the ISX HPDI will become the benchmark for performance in clean heavy duty LNG engines." Westport's HPDI system enables the Cummins ISX engine to operate on natural gas. HPDI allows a diesel engine to operate with over 90 percent replacement of diesel fuel by natural gas. By directly injecting the natural gas at high pressure in the engine, HPDI reproduces key benefits of diesel engines, says the company, including high efficiency over the speed and torque operating range, high torque capability and robust reliability. The ISX HPDI engine will be offered in two ratings, 400-hp with 1450 ft-lbs torque, or 450-hp with 1650 ft-lbs torque, matching the diesel-fueled base ISX engine. The ISX HPDI will be offered to selected truck purchasers with the appropriate Cummins 2004 to 2006 model year diesel ISX engines. "This latest step by Westport, with their unique LNG fuel system and proprietary injector technology, continues to demonstrate the capability of HPDI direct gas injection technology to deliver diesel-like performance and efficiency with natural gas," says John Wall, vice-president and chief technical officer of Cummins. Available for 2006 delivery, Westport expects that most customers will choose to package the HPDI ISX engine, LNG fuel supply system and new vehicles at the same time. Westport is establishing partnerships to coordinate all aspects of the introduction of LNG fueling for commercial fleets in California. In May 2005 a second-generation on-road trial began along the busy Highway 401 corridor in southwestern Ontario, with Challenger Motor Freight trucks. The "Clean Air Corridor" program deployed 5 HPDI LNG trucks hauling up to 140,000 lbs, replacing conventional diesel trucks on two different routes. Challenger reported that average monthly utilization in excess of 12,000 kms/vehicle for total mileage to date of over 335,000 km; high truck availability of 99 percent in the period from August to October; average fuel economy comparable to diesel baseline; and high driver satisfaction regarding performance and operating characteristics.