Cummins Inc. reports it will join a public-private partnership led by California's South Coast Air Quality Management District (SCAQMD) to demonstrate advanced diesel-engine emissions control systems that will meet the EPA 2010 on-highway standard. "Next-generation Cummins aftertreatment research and technology will be used on the ISL 9-liter engine to verify the emissions reduction capability of a combined system incorporating both a Diesel Particulate Filter and Nitrogen Oxides Adsorber," the engine builder stated.

SCAQMD is the air-pollution control agency for Orange County and portions of Los Angeles, San Bernardino, and Riverside counties.

The project will demonstrate very low emissions for waste-collection vehicles operating in urban areas. The Cummins ISL engine has been used successfully in such applications, offering heavy-duty performance with a compact, low-weight 9-liter package. To comply with the emerging EPA standard, an engine technology must reduce particulate emissions to 0.01 gram per brake horsepower hour (g/bhp-hr) and nitrogen oxides to 0.2 g/bhp-hr. And, the program requires a durability evaluation to ensure that the test engine final build meets the demanding duty cycle of waste-collection vehicles.

SCAQMD aims to have the cleanest, commercially available engines as early as possible in order to meet clean air deadlines. It is sponsoring R&D of both diesel and alternative-fuel engines, including the ISL natural-gas engine developed by Cummins and its jointventure partner in alternative-fuel technologies, Westport Innovations Inc.

"We've already seen great strides made by natural-gas engine manufacturers and announcements that these natural-gas engines will meet very tough 2010 emissions standards by 2007," Dr. Barry Wallerstein, SCAQMD CEO, stated. "This collaborative research will give added assurances that diesel technologies will make similar strides. Multiple fuel technologies meeting the 2010 standards as early as possible will provide fleet operators a variety of choices to meet their needs and help advance the state of knowledge on advanced engine control technologies.

"Scheduled for release in 2007, ISL G shares the same platform as Cummins ISL diesel engine, offering the flexibility of mixed diesel and natural gas-powered fleets with a high degree of base engine commonality. Early introduction of these advanced engines will provide valuable information from fleet operators on performance to assure a smooth transition in 2010," Wallerstein added.