Diesel engine manufacturer Cummins, together with Tula Technology, will test out a six-cylinder semi truck diesel engine, outfitted with a cylinder-deactivation system dubbed Dynamic Skip Fire.
The system will be tested on Cummins’ 6.7-liter inline turbo six X15 semi-truck unit, and if the results are positive, it will be moved into production on semi trucks, although consumer pickup trucks could also end up getting the new tech, reports Autonews.
Adding something like Dynamic Skip Fire to commercial trucks suggests that carmakers and truckmakers still see the potential in diesel-powered internal combustion engines.
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“When you look at commercial applications, electrification isn’t practical for most long-haul trucks,” said Tula CEO Scott Bailey. “From an environmental standpoint, you have to do everything possible to clean up the current engine.”
“Every major country and region around the globe has NOx and CO2 reduction on the books or legislation pending. This is the segment that needs attention first.”
In order to allow for cylinder deactivation, changes to the engine would need to be made – such as modifying the valvetrain to allow the valves to stay closed when a cylinder is shut down.
“It’s applicable to any diesel engine, and we intend to apply to it any size engine in any application,” added Bailey, who estimates that Dynamic Skip Fire could be ready for production as early as 2024.
During computer testing, the Cummins X15 engine running with Dynamic Skip Fire showed reductions in NOx emissions ranging from 45% to 66%, and CO2 reductions of 1.5% to 3.7%.
Currently, this technology is being used in multiple General Motors gasoline-powered light trucks.
