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Deutz’ New Three-cylinder Gas Engine

© Deutz

In early 2019 Deutz will launch its first gas engine for non-road mobile machinery. The G2.2
is based on the new diesel engine platform D/TD/TCD2.2 which is a three-cylinder version of
the existing D/TD/TCD2.9 engine family. The G2.2 has been developed primarily for LPG, but
operation with CNG is also possible with slight modifications. This article describes the com-
monalities with the diesel engine as well as the specific properties needed for a monovalent
robust gas engine for industrial applications.

46
 A U T H OR S

Dr.-Ing. Heiner Bülte Dipl.-Ing. Carsten Funke Dipl.-Ing. Klaus-Peter Bark Dipl.-Ing. Kai Tedsen
is Head of Performance and is Team Manager Gas Engines at is Technical Specialist Alternative is Technical Project Manager at
Emissions at Deutz AG in Cologne Deutz AG in Cologne (Germany). Fuels at Deutz AG in Cologne Deutz AG in Cologne (Germany).
(Germany). (Germany).

MARKET SITUATION AND down to EU Stage III A, designed as an ments the G2.9 will follow about one year
PROJECT SPECIFICATION emissions downgrade (EDG). The power later. The main data are shown in TABLE 1.
of the G2.2 was to exceed 40 kW. The
With the launch of the TCD2.9, which model is extremely robust with a lifetime
MIXTURE FORMATION AND
was introduced to comply with EU Stage of up to 20,000 h depending on applica-
CONTROL SYSTEM
III B legislation, Deutz has started to tion, an oil change interval of 1000 h, a
replace the existing mechanically con- spark plug lifetime of more than 3000 h, The Engine Control Unit (ECU) offers a
trolled oil-cooled 2011 engine family. Six and low fuel and oil consumption. flexible approach for industrial applica-
years after the successful market intro- Robust and proven technology is used tions, allowing control of monovalent
duction, a three-cylinder version of the to ensure high quality in a niche market. gas engines as well as bivalent diesel/gas
2.9 model, known as D/TD/TCD2.2, was The D/TD/TCD2.2 diesel engine has or gasoline/gas engines. The main func-
launched in April 2018 to close the exist- been designed in parallel with the G2.2 tions for the gas engine application
ing power gap down to 19 kW through gas engine using the same base engine are the throttle control, ignition tim-
the naturally aspirated D2.2 engine. approach with a minimum of adaptation ing, lambda control and knock control.
Since diesel engines below 56 kW are to needed for LPG. Due to market require- The stoichiometric combustion (λ = 1)
be equipped with a DPF to meet the EU
Stage V standard which comes into force
in 2019, these engines are becoming
more sophisticated, and therefore more
expensive. Especially in this low power
sector, simpler alternatives are required
to replace diesel engines, primarily in
the material handling sector for applica-
tions such as forklifts, area work plat-
forms and telehandlers. Gas engines –
mainly using LPG – provide an answer
to this market demand. As part of a pub-
licly funded project, Deutz has already
developed a stoichiometric-controlled
turbocharged CNG engine, which is still
in operation in a real-life field test [1, 2,
3]. Since EU Stage V sets a standard for
gas engines for the first time, a stoichio-
metric lambda-controlled engine now
needs to be introduced. The first step
into this market is the G2.2 engine devel- FIGURE 1 The new Deutz 2.2/2.9-l platform (© Deutz)
oped as a monovalent engine for LPG,
but also available as a derivate for CNG.
As shown in FIGURE 1, the new model – – G2.2 G2.9
G2.2 is part of the 2.2/2.9 engine family. Number of cylinders – 3 4
It has been developed as a modular plat- Bore/stroke mm 92/110
form to serve a wide variety of applica- Displacement l 2.19 2.92
tions with the same installation space as Nominal speed rpm 2200–2800
the 2.2 diesel engine. It is compliant with Power output kW 42 53

a full range of emission standards from Maximum torque Nm 160 at 1300 rpm 216 at 1400 rpm

EU Stage V, US EPA Tier 4 and CARB TABLE 1 Main dimensions and performance data of the G2.2 and 2.9 engines (© Deutz)

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DE VELO PMENT  P owertr ain
Mixer Pressure regulation valve (DEPR)
FIGURE 2 Main components of the gas supply system (© Deutz)
LPG direct electronically controlled,
pressure regulating valve (DEPR)
Intake air
manifold
Throttle
Piston (combustion
chamber, compression)
LPG mixer
FIGURE 3 System overview (© Deutz)
is enabled by two lambda sensors as
required in compliance with EU Stage V
as well as with US EPA and CARB stan-
dards. Two ignition maps allow the
usage of different gas qualities which
are very common for industrial applica-
tions. The two ignition timing maps
allow a fuel appropriate pre-control of
ignition timing and allow an improved
knock adaptation. The differences arise
from the relative proportions of butane
and propane in the gas mix. The gas
quality detection is enabled by the
knock control.
FIGURE 2 shows the main components
of the gas supply system, which has
already been proven to be a robust sys-
tem in the industrial engines market.
The evaporator converts liquid fuel into
gas. A passive mechanical control valve
reduces the gas pressure to 30 mbar. The
pressure regulation valve (DEPR) is an
electronically controlled active compo-
nent. It adjusts the gas pressure in a sec-
ond stage to enable a stoichiometric air-
48
Evaporator
Ignition coils/
spark plugs
Wiring harness
Modified cylinder head and
crankcase castings
Valves and
valve seats
Three-way catalyst
to-fuel mixture determined by a pre-
control. Finally, the mixer enables the
formation of a homogeneous mixture
from the intake air and the gas. The
mixer is a passive part that opens
depending on the suction pressure
in the intake system. A shut-off valve
between the gas tank and the evaporator
closes the gas supply at engine shut-off.
FIGURE 3 shows the integration of the
overall system into the engine. The reali-
zation of a compact design which fits the
same installation space as the diesel
engine was a major challenge. The speci-
fication and integration of the intake
manifold in particular needed some
detailed calculation and testing work,
which is described below.
BASE ENGINE DEVELOPMENT
Besides the adaptation of the gas compo-
nents, some changes to the base engine
design were needed. Without turbo-
charging and without Exhaust Gas Recir-
culation (EGR), the EGR system of the
diesel engine was replaced by a simple
cooling line to avoid a redesign of the
cooling circuit. With the intake air pres-
sure down to 0.2 bar for the stoichiomet-
ric controlled combustion, an adaptation
of piston rings is needed to avoid
increased blow-by, as well as reverse
blow-by and oil emissions. This is
mainly achieved by the U-flex design of
the oil ring. Since the diesel engine pis-
ton rings are specified for the peak pres-
sure of a turbocharged engine, the ring
pressure as well as the thickness of the
top ring and second ring of the naturally
aspirated gas engine could be reduced,
contributing to the reduction of friction
and better fuel consumption. Further-
more, the design of the top ring was
changed to a rectangular profile.
Another challenge was the valve seat.
At first glance, the reduced Peak Cylin-
der Pressure (PCP) of the naturally aspi-
rated engine seems to reduce the load on
the valve seat, but the exhaust tempera-
ture of the stoichiometric engine is sig-
nificantly higher and the exhaust gas is
very dry, degrading the lubrication prop-
erties. Therefore, a lot of attention was
devoted to optimizing the valve/valve-
seat. Deposits on the valve seat mainly
caused by low load operation and engine
motoring at any time will cause backfire,
as the glowing hot deposits can ignite
the mixture during gas intake. The tem-
perature and pressure peaks caused by
backfire may destroy the intake system
and can burn the air cleaner. To reduce
the consequences of backfire the volume
of the intake manifold should be small,
minimizing the mixture volume that
could be ignited by backfire. However,
the equalization of pressure pulsations
demands a bigger volume. This conflict
poses a special challenge for the three-
cylinder engine. The solution is a back-
fire box that provides extra volume to
reduce the temperature and pressure
peaks caused by backfire. A wire mesh
at the inlet of the box assumes the func-
tion of a flow straightener. This opti-
mizes the quality of the controls.
COMBUSTION SYSTEM
As the task was not to design a purely
stoichiometric gas engine but to take the
existing diesel engine as a basis, some
adaptation of the combustion system is
still needed. The base design does
 DISCOVER THE
WORLD’S LEADING
not allow realization of a roof-shaped
combustion chamber with tumble flow
ports, as would be ideal for combustion
in a gasoline or gas engine. Instead, the
intake ports are modified to reduce the SPECIALIST
MAGAZINE FOR
swirl level and to maximize the flow
rate, and the valve seat bevel is removed.
The omega-shaped piston bowl of the

THE AUTOMOTIVE
diesel is replaced by a flat piston bowl
optimized for low emissions. The com-
pression ratio is optimized for maxi-
mum performance taking into account
the knock limit. A valve seat pocket is
needed to avoid contact with the inlet
SECTOR!
valve in case of a backfire event. The
existing injector bores are modified to
implement the ignition coils and spark
plugs. The compression ratio is fixed at
11 : 1 as a compromise for gas qualities
TA K E A F R E E T E S T D R I V E
with a methane number from 16 (butane AT Z - M A G A Z I N E . C O M
share 60 %, propane share 40 %) to 32
(propane share 95 %) to achieve a maxi-
mum rating combined with low fuel
consumption.
The valve seat angle and valve diame-
ter (inlet and outlet) were selected as a
compromise between maximum flow
rate and long-term durability. The cam-
shaft valve timing and valve lift curve
were optimized in terms of charge
exchange, residual gas and thermody-
namic throttling losses using a process
simulation tool. The intake manifold
volume was increased to reduce pul­
sations which are a challenge for the three-
cylinder, but it needed to be minimized
to reduce the impact of backfire as
described above. In addition, the design
of the intake manifold was designed to
secure an equal cylinder load distribu-
tion. The reduction of pressure pulsa-
tions contributes to good lambda control,
which in turn helps to optimize catalyst
efficiency and minimize emissions.
The exhaust gas manifold is modi-
fied by optimization of diameters and
the deflection of the exhaust outlet to
reduce thermodynamic throttling losses.
In order to minimize throttling losses of
the three-way catalyst and to achieve an
equal flow distribution, the angle of the
catalyst inlet and outlet cones were opti-
mized. The precious metal content of the
catalyst was specified with regard to effi-
ciency and costs, while the test results
were verified with a catalyst hydrother-
mally aged for 8 h at 980 °C. The emis-
sion status is far below the various
emission legislation standards of EU,
US EPA and CARB. Finally, optimization
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DE VELO PMENT  P owertr ain
Gas leakage self-test
Multi-stage diagnosis
Throttle valve
Check of redundant signals
Air filter differential pressure
Threshold for blocking detection
Intake air temperature/pressure
Plausibility checks
Knock sensor
Threshold for allowable change in
ignition timing due to knocking operation
Crankshaft sensor
Overspeed detection
FIGURE 4 Sensors, actuators and monitoring system (© Deutz)
of ignition timing and lambda control
enabled a best point fuel consumption
of 221 g/kWh to be achieved. The maxi-
mum torque is 160 Nm, the maximum
power is 40 kW at 2600 rpm and 42 kW
at 2800 rpm.
ENGINE MONITORING SYSTEM
The engine is equipped with typical sen-
sors used for control and diagnostics of
operational systems. During the develop-
ment phase Deutz focused on some spe-
cial features mainly related to system
reliability and safety. One of the main
diagnosis items is a redundancy-based
solution to detect any gas leakages,
allowing machines equipped with these
engines to be operated in closed rooms.
As already mentioned, the lock-off valve
is closed at key-off. The engine is shut
off by running out of gas after key-off
to ensure the remaining gas in the intake
system is burned. The shut-off valve is
a proven part, but even in the unlikely
event of a shut-off valve becoming stuck,
software functions based on pressure
50
Pressure regulator
Pressure control
Foot pedal
Check of redundant signals
control in the pressure regulator valve
as well as in the intake manifold secure
would detect this failure as well as any
leakage in the gas supply of the down-
stream shut-off valve. The sensor setup
and the related diagnosis functions are
depicted in FIGURE 4. Misfire detection
should be mentioned here, as it is chal-
lenging to detect it through the analysis
of speed fluctuations – especially with a
three-cylinder engine.
SUMMARY AND OUTLOOK
The new G2.2 engine for LPG fuel, which
includes a conversion option for CNG,
will be the first Deutz engine for Non-
road Mobile working Machines (NRMM)
that serves the material handling market
as well as other markets where there is
demand for a robust engine, but where
a diesel engine with turbocharger and
a sophisticated emission control is not
the primary option. The engine offers
a robust approach that takes account
of economic considerations as well as
the need for a compact design. Its high
ECU (Engine Control Unit)
Camshaft sensor
Redundant speed measurement
Coolant temperature
Overheat protection
Oil pressure/level
Lambda sensors
(Pre- and post Three-way catalyst
Catalyst diagnosis and
control of air-to-fuel ratio
level of synergy with the D/TD/TCD2.2
diesel engine platform means it can be
installed in the same applications. With
a maximum torque of 160 Nm and a
rated power of 42 kW at 2800 rpm, the
performance targets could be achieved.
Deutz is working on the G2.9, the four-
cylinder variant of this engine family. It
also plans to extend the gas engine busi-
ness to higher displacements to achieve
ratings of 70 kW and more. In addition,
bi-fuel variants that are also capable of
gasoline operation are planned. In this
case, a reduced compression ratio has
to be accepted as a compromise.
REFERENCES
[1] Prehn, S.; Wichmann, V.; Harndorf, H.; Beber-
dick, W.: Natural Gas Combustion Process for Trac-
tor Engines. In: ATZoffhighway 10/2015, pp. 80 –84
[2] Prehn, S.; Wichmann, V.; Harndorf, H.; Beber-
dick, W.: Development and investigation of a gas
engine for agricultural machinery. International MTZ
Conference Heavy Duty On- and Off-Highway
Engines, Ludwigsburg, 2015
[3] Prehn, S.; Beberdick, W.; Bark, K.-P.; Paulsen,
H. M.: Investigation of a Gas Engine for Agricultural
Machinery and Progress Report of Field Tests with a
Demonstrator Tractor. FEV Conference – Advanced
Fuels for Sustainable Mobility, Aachen, 2016
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