Caterpillar and Fiat develop turbo-supercharged marine diesel

7 February 2013

Caterpillar has partnered with Fiat Powertrain Technologies (FPT Industrial, S.p.A.) to deliver a solution for its pleasure craft customers seeking a high performance, fuel-efficient marine diesel engine: the Cat C12.9. Expected to be available in 2014, the C12.9 will be available in both 850 mhp @ 2300 rpm and 1000 mhp @ 2300 rpm iterations, with the latter making the C12.9 an industry leader in power density.

The new power plant utilizes innovative fuel and air management techniques to comply with United States EPA Tier 3, IMO II, and CCNR Stage II emission regulations.

In its turbocharged variant, the new C12.9 offers 850 mhp made possible by FPT Industrial’s advancements in second-generation common rail technology as well as an expertly designed air management system.

In its turbo-supercharged version, the C12.9’s 1000 mhp allows it to be applied in vessels previously restricted to smaller, less powerful engines due to engine room size. With instantaneous boost provided by the supercharger, the C12.9 maximizes available boost pressure via an electro-magnetic clutch; as the turbocharger spools up, the supercharger disengages, ensuring the most powerful and fuel efficient operation of the engine through the entire speed range.