At the International Engine Congress in Baden-Baden (Germany), Liebherr-Components AG and US-based Tula Technology presented the results of their joint study on heavy machinery. Based on simulations, Tula’s diesel Dynamic Skip Fire (dDSF) software (earlier post) allowed the reduction of NO_x tailpipe emissions by 41% and CO₂by 9.5%. For this study, Liebherr Machines Bulle SA provided its D966 engine that operates in a variety of applications, such as mobile or maritime cranes and wheel loaders.

The results of the research could influence the development or manufacturing of off-road equipment worldwide in a positive way. Therefore, Liebherr-Components will continue its activities in designing a “proof-of-concept” hardware for the integration of Tula’s dDSF software into their engine system.

The D966, a very compact 13.5L 6-cylinder diesel engine, will also be used in further tests. In the next step, Liebherr will consider the integration of the dDSF software into other engines in its portfolio.

Liebherr D966 inline engine tested with Tula’s diesel Dynamic Skip Fire software

At Tula, we are driven by a passion to increase efficiency in engines and motors of all types and also improve the environment. While there are existing regulations to reduce emissions in off-road machinery and vehicles, more stringent standards are expected within the decade. To comply, equipment manufacturers need solutions like our patented dDSF software to operate engines more efficiently and produce dramatically lower levels of tailpipe emissions.

—R. Scott Bailey, the President and Chief Executive Officer of Tula Technology

In series production since 2018, Dynamic Skip Fire (DSF) uses patented algorithms that choose to skip or fire individual cylinders dynamically to meet an engine’s torque demands. This enables near-peak engine efficiency for cleaner burning, as well as more fuel-efficient vehicles.

Noise and vibration are proactively mitigated by manipulating the firing pattern and cylinder loading. As a result, DSF has been deployed in more than 1.5 million passenger vehicles to date.

The released study adds to the growing list of successful applications of Tula’s technology for diesel dDSF, including passenger cars, commercial vehicles and heavy machinery—with its main goal to reduce GHG and NO_x.