The advancements in diesel generator sets and engines have begun to take some serious strides in recent years and in a number of different aspects. At Worldwide Power Products (http://www.wpowerproducts.com), we specialize in power generation equipment including new and used engines and generator sets. Call us at 1-713-434-2300.

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Advancements in Diesel Generator
Sets and Diesel Engines

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Surely most people have learned about the industrial revolution
at some point in their education. One of the most substantial
births of this era in American history was the steam engine, and
as such an innovation undoubtedly paved the way for further
industrial innovations, we now have the luxury of even greater
advancements.
These innovations include, most notably, diesel powered
engines and generators. Pioneered by Rudolf Diesel, diesel
power seems to constantly be evolving, most certainly faster
than the innovations of a hundred years ago.
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Diesel Engine Overview
Perhaps the most noteworthy modern advancement in diesel
engine technology has been, and continues to be, improved fuel
economy. As it has always seemed to be, gas powered engines
have been more widely adopted by the general public. With the
constant toggling match over fuel economy, diesel is often largely
overshadowed by traditional gasoline usage.
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With that said, diesel engines have
found a solid user base in various
forms of industry, especially with those
that require fuel economy for large load
transportation, back-up power supply,
and major agricultural operations,
among other things.

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Over the last several decades, numerous attempts and successes
have been made to better improve the overall efficiency of the
diesel engine. Most of these modifications somehow involve the
ignition of power within the engine, which is produced from the
combination of oxygen and fuel. This concoction eventually
produces the necessary energy to ignite the engine.

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In contrast, gasoline engines use a spark plug in order to ignite
the process. In a diesel engine there is no such thing as a spark
plug, in fact, the ignition process is performed directly as oxygen
is allowed into the combustion chamber. As it does so, the oxygen
is then compressed and heated to a temperature over 1000 ° F.
As fuel is injected into the combustion chamber via a pre-
chamber, the heat inside instantaneously ignites the fuel
expanding the air in the chamber, which naturally moves the
pistons inside.
This momentum then drives the crankshaft. Small drops of fuel
are also released in the pre-chamber to keep the engine running.
The more evenly these droplets are used, the more fuel economy
and overall efficiency the engine will have.

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At the forefront of diesel engine innovation, are companies such
as Caterpillar and Cummins, which provide significant
advancements in technology to the industry via their research and
development departments. While such companies are doing what
they can to further the advancement of engines and diesel
generators, it is important to reflect on the innovations that have
been made up to this point.

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Diesel Engine Alterations
There certainly have been a fair share of diesel engine alterations
over the years, including those that directly affect the combustion
chamber. More specifically, the pre-chamber and combustion
chamber have been modified in recent years for maximum power,
giving off a turbocharged result. Expanding on such
advancements, digital interfaces have taken the place of previous
analog controls. Digital controls provide better fuel injection
precision and timing, reducing exhaust emissions.
Additionally, more modern technological achievements have been
made that assist the transition to emission reducing technology,
such as Selective Catalytic Reduction (SCR) and Exhaust Gas
Recirculation (EGR).
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Recently there have been even greater modifications to the diesel
engine combustion chamber, including those that achieve optimal
combustion rates, which ultimately provide greater power and
better fuel economy with fewer fuel emissions.
Sound modifications have also been made to the diesel engine,
including sound attenuation alterations to reduce the noise level
that the engines put out and are subsequently synonymous for.
Such alterations include fitting ceramic, and other sound wave
absorbing materials to noise pockets in the pre-chamber.

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Fuel Systems and Fuel Treatments
Along with the aforementioned advancements in diesel engine
technology, there have been extensive advancements with regard
to fuel systems and treatments; for instance, the Common Rail
Fuel system, which was designed for direct fuel injection.
Ultimately, this advanced form of fuel injection transfers diesel
from the fuel tank to the various valves, while maintaining the
highest pressure to homogenize diesel fuel and oxygen as the
mixture vaporizes. This process also comes with greater control,
power output, and fewer fuel emissions. Additional advancements
to this form of fuel injection have introduced methods of using
upwards of five fuel injections for each combustion cycle, further
increasing fuel efficiency.
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Fuel Composition
With the high contents of sulfur in diesel fuel, there is often a
presence of elevated amounts of particle matter in the engine
during the combustion process.
These particles can clog certain areas of the engine and really
hinder overall performance. Thanks to the government mandates
and continued research and development of this issue,
advancements have been made to lower the amount particle
matter, creating a form of diesel fuel with lower amounts of sulfur,
which naturally results in fewer fuel emissions from exhaust.
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Analog to Digital Controls
As previously mentioned, newer diesel engine models have
undergone a switch from analog to digital control technology.
While both controls are implemented to monitor or alter the
functioning of an engine, each seems to have solidified a place
with various size engines. With the advancement of digital
technology, diesel powered engines and generators typically
involved in larger scale jobs, have made the switch from analog to
digital controls in order to better monitor the backup power to
similar scale facilities and equipment.
However, analog still holds a useful purpose with smaller engines
and generators to provide backup power.
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Furthermore, the transition of many diesel engines to digital
control has provided improved monitoring of fuel and coolant
levels, as well as engine oil, temperature, and battery life. The
purpose of using a digital control for such monitoring is primarily
due to the high amounts of manual effort it takes to adjust and
correct engine malfunctions.
What's more, in the case of such a malfunction, analog controls
only warn of an impending problem, but do not provide the
specific details of what is wrong and how to fix it. This can be a
frustrating problem for many involved with the operation of diesel
engines and generators.

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Such notification, or a lack thereof, may suffice in smaller facilities
and on a less critical scale, however, when lives and livelihoods
are on the line, digital controls are much more helpful than a mere
light-up notification. Using, in some cases, hundreds of digital
alarms and notifications specific to a number of different
pinpointed issues, primarily makes a diesel engine run smoother.
Additionally, such digital technology also makes the operator's job
much simpler, especially with the furthered integration of the
Internet.
With the increased reliability that digital controls bring, diesel
engines are able to continue operation even in the face of a
mechanical issue, thus limiting any possible downtime in a facility.

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If this is not reason enough to praise digital controls, reduced fuel
emissions, along with the overall efficiency of adjustments to the
engine fuel rate and timing only further the argument for their use.
Also, the voltage amount and output frequency features better
stabilization when using digital controls.
Closing on the topic of digital controls, it is important to note the
intelligent nature they posses in order to carry out proper fuel rate
functions during the acceleration process. This, among the many
other highly intelligent digitally monitored functions, such as
gradual acceleration during rated speed, make digital controls
necessary for the highly intuitive equipment used across a wide
range of jobs and industries.

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Diesel Fuel Emission Treatments
As mentioned earlier, Exhaust Gas Recirculation (EGR) and
Selective Catalytic Reduction (SCR) are the most recent
advancements in fuel emission treatments. The combustion of
diesel fuel happens at extremely high temperatures in which NOx
is produced. Such emissions can be extremely hazardous to the
environment, which is where the EGR system comes into play.
In essence, it is implemented to treat and subsequently lower
such emissions being released into the atmosphere. This
significant reduction is accomplished by directly recirculating NOx
back into the combustion chamber.
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In the end, the temperature is then lowered, thus reducing the
formation of further Nox.
Also previously mentioned, SCR is used as a method of
converting NOx so that it is not as harmful to the atmosphere.
Long used in commercial businesses, the SCR process is now
being implemented with diesel engines and generators, reducing
fuel emissions by as much as 95 percent and receiving praise as
an environmental improvement.

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Conclusion
The advancements in diesel generator sets and engines have
begun to take some serious strides in recent years and in a
number of different aspects. Whether it is with preventive
maintenance or fuel emission reduction, we have certainly come a
long way since the methods of the steam engine and the industrial
revolution.
While the individual advancements of digital controls, fuel
emission treatments and engine modifications have undoubtedly
been remarkable; the grouping of all diesel engine related
advancements has proven to hold more effect on industry than
any lone development, collectively bettering the use of diesel.
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18. At Worldwide Power Products, we specialize in power
generation equipment including over 100 new and used engines
and generator sets for the industrial, marine, and petroleum
industries.
Call us: +1-713-434-2300
www.wpowerproducts.com
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