The first domestically produced natural gas engine to surpass diesel engines has set a world record for thermal efficiency

Currently, the average thermal efficiency of natural gas engines worldwide is 42%, with Volvo Trucks from Sweden winning the global championship with a value of 47.6%. But the emergence of a new domestically produced engine broke this record.

On November 20th, Weichai released a commercial product of natural gas engines with a thermal efficiency of 54.16%. At the same time, the diesel engine developed by the group with a thermal efficiency of 52.28% was also released. For the natural gas engine and diesel engine industries, this is a new world record, and it also means that the thermal efficiency of natural gas engines has surpassed that of diesel engines for the first time in history.

At the launch site, the world's authoritative testing organization - Tü from Germany; V South Germany Group has issued certification certificates for these two new records. Li Xiaohong, secretary of the Party Leadership Group and president of the Chinese Academy of Engineering, Zhong Zhihua, member of the Party Leadership Group and vice president of the Chinese Academy of Engineering, Deng Xiuxin, vice president of the Chinese Academy of Engineering, and Ling Wen, vice governor of Shandong Province and academician of the CAE Member, witnessed on the scene.

This kind of transcendence is too difficult, "Jia Demin, assistant director of Weichai Power Future Technology Research Institute, told Science and Technology Daily reporters. Increasing the thermal efficiency of the natural gas engine body to 54.16%, meeting the requirements of China VI emission standards, is a major breakthrough in the global natural gas engine technology field.

It is worth noting that the diesel engine with a thermal efficiency of up to 52.28% is Weichai's third major breakthrough in three years. In 2020, the thermal efficiency of the diesel engine body developed by the group exceeded 50.23%; In January of this year, this value was raised to 51.09%. Now, the data has been refreshed again.

Since 2018, Weichai has continued to carry out key technology research and development for efficient high-pressure direct injection natural gas engines, successfully applying key common technologies for high thermal efficiency of diesel engines such as efficient turbocharging, low resistance, and low friction to natural gas engines; They invented the dual fuel fusion injection multi-point lean combustion technology, achieving precise control of fuel injection and increasing combustion speed by 100%; Invented a dual fuel fusion injection combustion system with a dual step combustion chamber system as the core, which improves engine thermal efficiency while reducing pollutant emissions. Applied for 165 patents and authorized 135 patents.

Excited! Thank you! Support! "Li Xiaohong expressed her feelings about the two world records in the above three words during her on-site speech. He stated that the Chinese Academy of Engineering has gathered outstanding scientists from various industries, and the next step for Weichai diesel engine thermal efficiency is to reach 53%, 54%, and 55%. "We will provide strong support

The above breakthroughs have also attracted the attention of international peers. At the scene, research institutions such as the International Federation of Automotive Engineers, Southwest Research Institute of the United States, AVL Corporation of Austria, Bosch Group of Germany, international peers, as well as the Chinese Society of Mechanical Engineering, Chinese Internal Combustion Engine Society, and China Internal Combustion Engine Industry Association gave high praise in the form of congratulatory letters and videos.

Compared with the industry average, a 52% thermal efficiency diesel engine can reduce carbon dioxide emissions by 12%, and a 54% thermal efficiency natural gas engine can reduce carbon dioxide emissions by 25%. If all are switched, it is expected to reduce China's carbon emissions by 90 million tons per year.