Cummins Is Working On A New Diesel Engine For The Army

Cummins has begun to develop a revolutionary new diesel engine for the U.S. Army that will be lighter and more efficient than the ones that are currently used.

FoxNews reports they are working California-based Achates Power, who designed an opposed-piston engine that works on a two-stroke combustion cycle and eliminates the need for a valve train, on the Advanced Combat Engine (ACE). Basically, there are two pistons in each cylinder that compress the air-fuel mixture between them. The movement of the pistons exposes intake ports at the bottom of their strokes, while a direct fuel injection system adds ads diesel as the piston heads come together. A series of gears connect cranks at the top and bottom of the engine to a common output. Cummins says it’s shooting for a 21 percent thermal rejection reduction, a 50 percent increase in power density and a 13 percent jump in fuel efficiency when compared to the current engine. Tests of the new engine are scheduled to be conducted starting in 2019.