KDI: Marriage of avant-garde in the relation between engine and machine

“A made in Italy, smart to conquer the world”. Of this form defined Gianni Borghi, president of the Group Lombardini, the new range of engines diesel KDI, that was presented on time to the 6 of the afternoon of the past 25 October in a spectacular act that could be witnessed no only by the managers of the international press invited by the Italian signature, but also by all that that wished it in any part of the world, through the on-line service ‘live streaming' that the company employed for the first time.

This family of engines is fruit of the strong innovative bet that keeps Lombardini during his more than 75 years of history. “In spite of the crisis that lives the economy from the year 2008, Lombardini has been able to realise/realize important investments, necessary for the development of these new engines with technology of avant-garde, exceptional engines projected entirely by the team of R&D of Lombardini that will manufacture here, in our main factory in Reggio Emilia”, continued Gianni Borghi.

This innovative strategy plasma in the more than 30 million euros that Kohler Co., owner of Lombardini, has invested in the development of this project, initiated in the year 2009 and that will have his following phase stood out in September of 2012, when the engines of 1,9 l and 2,5 l happen to the line of production.

Is precisely this confidence in Lombardini by part of Kohler, as it signalled Giuseppe Bava, general director of the company, the one who has made possible the birth of this new family. “Today, it is a pride can present the tangible result of the big confidence that Kohler has showed in the future of the industry of the diesel and in the talent and capacities of the team Lombardini”, indicated.

The engine KDI has been developed by a platform of work multifuncional that has implemented all his experience, from the shopping until the lines of setting. In total, 25 specialists, between engineers and proyectistas, have allowed to present this new range in a record time of 24 months.

In of these engines it is necessary to look for it precisely in an approach of future. On 1 January 2013 they go in in force the new rules of broadcasts for engines diesel with powers from 19 until 56 kW in United States, and from 37 until 56 kW in Europe.

“The limits of broadcasts foreseen by these norms are so low and restrictivos that will change for ever the technological stage of the engines industrial diesel that work in these bands of powers”, manifested Francesca Rubbiani, director of Marketing of Lombardini.

To face this challenge, the innovation is the common denominator of these entirely new engines, that distinguish by the employment of a technology extremely to the avant-garde, that allows a clean combustion limiting the broadcasts, without using any system of post-treatment and that, at the same time, guarantees extraordinary provision. The excellent values of power and pair in regard to the dimensions reduced and the absence of systems to reduce the broadcasts, like the DPF, translate in advantages for all the OEM (Original Equipment Manufacturer / Manufacturers of Machinery) that they can substitute his current versions by engines of cilindrada inferior and that, to the not having to occupy of the process of regeneration, allows them reduce consumptions and lengthen the intervals of maintenance.

“From the beginning have concerned us for understanding and analyse/analyze the exigencias of our customers, without limiting this analysis to our current wallet of customers, but including also to other manufacturers leaders in Europe and America in the different segments of the market that us atañen (…) and our answer has been the innovation”, continued Francesca Rubbiani.

ecto, very centred/centered in the demands of the market, was developed using the highest level of existent technology. A clean combustion, realised/realized thanks to a system of injection 'Common Rail' of high pressure (2.000 bar) of last generation, instrumented with the valve EGR (controlled electronically), for the recirculation of the correct quantity of gases of combustion cooled by liquid through an exchanger waters/air, allows to achieve the compliance with the levels of broadcast at the same time that only provision without using systems of post-treatment.

The value added of the KDI and of the technological selections effected to realise/realize it translate , for the final users, in an elder confort, by the compact that results to be the engine, by his provision, by his robustness and by the low levels of broadcast, so much in terms of vibration as regarding the noise, and in a low cost of operation, with greater efficiency in the consumptions, uses and maintenances.

“For us the simplest solution to face up to the new rules of broadcasts had been to use a filter DPF in the existent engines but considered that this system presents several problems: the DPF atasca (it is necessary to clean it and regenerate it periodically), repercute negatively in the saving of fuel, increases the reflection of heat, increases the total dimensions of the engine and, finally, is very expensive”, argued Giuseppe Duri, technical director of Lombardini.

By all this the company has selected the system 'Common-Rail' more advanced of the market, designed specifically for an extremada length and resistance to the most difficult instructions for use, typical of the applications in the industrial states and of the construction. The bomb of high pressure allows to reach the 2000 bar. This, together with the injectors with solenoid G3S, allows dosificar of excellent way the fuel during the process of injection.

The distribution with 4 valves by cylinder has been designed to lodge the injector of way perfectly vertical and centred/centered regarding the camera of combustion. This solution allows to optimise/optimize the filled, the atomisation/atomization of the fuel and his mix with the present oxygen in the camera of combustion.

The manifold of admission and the camera of combustion have been developed thanks to a detained fluent analysis-dynamic (CFD Analysis) to end to have an efficient combustion.

The turbocompressor with valve 'waste-gate' has been calibrated perfectly to end to reduce any delay of answer, guaranteeing an erogación harmonious of pair and power, improving the confort of the user. The big discharge of the air and the employment of the 'intercooler' contribute to attain the levels of consented broadcast and high provision of pair to low revolutions.

The turbocompressor adopts likewise special technical solutions of lubricación and retention of the oil to guarantee the operation and the reliability with the step of the time.

The system of recirculation of the gases of leakage, fruit of a detained analysis CFD, composes of two stages of refrigeration that allow to optimise/optimize the thermal exchange without penalising/penalizing the dimensions. Besides, the positioning in the hot side, warns any blockade of the valve EGR, guaranteeing of this form the maximum reliability.

The system of injection 'Common Rail' together with the necessary electronic switchboard to manage it, are the two of last generation and have been developed on purpose to instrument the applications 'heavy duty' in the industrial state and of the construction.

The switchboard offers a total control of the parameters of calibración of the engine to obtain the provision and the levels of broadcast. The system Can-bus offers an interface of direct communication between the engine and all the electronic devices of the application.

“The system 'Common Rail' of high pressesure (2.000 bar) of last generation (able to produce multiple injections controlled by an electronic switchboard) and the valve EGR accionada electronically, that does recircular the correct quantity of gases of leakage, allow to obtain levels of satisfied broadcast to the new norms, providing at the same time excellent provision without using systems of post-treatment”, signalled Massimiliano Bonanni, responsible of the motors refrigerados by liquid in Lombardini.

The engine KDI is thought to be compact but with a big capacity of provision (power, until 23 kW/l; and pair, until 120 Nm/l). The absence of the process of regeneration reduces the consumptions of fuel between 3% and 5%, if it compares with a solution of electronic injection of half pressesure (1600 bar) more DPF; more than 10%, if it compares with a solution of direct injection and DPF autonomous– as also of oil. In the consumption of oil also repercute the straightened special of the cylinders, realised with machinery of last generation that, allowing a reduction of the frictions, optimises the consumptions and carries the intervals of maintenance to 500 hours, with an improvement that goes from the 250 hours (comparing KDI with current motors no satisfied to the norms TIER IV final) until the 350 hours (supposing his consumption of oil with DPF).

Besides, in the intervals of maintenance no repercute the need to substitute the filter antiparticulado (cycle of life estimated in some 3.000 hours). The cooling of the gases of leakage recirculados, and the consequent abatimiento of the values of NOx, is guaranteeed by the positioning of the valve EGR in the hot side, but, especially, by the special route gone on down the air through two stages of refrigeration. Also the particular geometry of the manifold of admission allows to attain a uniform mix of the air in each cylinder, distributing equally the abatimiento of NOx attained by the stage precedent. An arrested person and accurate analysis of noise, vibration and severity (NVH, Noise – Vibration – Harshness) together with the concept of “architecture of bancada”, that is to say a bancada obtained joining two parts (bancada and sub-bancada) does that the engine was robust, with a rigid structure, which comports less noise and fewer vibrations. The auxiliary takings of movement are designed and situated of way such that offer the highest percentage of power developed by the engine. They allow to install until a group of two hydraulics pumps in tandem. Besides, the relation of rotation of the takings of strength (1:1,2) it allows to use hydraulics pumps of lower size guaranteeing the same powers.

The new family of engines of direct injection is available in three different cilindradas, 1,9L, 2,5L and 3,4L, offering two configurations:

- mechanical Injection: according to the norms of broadcast Tier 3/Stage IIIA.

- Injection 'Common Rail': according to the norms of broadcast Tier 4/Stage IIIB.

The engines KDI 3404, for whose production it will be necessary to expect until finals of 2014, will allow to expand the rank of powers until the 100 kW. Regarding the engines KDI 1903 and KDI 2504, for a range of powers of 31 to 55,4 kW, his manufacture is foreseen for September of 2012.

Kohler, one of the private companies bigger of United States, established in the state of Wisconsin, extends his activities to numerous sectors, from the engines of petrol to the groups electrógenos, from the ceramics to the furniture, from the chains hoteleras to the fields of golf. In the division of energy, designated Global Power Group, goes in in the year 2007 Lombardini, third company to world-wide level and with a solid presence in his segment of reference (engines diesel of until 50 kW). Since, they have been a lot of and diverse the sinergias arisen between both companies. Kohler Produces and distributes, to world-wide level, engines of petrol, monkey and bicilíndricos, that cover powers of until 30,0 kW. It is one of the most known names in the American market by his engines used in numerous applications, especially in the sector 'Lawn and Garden'.

By his part, Lombardini manufactures and distributes engines diesel, monkey and multicilíndricos, covering a range that arrives to 50kW (in a future, until 100 kW), instrumenting machines for several sectors (agriculture, industrial, electrical, constructions, car and maritime).

The strong presence of each company in his own market of reference, Kohler in United States, and Lombardini in Europe with four commercial branches in France, Spain, Germany and United Kingdom, together with the interest by the markets in roads of development, seats the bases for a diffusion capilar of the new product to world-wide level.

WOC (The Vegas, 24-27 January 2012)

PLOUGHS (New Orleans, 6-8 February 2012)

Hire Show (Coventry, 8-9 February)

Fima (Saragossa, 14-18 February)

Golf (The Vegas, 29 February – 1 March 2012)

Intermat (Paris, 16-21 April)

Galabau (Nürnberg, 12-15 September)

Eima (Bologna, 10-14 November)