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Future vehicles will increasingly be required to improve their efficiency, reduce both regulated and CO₂ emissions, and maintain acceptable levels of driving, safety, and noise performance. To achieve this high level of performance, they will be configured with more advanced hardware, sensors, and control technologies that will also enable their operation on a broader range of fuel properties. These capabilities offer the potential to design future vehicles to operate on the most widely available and GHG-reducing fuels. In previous studies, fuel flexibility has been demonstrated on a compression ignition bench engine and vehicle equipped with an advanced engine management system, closed-loop combustion control, and air-path control strategies. An unresolved question is whether engines of this sort can operate routinely on market gasoline while achieving diesel-like efficiency and acceptable emissions and noise levels.

From current point of view future emission legislations for heavy-duty engines as well as industrial engines will require complex engine internal measures in combination with sophisticated aftertreatment systems as well as according control strategies to reach the emission targets. With EU VI, JP 09/NLT and US10 for heavy-duty engines as well as future Tier4 final or stage IV emission legislation for industrial applications, EGR + DPF + SCR probably will be combined for most applications and therefore quite similar technological approaches will be followed up in Europe as well as in the US and in Japan. Most “emerging markets” all over the world follow up the European, US or Japanese emission legislation with a certain time delay. Therefore similar technologies need to be introduced in these markets in the future. On the other hand specific market boundary conditions and requirements have to be considered for the development of tailored system concepts in these markets.

Fuel is the single largest operating expense for a diesel truck fleet. This paper presents data on the many factors which affect consumption, and on the ways in which fuels and additives can contribute to minimizing it. Fuel density is the key fuel parameter affecting consumption, since higher density fuels deliver more energy per litre than those of lower density. Diesel cold flow improver additives can play an important role in the economic production of diesel fuel. In addition, they allow the production of higher density fuels while maintaining good low temperature performance. Dynamometer test data are presented to show the effects of ambient temperature, vehicle speed and fuel density on consumption. The performance of flow improver additives in improving low temperature operability while maximizing density is demonstrated.