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The SAE Engine Oil Viscosity Classification (EOVC) Task Force has been gathering data in consideration of extending SAE J300 to include engine oils with high temperature, high shear rate (HTHS) viscosity below the current minimum of 2.6 mPa⋅s for the SAE 20 grade. The driving force for doing so is fuel economy, although it is widely recognized that hardware durability can suffer if HTHS viscosity is too low. Several Japanese OEMs have expressed interest in revising SAE J300 to allow official designation of an engine oil viscosity category with HTHS viscosity below 2.6 mPa⋅s to enable the development of ultra-low-friction engines in the future. This paper summarizes the work of the SAE EOVC Low Viscosity Grade Working Group comprising members from OEMs, oil companies, additive companies and instrument manufacturers to explore adoption of one or more new viscosity grades.

This paper reviews field test results in 23 Volvo D12C non-Exhaust Gas Recirculation (EGR) diesel engines using continuously regenerating Diesel Particulate Filter (DPF) with Selective Catalytic Reduction (SCR) and ultra low sulfur diesel fuel at 4-10 ppm. This 2-year field test provided an opportunity to measure on-road nitrogen oxide (NOx) emissions, and to do in-depth analysis of the incombustible material remaining in the filters. In addition, two crankcase oils were used at 1.0% and 1.4% sulfated ash to provide enhanced information on the material collected in the filters, and on oil drain capability. The study demonstrates that the U.S. Environmental Pro-tection Agency (EPA) 2007 emissions can be met. After 2 years in the field the 23 trucks using the DPF-SCR system are still providing a very high NOx conversion of 75% on fleet average. The filter material contained only 2 wt-% carbon, which demonstrates the effectiveness of the DPF-SCR system in combusting soot.

An index to relate fuel properties to HCCI auto-ignition would be valuable to predict the performance of fuels in HCCI engines from their properties and composition. The indices for SI engines, the Research Octane Number (RON) and Motor Octane Number (MON) are known to be insufficient to explain the behavior of oxygenated fuels in an HCCI engine. One way to characterize a fuel is to use the Auto-Ignition Temperature (AIT). The AIT can be extracted from the pressure trace. Another potentially interesting parameter is the amount of Low Temperature Heat Release (LTHR) that is closely connected to the ignition properties of the fuel. A systematic study of fuels consisting of gasoline surrogate components of n-heptane, iso-octane, toluene, and ethanol was made. 21 fuels were prepared with RON values ranging from 67 to 97.

Sludge and Varnish deposits that can build up in the crankcase originate in large part from fuel and fuel components that enter the crankcase through blow-by. These deposits can lead to a variety of engine issues including piston skirt deposits, cylinder bore scuffing, stuck lifters and oil filter plugging. A test has been developed to evaluate the contribution of “Complete Fuel System Cleaner” (CFSC) aftermarket fuel additives to crankcase sludge and varnish deposit formation. CFSC aftermarket fuel additives are typically formulated with polyether amine (PEA) chemistry and at concentrations that exceed 2000ppm. Three different commercially-available CFSC products were tested, containing two different classes of PEA chemistry - propylene oxide-based PEA (“PO-PEA”) and butylene oxide-based PEA (“BO-PEA”). Two of the three products contained the same PO-PEA chemistry, but at different concentrations, to show the effect of additive dosage.