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In order to meet the increasingly tough emission regulations on diesel vehicles, automobile manufacturers in Japan are focusing on the development of diesel particulate filters (DPFs), nitrogen-oxide-reducing catalysts so-called deNOx catalysts, and other technology for reducing exhaust gases. In order to reduce catalyst poisoning, diesel fuel with a sulfur content of 50 ppm or lower-one-tenth the previous level-was put on the market in Japan in April 2003. At the same time, guidelines took effect for the new DH-2 and DL-1 standards for diesel engine oils compatible with after-treatment devices; the full regulations are scheduled to come into force in 2005. The newly developed low-ash diesel engine oil described here contains a reduced amount of metallic detergents, thus lowering the sulfated ash content to about two-thirds that of conventional high-ash oil.

Hydraulic fluid (HF) specifications for mobile construction equipment called JCMAS HK and HKB have been established by the Fuels and Lubricants Committee of Japan Construction Mechanization Association (JCMA). The specifications are designated by two viscosity categories of single grade and multigrade. Each category has ISO viscosity grade (VG) 32 and 46. The JCMAS HK oils are recommended for use in hydraulic systems designed at pressure up to 34.3MPa(5000psi) and to heat hydraulic fluid up to 100 °C. These oils also provide wear control, friction performance, oxidation and rust protection, seal swell control and filterability performance. Two piston pump test procedures were developed to evaluate lubricating performance of these oils under high pressure conditions. The JACMAS HKB oils are classified as environmentally friendly oils due to the additional requirement for biodegradability.

Combustion chamber deposits (CCD) in wall-guided stratified charged direct injection spark ignition (DISI) engines affect combustion significantly because CCD may disturb the air-fuel mixture formation and, as a result, cause emission deterioration. For the design of engines and fuels, it is therefore important to determine the effects of CCD on emissions from DISI engines. In this study, the effects of CCD on emissions from a DISI engine using different fuel distillation properties were investigated. The study results show that, during stratified charged operation, an increase in CCD increased the total hydrocarbon (THC) emissions under high speed conditions and the NOx emissions under the low speed conditions.

Since construction machinery manufacturers recommend various brands and types of greases for their machinery, customers would benefit from a standardized grease which can be used in all construction machinery. Furthermore, construction machinery manufacturers have many experiences of field problems caused by commercially available and commonly used EP Lithium greases. Therefore, the Fuels and Lubricants Committee of Japan Construction Mechanization Association (JCMA) has developed a new grease specification called “Japan Construction Mechanization Association Specification (JCMAS) GK,” for construction equipment. The JCMAS GK includes requirements for National Lubrication and Grease Institute (NLGI) No. 1 and No. 2 consistency grades. The JCMAS GK greases have enough lubricating properties for periodical grease fitting of most construction machines, hydraulic excavators, bulldozers and wheel loaders. The JCMAS GK greases are applicable from -20 to +130 degrees Celsius.

Zinc dialkylphosphate (ZP), a sulfur free analogue of Zinc dialkyldithiophosphate (ZDTP) has been synthesized and tested for engine oil application. The sulfur free engine oil based on ZP showed excellent TBN retention and engine cleanliness in several engine tests which were operated at low and high temperatures. A prototype low phosphorus (0.05%) and low sulfated ash (0.5%) engine oil exhibited even better longer drain performance than a fully synthetic engine oil containing 0.1% P and 1.1% sulfated ash. Thus, zinc dialkylphosphate can be a promising candidate as a ZDTP substitute for future catalyst system compatible engine oil.

Since health effects of automobile exhaust emissions, especially of diesel exhaust particles (DEP) has been greatly concerned, Health Effects Working Group was established in Japan Clean Air Program (JCAP) for taking an approach to health effects study on exhaust emission improvement to be made through measures for automobile exhaust emission reduction and fuel property improvement. First of all, we have gathered scientific information on health effects of exhaust emissions, mainly of DEP and so on, which were published till that time, have reviewed the information with specialists in Japan, and have established a database to be used in various areas of study. Second, based on the above results, basic evaluation of exhaust emissions from diesel vehicles, for which a strong concern about health effects was shown, has been carried out in cooperation with studies on future automobile and fuel technologies for diesel engines/vehicles carried out by other working groups of JCAP.

This paper presents a study of antiknock performance under various octane numbers and compression ratios in a direct injection spark ignition (DISI) gasoline engine. The relationship between the octane number and engine performance in the DISI engine-the engine torque and the break specific fuel consumption (BSFC)-was investigated in comparison with a multipoint injection (MPI) engine. Due to the improvement in the charging efficiency and the advance of the ignition timing by cooled aspiration, the engine torque of the DISI engine was improved over that of the MPI engine. It was also found that the octane number requirement (ONR) was reduced. In addition, the possibility of engine performance enhancement at high compression ratios was studied. At high compression ratios, the engine torque is reduced due to the heavy knocking when low octane gasoline is used. However, an improvement in the engine torque has been observed with high octane gasoline.

In recent years, problems such as global warming, the depletion of natural resources, and air pollution caused by emissions are emerging on a global scale. These problems call for efforts directed toward the development of fuel-efficient engines and exhaust gas reduction measures. As a solution to these issues, performance improvements should be achieved on the oil that lubricates the sliding sections of engines. This report points to features required of future engine oil-such as contribution to fuel consumption, minimized adverse effects on the exhaust gas aftertreatment system, and improved reliability achieved by sludge reduction-and discusses the significance of these features. For engine oil to contribution of engine oil to lower fuel consumption, we examined the effects of reduced oil viscosity on friction using gasoline and diesel engines.

Diesel emissions are significant issue worldwide, and emissions requirements have become so tough that. the application of after-treatment systems is now indispensable in many countries To meet even more stringent future emissions requirements, it has become apparent that the improvement of market fuel quality is essential as well as the development in engine and exhaust after-treatment technology. Japan Clean Air Program II (JCAP II) is being conducted to assess the direction of future technologies through the evaluation of current automobile and fuel technologies and consequently to realize near zero emissions and carbon dioxide (CO2) emission reduction. In this program, effects of fuel properties on the performance of diesel engines and a vehicle equipped with two types of diesel NOx emission after-treatment devices, a Urea-SCR system and a NOx storage reduction (NSR) catalyst system, were examined.

In recent years, progress has been made in reducing the viscosities of manual transmission fluids (MTFs) and automatic transmission fluids (ATFs). Lower viscosities of MTFs and ATFs are expected to improve the fuel economy of automobiles by reducing the viscous resistance. Examples of low-viscosity ATFs already commercially available include Toyota Auto Fluid WS and ZF Friedrichshafen AG's ZNF 13014. This paper first reports methods for measuring the torque transmission efficiency in manual and automatic transmissions. We explain a simple rig test that we developed using an IAE gear test machine, and we describe oil temperature increase tests and torque measurement tests using actual transmissions and fuel economy tests using actual vehicles. Next, we describe the effects of lower viscosities on the torque transfer efficiency as measured with these measurement methods.

Both carbon blacks and carbon nano-onions nanoparticles have a spheroidal shape and a nested structure. They can be used to simulate the presence of soots in used engine oils. When added to fully formulated fresh engines oils, these two kinds of particles behave very differently. Carbon black particles are highly abrasive causing a lot of wear of steel surfaces and friction increases. At the opposite, the addition of carbon onions in lubricant leads to a reduction of both friction and wear compared to pure base oil. This shows that there is an opportunity to control wear in engines by changing the structure of soots during the combustion process.