Dual Fuel (Gaseous/Diesel) Engines;
Opportunities, Challenges & Strategies to Expand the Market
30 & 31 March 2010
Le Chatelain Hotel, Brussels, Belgium

Dual Fuel (Gaseous/Diesel) Engines: Opportunities, Challenges & Strategies to Expand the Market presents a forum to identify and explore the most important technology, marketing and regulatory issues related to gaseous fuelled (natural gas and liquefied petroleum gas – LPG) ‘dual fuel’ diesel engines. Engine experts will discuss the range of different dual fuel technologies. Fleet operators will tell about their experiences operating and maintaining dual fuel vehicles. Government and regulatory specialists will discuss in-depth the regulatory issues that must be addressed in order to overcome the market entry challenges faced by these economic and low polluting engine technologies. In the end, the speakers and audience will participate in an open discussion session designed to create a strategy to develop a new regulatory framework that will encourage the worldwide market penetration of dual fuel gaseous/diesel engines and vehicles.

Dual Fuel Gaseous/Diesel Engines: Approaching diesel efficiency but cleaner & cheaper

Dual fuel gas engines are those that the primary fuel is natural gas or LPG but are designed to operate interchangeably with diesel as a ‘pilot’ ignition source (still functioning on heat of compression and not with a spark plug). As the vehicle moves toward full load performance, an increasing amount of gas replaces the diesel fuel; up to 85% or more for natural gas and about 35-40% for LPG. This makes these so-called ‘giesel engines’ especially valuable in circumstances where the use of natural gas or LPG is desired for environmental or economic reasons but where the gaseous fuel supply is not available in all locations.

Dual fuel engines have developed dramatically since the 1980s when the first mechanical ‘fumigated’ approach was used. Today the most successful gaseous/diesel fuel systems are fully computer compatible and are achieving efficiencies close to diesel engines but with superior emissions performance. Today’s sophisticated computer controlled dual fuel retrofit systems are being developed as ‘bolt on’ technologies that can be removed if necessary, to resell the vehicle as a normal diesel engine. This flexibility makes these engines very useful for heavy duty applications in many global markets.

For many heavy duty truck applications, particularly those that drive long distances, the improved efficiency coupled with typically cheaper gaseous fuel prices creates a positive business case. (Additionally, the higher octane gaseous fuels result in reduced noise, another attractive feature over diesel engines.)

Dual Fuel Engines are becoming more widespread for on-road and off-road applications

Dual fuel systems provided by a small number of technology companies are becoming increasingly popular worldwide. Most of these are retro-fit technologies, however, original equipment manufacturers are beginning to show more interest in some of these promising technologies.

• Volvo is working with dual fuel technology suppliers with an eye to supplying OEM-quality trucks.
• Bosch has been developing a natural gas dual fuel injector that, if brought to market, could make a major contribution to the growth of OEMs that embrace dual fuel technology.
• Dual fuel systems are being operated by a growing number of heavy duty truck companies in North America, Europe Australia, China, and India, using a wide variety of engines.
• Some OEMs supply dual fuel gas engines for large ocean-going ships and smaller internal waterway vessels.

Great potential, but difficult challenges must be overcome
There are a variety of regulatory and technical challenges that impede the rapid market penetration of dual fuel engines and vehicles.

• The regulatory situation for retrofit and original equipment manufactured (OEM) natural gas and LPG vehicles is clear, but for dual fuel engines need to be clarified or amended if these technologies can progress in the market, in order to enable engine certification.  United Nations Regulation 49 and Regulation 83 govern type approval for OEM natural gas engines and vehicles. UNECE Regulation 110 and Regulation 115 govern the approval of retrofit natural gas and liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) vehicles but without clear regulatory guidelines, some countries allow dual fuel, others provide ‘exemptions’ to run them on a case-by-case basis, and other countries prohibit the systems due to a lack of clear regulations.
• Questions remain about which emissions test cycles should be used, or whether these engines should be tested as a diesel, gas engine, or both.
• Because these systems continue to use diesel fuel, complicated emission treatment systems also may be necessary. This increases the cost and complexity of a dual fuel vehicle.
• Stability and durability of injection rails and related components remains an issue in some cases.

The goal of the Critical Issues Workshop is create a strategy to develop a new regulatory framework for dual fuel engines

The Dual Fuel Gaseous/Diesel Engine workshop will gather the key stakeholders –technologists, fuel industry, customers and regulatory authorities – to create a strategic opportunity that can lead to the development of a United Nations regulatory framework to allow for the legal certification of dual fuel gaseous engine systems.

Who Should Attend

This Critical Issues Workshop provides an excellent opportunity to network and engage with NGV and LPG industry experts, equipment suppliers, customers, public sector policy-makers and others. It is possible to display information and materials about equipment and service suppliers’ specific businesses at the small table top exhibit adjacent to the workshop room. Coffee breaks and a cocktail reception on Tuesday night will be held in the same area as the table top exhibits in order to facilitate networking opportunities. Additionally, sponsorship of the workshop is encouraged so that individual companies can enhance their corporate visibility.

Visit www.DualFuelStrategies.com for more information about registration, sponsorship and exhibiting.