John Deere Power Systems will achieve compliance with Interim Tier 4/Stage III B emissions regulations for our 56 kW (75 hp) and above product line by starting with our proven Tier 3/Stage III A PowerTech™ Plus engine platform that includes cooled exhaust gas recirculation (EGR) for NOx control with the addition of an exhaust filter for reducing particulates. Our PowerTech M and PowerTech E 2.4L engines below 56 kW (75 hp) meet Interim Tier 4 regulations without the addition of an exhaust filter.

John Deere is an innovator in the commercial application of cooled EGR and variable geometry turbocharger (VGT) technologies for off-highway use. Throughout Tier 3/Stage III A, John Deere has gained experience with these technologies over a wide range of applications and has established a proven record of reliability; other engine manufacturers are just now considering adopting these technologies for off-highway applications. John Deere engines have a strong reputation of performance, durability, and reliability, and we are designing our new engines to exceed those expectations. These new engines will also feature more power and increased performance, world-class fuel economy, reduced noise, and low overall operating costs.

Engines greater than 130 kW (174 hp) will be available in limited production quantities starting in early 2010. Regular production delivery begins in January 2011. As with earlier tiers and other Interim Tier 4 models, John Deere is targeting the start of limited production for engines less than 130 kW (174 hp) to be available seven to nine months ahead of the January 2012 regulation date. Interim Tier 4-compliant engines less than 56 kW (74 hp) are available and in production today.

John Deere has determined that cooled EGR, combined with exhaust filter technology, is the right choice to meet these regulations because it is a simpler, proven and less costly technology. Like the cooled EGR system and the VGT, the exhaust filter was specifically designed to meet the demands of off-highway applications. The exhaust filter also has the benefit of replacing the muffler in most applications.

John Deere engines 56 kW (75 hp) and above will use our proven Tier 3/Stage III A PowerTech Plus engine technologies which include cooled EGR with the addition of an exhaust filter

Five ratings greater than 19 kW (25 hp) and less than 56 kW (75 hp) from the John Deere PowerTech M and PowerTech E 2.4L engine models already meet Interim Tier 4 and Stage III A emissions regulations. PowerTech M 2.4L engines feature 2-valve cylinder heads, mechanical unit pump fuel systems, and fixed-geometry turbochargers. PowerTech E 2.4L engines feature similar 2-valve cylinder heads and fixed-geometry turbochargers, but add full-authority electronic engine controls, electronic unit pump fuel systems, and air-to-air-aftercooling. Neither requires the use of an exhaust filter.

Urea, a second fluid, is required for an alternative NOx reduction system called selective catalytic reduction (SCR). The SCR system injects liquid urea into the exhaust stream to reduce NOx. While it is effective, it also requires that the vehicle or machine be fitted with a separate tank, a sophisticated urea injection system, and a tamper-proof diagnostic system required by regulation. Since urea freezes, heating systems for the tank and delivery lines are required. In addition, currently urea is not conveniently available in many parts of the world, especially for off-highway applications, which creates availability and storage concerns. Most importantly, operation of John Deere’s cooled EGR solution does not require any operator intervention. The operator doesn’t have to deal with the cost and hassle of a second fluid. SCR may be an appropriate technology for the future when the technology is more developed for off-highway applications; however, for Interim Tier 4/Stage III B, the cooled EGR and exhaust filter technology approach provides the proven, best value product to the end-user. Since the John Deere Interim Tier 4/Stage III B solution does not use SCR, urea is not required. 

With our Tier 3/Stage III A PowerTech Plus engines, John Deere Power Systems was able to achieve record fuel economy gains over our Tier 2/Stage II models and achieve best-in-class fuel economy. John Deere was also able to maintain or improve other performance characteristics, such as cold-weather starting, transient response time, power bulge, peak torque, and low-speed torque. Because John Deere Interim Tier 4/Stage III B engines continue to use the same technologies as our Tier 3/Stage III A engines, our Interim Tier 4/Stage III B engines will maintain similar performance and fuel economy leadership in the off-highway industry. Also, our Interim Tier 4/Stage III B engines below 130 kW (174 hp) 4.5L and 6.8L will realize similar levels of fuel economy that cooled EGR provided in the 130 kW (174 hp) and above Tier 3/Stage III A engines.

Much of the current engine maintenance schedule remains unchanged. The oil change interval will be the same interval offered for Tier 3/Stage III A engines at either 500 hours or 250 hours. One noticeable difference will come with the addition of the exhaust filter. The regulations require an exhaust filter minimum service interval of 4,500 hours for engines 130 kW (174 hp) and greater and 3,000 hours for engines less than 130 kW (174 hp). The John Deere exhaust filter design allows for higher hour exhaust filter service intervals to maximize vehicle uptime.

John Deere is developing and testing the technologies it will adopt to achieve Final Tier 4/Stage IV emissions regulations. Final Tier 4/Stage IV emissions regulations for engines 130 kW (174 hp) and greater begin in January 2014. Technologies such as cooled EGR, VGT, and exhaust filters will likely be the foundation for meeting Final Tier 4/Stage IV regulations. We are constantly evaluating emerging technologies for their effectiveness and for their ability to provide reliable and durable products in an off-highway setting. And as with engine configurations that meet previous emissions tiers, we’ll continue to tailor our Final Tier 4/Stage IV engine solutions to fit the variety of off-highway applications customers use them in.

More information can be found at our Web site, or you can call or e-mail us.

• www.JohnDeere.com/tier4
• 1-800-JD-ENGINE
• jdpower@JohnDeere.com