Man Engines has announced it will be unveiling its latest eight-cylinder natural gas engine at EnergyDecentral next month.
The E3268 LE242 natural gas variant provides 320kW (429hp) of power and produces 250mg/Nm³ of NOx – meeting the German requirements on air quality control (TA Luft) using only an oxidation catalyst.
Based on the 370kW (496hp) version introduced in 2013 which has been tested in the field many times over, this V8 engine is available in a natural gas-optimized variant with a compression ratio of 12:1.
The engine can also be used with biogas at a compression ratio of 13.6:1 and potential uses in current-regulated CHP (combined heat and power) range from the industrial and commercial to the municipal and recreational sectors.
Positive effects
Thanks to a cylinder bore of 132mm and a stroke of 157mm, the E3268 LE242 offers 17.2 liters of cylinder capacity. To achieve its maximum power output of 320kW at 1,500rpm, the charge exchange has been significantly optimized, providing a positive effect on the energy efficiency, which can be up to 41.7% in the natural gas variant.
“This excellent mechanical efficiency rate enables us to achieve the magic number of 40% energy conversion efficiency. In some countries that’s worth hard cash due to subsidies,” said Günther Zibes, head of power at Man Engines.
The engine will replace the E2848 LE322 from the previous series and so close the power gap in the portfolio of Man Engines among turbo engines between 220kW and 370kW.
The tried-and-tested datalogger with standardized sensors and cable harness offers an additional benefit for customers. Via a CAN interface, important parameters such as the coolant, oil and exhaust gas temperature, as well as the charge pressure and oil pressure, can be provided for the system controls with minimum effort.
The E3268 LE242 will be available from the first quarter of 2019 and will be presented for the first time at EnergyDecentral, the international trade fair for innovative energy supply, which takes place in Hannover, Germany, on November 13-16, 2018.
