Ashok Leyland claims Indian first with new CNG engine

According to the company, the 181hp (135kW), 5.7-litre turbocharged engine meets Euro 4 emission standards, despite the fact that the Indian government has yet to introduce mandatory – or even voluntary – Euro 4 standards.

Stochiometric combustion
The new Multi-point Fuel Injection (MPFI) CNG engine is catchily titled the W06DTI ‘H’ Series. It uses stoichiometric combustion technology (chemically correct air-fuel ratio) in combination with a three-way catalytic converter to reduce emissions.

Ashok Leyland says that the Exhaust Gas Re-circulation (EGR) it uses not only lowers NOx emissions, but also restricts the thermal load on engine components. It goes on to explain that the quantity of EGR is controlled by the difference in pressures between the exhaust manifold and the turbocharger's compressor inlet, while the turbocharger is optimised for maximum torque.

Proud
R Seshasayee, the company’s managing director, says that, "having developed in-house the first CNG bus engine in India a decade ago, the first MPFI CNG engine in the Indian auto sector is another proud achievement of our in-house capabilities. With this engine, we step into the more challenging phase of transient cycles mandated in the Euro 4 norms of the future.”

Intriguingly, however, the company is yet to release images of the new engine, nor has it revealed in which buses the W06DTI 'H' Series will appear.