Output, efficiency, emissions improved with cat's 3500 series B engine

Like most technologies, engine developments tend to follow evolutionary paths. And it's a given that the longer an engine's been around and the more successful it's been, the more likely it is that any changes made would be incremental. On the surface, such is the case with the Caterpillar 3500 Series B diesel engine, recently introduced in Europe and the United States. Based on the well-proven 3500 engine first introduced in 1980 and upgraded with a Phase II program five years later, most of the changes appear incremental. But taken as a whole, they provide a level of performance and durability that Caterpillar anticipates will make this engine an even stronger contender in power generation and marine applications for years to come. It's not hard to see why. Output has been increased between 17% and 30% on some models; fuel consumption is improved by as much as 15%; and with the new aftertreatment system introduced with the engines, emissions as low as 1.3 g/kWh NOx are said to be achieveable. This paper outlines the design, specifications, and highlights of the improvements in performance of these new engines.