In the afternoon of November 20, 2022, Weichai released the world's first commercial diesel engine with body thermal efficiency of 52.28% and the world's first commercial natural gas engine with body thermal efficiency of 54.16%. Li Xiaohong, secretary of the Party Leadership Group and president of the Chinese Academy of Engineering, Zhong Zhihua, member of the Party Leadership Group and vice president of the Chinese Academy of Engineering, Deng Xiuxin, vice president of the Chinese Academy of Engineering, Ling Wen, vice governor of Shandong Province and academician of the CAE Member, and others attended the new product launch event. At the launch event, Li Xiaohong and Ling Wen made congratulatory speeches respectively.

Li Xiaohong, Secretary of the Party Leadership Group and President of the Chinese Academy of Engineering

The international authoritative testing agency T ｜ V South Deutsche Group issued certificates for Dr. Wang Decheng and Dr. Chen Wenmiao, representatives of Weichai's high thermal efficiency engine development team. According to the novelty search of Southwest Research Institute, the thermal efficiency of Weichai diesel engine and natural gas engine is more than 52% and 54% for the first time in the world. Stephen Hartone, CEO of Bosch Group, Chris Mason, CEO of the International Federation of Automotive Engineers, Walter Downing, COO of Southwest Research Institute, Helmut Liszt, CEO of AVL, Austria, Jing Wei, President of the Association of Chinese Engine Engineers in North America, China Mechanical Engineering Society, China Internal Combustion Engine Society, China Internal Combustion Engine Industry Association and other domestic and foreign research institutes, industry institutions and strategic partners have sent congratulatory letters Congratulations video.

Li Xiaohong expressed warm congratulations on Weichai's release of major innovation achievements. He said that Weichai has created the world's first thermal efficiency of diesel engine and natural gas engine, which is exciting to Weichai and even to the Chinese people. Thanks to Weichai science and technology workers for creating world achievements, which is worthy of everyone's pride. The Chinese Academy of Engineering will spare no effort to provide all-round support for Weichai to create new targets of 53%, 54% and 55% of the thermal efficiency of the body.

Continuously Climbing the Peak of Diesel Engine Thermal Efficiency

For 125 years since the advent of diesel engines, scientific and technological workers in the global industry have always taken the improvement of thermal efficiency as a lifelong dream, which is also a symbol of a country's comprehensive strength of internal combustion engines. In September 2020, Weichai released the world's first diesel engine with body thermal efficiency of 50.23%; In January 2022, Weichai will again improve the thermal efficiency of diesel engine to 51.09%, and continue to lead the global internal combustion engine industry.

With the R&D of thermal efficiency technology entering the "no man's land", Weichai science and technology workers launched a scientific research battle to sprint towards the goal of higher thermal efficiency. On the basis of the original five technologies, such as collaborative combustion, coordinated design, exhaust energy distribution, zonal lubrication, and intelligent control technology, four new technologies - 3D precise pressurization design technology have been developed with the new system engineering concept, and the operation efficiency of the supercharger has been improved by 5%; Air thermal insulation technology reduces heat transfer in cylinder by 15%; Efficient circulation technology can effectively reduce the resistance of the intake and exhaust pipes, making the engine breathe more smoothly; Dual main injection technology improves the mixing of fuel and air, and increases the combustion speed by 5%. Through a series of technical breakthroughs, with each 0.01% of difficult progress, we took the lead in raising the thermal efficiency of the diesel engine body to a new height of 52.28%, and once again set a new global record. During this period, 162 patents were applied and 124 patents were authorized.

Three breakthroughs in three years, which is a far leading innovation achievement, has greatly enhanced China's voice in the global internal combustion engine industry, and will also bring huge economic and social benefits. The thermal efficiency of the engine body refers to the ratio of the energy of diesel combustion to the effective output work of the engine without relying on the waste heat recovery device. The higher the thermal efficiency of the body, the better the economy of the engine. Compared with the existing mainstream products in the market (46% thermal efficiency diesel engines on average), the commercial application of 52.28% bulk thermal efficiency technology can reduce fuel consumption and CO2 emissions by 12% respectively. It can save 19 million tons of oil and reduce 60 million tons of carbon dioxide emissions every year. The independent breakthrough of this technology is of great significance under the general trend of the country's overall promotion of green, low-carbon and high-quality development.

Historic leap in thermal efficiency of natural gas engine

The energy reform promotes the development of multi power. Natural gas engines play an important role in the emission reduction and carbon reduction of internal combustion engines due to their inherent low carbon properties. As a leader in natural gas engines, Weichai has an exclusive market share of 70% of the world's high-power natural gas engines, and its production and sales volume rank first in the world.

In order to create a new generation of clean and efficient natural gas engine products, Weichai has been devoting itself to independent development and self-improvement with the joint efforts of the global supply chain for more than 10 years.

In 2008, Weichai started to lay out the natural cylinder direct injection technology. In 2012, China's first high-power direct injection compression ignition natural gas engine with high pressure was successfully developed. In order to further realize the autonomy and controllability of the natural gas cylinder direct injection system and core components, since 2018, Weichai's research and development team has continued to tackle key technologies of efficient high-pressure direct injection natural gas engines. At the industry level of 42%, the thermal efficiency of natural gas engine body has achieved two huge leaps - 45% in 2020 and 50% in 2021.

Although Weichai has made continuous breakthroughs and achieved impressive results, it has never stopped breaking the limit. In 2022, Weichai R&D team will successfully apply high efficiency supercharging, low resistance, low friction and other key common technologies for high thermal efficiency of diesel engines to natural gas engines. It pioneered the dual fuel fusion injection multi-point lean combustion technology to achieve precise control of fuel injection and increase the combustion speed by 100%; A dual fuel fusion injection combustion system with a double step combustion chamber system as the core is invented to improve the thermal efficiency of the engine and reduce pollutant emissions. A total of 165 patents have been filed and 135 patents have been authorized. In November 2022, the thermal efficiency of natural gas engine body was successfully improved to 54.16%, meeting the national six emission standards, far exceeding the highest level of 47.6% of foreign enterprises. This achievement is not only a historic breakthrough in the field of natural gas engine technology, but also a revolutionary subversion of the global internal combustion engine industry. For the first time, the thermal efficiency of natural gas engines has surpassed that of diesel engines and become the most efficient thermal machinery.

This initiative will bring great practical value to the whole society. Compared with ordinary natural gas engines, the fuel cost will be saved by more than 20%, the carbon emission level will be reduced by 25%, and the industry can reduce 30 million tons of carbon each year.

At the 20th National Congress of the Communist Party of China, it was proposed to "accelerate the realization of high-level science and technology self-reliance", "strengthen the dominant position of enterprises in scientific and technological innovation", and "actively and steadily promote carbon peaking and carbon neutralization". Reflect Weichai's scientific and technological workers' sense of responsibility in the national strategic scientific and technological strength, and make contributions to building a world-class enterprise. Editor/Zhao E