Achates ? 1

[enginesrus]

I thought a few vehicle manufactures were gearing up to manufacture this engine? What happened? I'm guessing they are trying to use the wrong materials that lack the durability?

 

[Lou Scannon]

Now that CAT owns EMD, I wonder if they plan to use the planetary drive and overrunning clutch approach to some of their large (Lafayette) four stroke stationary engines that need to come up on-line for emergency power generation in a very quick manner.

Well, only if the mechanism can be built at a price point that does not add a large chunk to the overall system cost, which I doubt. EP standby engines are evaluated in the market on the basis of $/kW first cost, due to the rather low utilization. Compressed air assist, feasible at sites where compressed air is available to keep a tank or accumulator charged up, is probably more attractive on that basis.

"Schiefgehen wird, was schiefgehen kann" - das Murphygesetz