International builds the 6.0-liter PowerStroke diesel V-8 engine for Ford Motor Co. as well as diesel engines for heavy-duty trucks. In a conference call with reporters on Tuesday, Patrick Charbonneau, International’s chief technical officer, predicted the company will meet 2007 standards as long as low-sulfur fuel is available in at least 80 percent of U.S. filling stations.

Charbonneau said International engineers expect to meet the tougher emissions standards by focusing on:

 
 
  • Fuel injection systems, which will enable as many as five injections per piston stroke. Most diesel engines typically have one injection per piston stroke.
     
  • Turbochargers, which must be made to work at a wider rpm range. Typically, a turbocharged diesel engine delivers most of its power below 3,500 rpm. New engines should be able to deliver power at higher rpms.
     
  • Combustion chambers, which will have to be reconfigured to reduce in-cylinder emissions
     
  • Electronics, which will take over greater control of the engine’s fuel and exhaust management
     
  • Aftertreatment, which are add-on devices such as particulate filters and NOX absorbers, which will prevent soot and other pollution from leaving the tailpipe.

    Charbonneau said these emission-reduction technologies will be used for light-duty engines, including those in Ford’s F-150 pickup and Excursion SUV, and heavy-duty engines used for commercial vehicles.

    All the changes will add cost to diesel engines, which already cost $4,000 more than gasoline engines.

    Charbonneau says although International knows it must add equipment to diesel engines to meet the new standards, the company is looking for ways to keep costs from rising excessively.

    International can use the current 6.0-liter PowerStroke engine architecture for the F-150 even after the emission laws change. This engine’s intake and exhaust systems can be upgraded without major changes to its cylinder block and heads, International says.

    But Charbonneau estimates that fuel economy (in diesels with stricter emissions) could fall about 3 percent. “We usually project some step backwards in overall fuel economy, but what happens is we usually find ways to overcome it."

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