German-Swiss multinational equipment manufacturer Liebherr is working with US-based engine software firm Tula Technology on the development of optimisation technologies that can reduce heavy machinery emissions.

The companies have developed a joint study which showed Tula's diesel Dynamic Skip Fire (dDSF) software can generate reductions of NOX tailpipe emissions by 41% and carbon dioxide (CO2) by 9.5%.

The study used Liebherr's D966, a compact 13.5L 6-cylinder diesel engine. In the next step, Liebherr will consider the integration of the dDSF software into other engines in its portfolio.

DDSF uses patented algorithms that choose to skip or fire individual cylinders dynamically to meet an engine's torque demands. This enables near-peak engine efficiency for cleaner burning, as well as more fuel-efficient vehicles. Noise and vibration are proactively mitigated by manipulating the firing pattern and cylinder loading

"Liebherr is a forward-thinking company focusing already today on the challenges that customers around the world will face tomorrow,"

 "The reduction of greenhouse gases and nitrogen oxide emissions is the goal that we strive to achieve, while continuously improving our engine's performance," says Ulrich Weiss, managing director for research and development of combustion engines at Liebherr Machines Bulle.

Weiss added that the results of the joint study indicate that dDSF plays an important role in addressing these challenges, being part of future solutions, which will help in reaching zero emissions".

The initiative is timely given that the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency last week introduced standards that aim to reduce nitrogen oxide (NOx) emissions from heavy-duty gasoline and diesel engines and would lower NOx emissions up to 60% by 2045.