Propulsion System for FCS High Power Diesel Engine has Flexible Concept

• Engine Family with Inline and Vee Versions
• Power Range from 400 to 1500 hp (300 to 1100 Kw)
• Flexible Concept Allows for Engine Front or Sponson Mount
• 50 Hour Tests Successfully Completed

Ft. Lauderdale - At AUSA in Ft. Lauderdale, Detroit Diesel Corporation (DDC) and MTU Friedrichshafen, both DaimlerChrysler companies, presented their new engine family for the Future Combat Systems of the US Army. Shown were both a Vee 6-cylinder and an In-line 4-cylinder of the new Series 890 family of engines. The series 890 is a modular family of diesel engines from 4 cylinders through 12 cylinders. It is an all-new design, not a commercial engine derative, featuring total integration of engine components as part of the total basic engine. System weight and volume are optimized resulting in the smallest, lightest package possible to create the power needed for future military vehicles like FCS.

The Series 890 is a fourth generation combat vehicle engine that has evolved from proven applications in the Leopard l and ll tanks and culminated in the USMC Expeditionary Fighting Vehicle (formerly AAAV). While the engine family is all-new, the technology is not; therefore, the technology risk to gain this major leap in power density is very low.

Power Range from 400 to 1500 hp

These new engines, commonly called High Power Density (HPD) engines, are four stroke engines and cover the power range from 400 to 1500 hp (300 to 1100 kW). In comparison to other compact military diesel engines, the series 890 diesels have 50 percent the volume and weight as other modern diesels of the same power output. In terms of power-to-weight and power-to-size ratio, it also beats the best automobile diesels by some 30 per cent.

Flexible Concept Allows for Engine Front or Sponson Mount

The 890 engines target a new generation of armored vehicles weighing between 10 and 60 tons, including the FCS vehicle for the US Army. The engine family concept is very flexible which provides the vehicle integrator a choice of cylinder configurations to install the engine either into the front or sponson of the vehicle. The design and technology of the 890 diesels is optimal for both diesel electric and diesel mechanic drive systems. This makes it suitable for a wide range of vehicle concepts and weight classes. In fact, DaimlerChrysler Off-Highway is the only engine manufacturer who developed a military engine family with both Vee and Inline engines.

TRL5 50-Hour Tests Successfully Completed

In December 2003, the 6V 890 was successfully tested proving the development target of 550 kW at full load. Another important milestone, the 50 hour continuous test (technical readiness level 5; TLR), has been reached, too. This test was run as part of the contract with US Army TACOM, to develop and deliver series 890 diesel engines as a candidate to power the US Army's new Future Combat Systems (FCS).

The Series 890 is also the chosen engine for the new German Infantry Fighting Vehicle "Puma" for which mtu has been awarded the contract to develop a complete propulsion system. Although very lightweight (basic weight approx. 31 tons), "Puma" is designed for a high protection against ballistic attacks. The resulting requirements for the drive system are correspondingly high as well. "Puma" will be equipped with a 10-cylinder series 890 engine, with a maximum power output of 1100 hp at 4250 min-1 and a maximum torque of 2070 Nm, the core engine weighing 860 kg. The first 10V engine is scheduled for mid-2004.