On April 20, 2024, the 2024 World Congress on Internal Combustion Engines began in Tianjin, China, marking a watershed point in the industry. Weichai Power grabbed the headlines by revealing a revolutionary achievement: the world’s first diesel engine with an intrinsic thermal efficiency of 53.09 percent.
This astounding achievement received formal recognition from both TÜV SÜD, a prestigious foreign testing company, and the China Automotive Technology & Research Center, a major testing body for Chinese internal combustion engines. The issue of product testing reports and certificates by these reputable institutions confirmed Weichai Power’s achievement of a new world record in the critical economic metric of diesel engine thermal efficiency.
Since the invention of the diesel engine 127 years ago, scientists and engineers around the world have spent their lives working to improve thermal efficiency in diesel engines. This sophisticated problem not only requires a complex system engineering procedure, but it also serves as a litmus test for a country’s overall capability in internal combustion engine technology. Over time, the desire to enhance diesel engine thermal efficiency has remained an ongoing international problem.
Weichai Power’s Technological Achievements
Since 2015, Weichai Power has created a formidable research team committed to developing high-thermal efficiency engines, which includes hundreds of young Ph.D. holders and thousands of engineers. This multidisciplinary team has worked with outstanding brains from throughout the country and around the world, as well as industry-university-research partners, to perform cutting-edge technological research and push the boundaries of innovation.
Building on earlier triumphs, Weichai Power’s research team started on a 500-day intensive endeavor to improve four important systems: combustion, air intake, fuel delivery, and friction reduction. The team achieved 0.1% incremental gains at each phase by implementing innovations such as high-expansion combustion, mixed-flow pressurization, high-efficiency fuel injection, and friction-reducing technologies with low resistance. These improvements resulted in a watershed moment: exceeding the 53% thermal efficiency barrier for the first time globally.
This performance is comparable to a human sprinting the 100-meter race in sub 9 seconds. Along with technical accomplishments, the team obtained 176 invention patents and 68 utility model patents during the research and development phase.
Mr. Dirk von Wahl, CEO of TÜV SÜD North Asia, praised Weichai’s extraordinary achievements in a video message, recognizing their considerable effect on the global stage and exceeding existing industry norms.
He emphasized Weichai’s strong scientific research capabilities and technical prowess, highlighting the milestone’s potential to support China’s carbon peaking and neutrality goals, green development initiatives, and global industry efforts to achieve sustainable growth, energy conservation, and emissions reduction.
According to estimates of Chinese diesel engine ownership, increasing thermal efficiency from 45-46% to 53% could boost diesel engine economy by approximately 14%, resulting in annual fuel savings of around 31 million tons and a reduction in carbon emissions of around 97 million tons. For a heavy-duty tractor traveling 250,000 kilometers per year, this upgrade might save approximately 12,000 liters of diesel fuel per year, resulting in an annual savings of almost 98,000 yuan for the owner.
This technical progress has a far-reaching impact on industries other than transportation, including construction machinery, agricultural equipment, ships, and power production equipment, all of which contribute significantly to global economic and social development.