Buck Marine Diesel

[timbillyosu]

Just wanted to get the word out on a new Diesel engine. The engine is called a Buck Marine Diesel.

I work at Buck Marine Diesel. We are currently developing a prototype diesel engine specifically designed for inboard marine use. We're still working on things right now. We're getting VERY close to getting the first prototype fully up and running. We had it running yesterday for about an hour at around 2000 rpm without any problems. We need to do a little more work to get our dyno fully-functional but things are going good.

Since we didn't have the dyno working properly, we're not positive on the actual power numbers. However, while running under a moderate load at about 2000 rpm, the exhaust temperatures were around 1000 degrees F. We ran under those conditions for about 15 minutes. The hottest that the coolant pump got was about 120 degrees F. None of the 6 heads were over 140 degrees and all of them were within about 5 degrees of one another. You could lay your hands on top of the valve covers.

Check out our website for further pictures and videos.

Feel free to ask any questions that you have.

http://www.buckdiesel.com

[kengrome]

Whaat is the size / weight / horsepower of the smallest engine you'll be manufacturing?

[timbillyosu]

The smallest engine will be a 3-cylinder. It should weigh about 750 lbs when fully ready to run. The overall size dimensions are listed on our website under the specifications tab. We are estimating around 350-400 HP from it.

[timbillyosu]

They are inline engines.

Here's a little more information on the design:

We are currently working on a 6-cylinder model with 3- and 4-cylinder models to follow. The engines have a unique two injector per cylinder design that will increase the fuel mapping potential exponentially and result in lower emissions capability. The family of engines will range from 150 to 700 HP and have been designed from the bottom up with a totally different approach. These engines are capable of exceptional cooling, allowing for substantial improvements in power output while increasing longevity.

The cooling path for this engine is a fraction of most engines. In the classic designs, coolant flows into the front of the engine, all the way back to the rear cylinder, then back out the front. This means that the rear cylinder is always receiving water that has already been heated by the previous cylinders.

In the Buck Marine system, the coolant flows individually into and out of each cylinder. This means that the all of the cylinders will be operating at the same temperature at all times. Using individual and shorter cooling paths, will also help eliminate hot spots and temperature stacking.

The engine also has a dual cooling system that uses both an internal coolant as well as circulating raw water from whatever body of water the boat is in. This cooling system will keep the engine running cool, allowing us to generate more power. If a problem should arise, the engine is also very serviceable.

The modular cylinder design allows for easy maintenance. With our design, you can change an individual cylinder, head, piston, and connecting rod without having to remove the crank case. We are estimating that the entire upper half of the engine (cylinders, heads, pistons, and connecting rods ) could be entirely replaced in about 2 hours time. Each of the aforementioned parts is also interchangeable with each of the other cylinders. In addition, nearly every seal is made with an o-ring of some form, meaning that the gasket set for the entire engine can fit in a gallon-sized plastic bag. These two factors will significantly reduce part inventory. A video of the connecting rod replacement procedure is available on the website.

[kengrome]

I like the engineering, there's no doubt about that! But the engines are a bit too big for the boats I usually build these days so I will keep an eye on them for the future -- because you never know what changes lie ahead ...

[marshmat]

After a cursory glance, a few of the things I like about it:
- Gear driven cams and pumps
- Ease of servicing (in-place rebuild? wow!) with relatively small spare parts inventory
- Modular design with a lot of shared components between models
- Dual injector technology looks pretty cool, curious to see how well it works

And a few uncertainties:
- Dual cooling system; for a boat that lives in saltwater I have a hard time liking the idea of any raw water touching the engine; can the raw-water loop be filled with coolant and piped to a keel cooler instead?
- Availability of parts; in the event that it does need to be repaired somewhere on the coast of Angola, will parts be available?

What kind of duty cycle are we talking about, and with how many engine hours between overhauls? Will there be multiple ratings available (ie, a 200 hp version that's good for 15,000 h between overhauls and a 300 hp version of the same engine that needs work every 7,000 h)?

[timbillyosu]

Matt, the raw water isn't pumped directly into the engine. Their is an internal coolant system that enters the engine. The raw water is only pumped through the oil cooler, transcooler, fuel chiller, and a heat exchanger located inside of the exhaust manifold where the heat is removed from the internal coolant.

When things are scaled up to production, I'll make sure Angola gets put on our mailing list :-)

[FAST FRED]

Sounds like you have got the repairability of the old Volvo MD series , just hope you don't end up with Volvo pricing.

Have you an early fuel map? For 150-200hp.

Will you be springing the big bucks to get Euro Tier 3 and other certs?

Good luck on a creative adventure.

FF

[TollyWally]

What a bold undertaking. I am impressed with what I've seen so far.

[timbillyosu]

We're still working on developing the fuel map.

As for other certs, that's a little down the line as of yet...

[FAST FRED]

You folks have my admiration , taking on DD, MTU , and converters like Deere is a big undertaling.

If your looking for a testbed , let me know.IF the fuel consumption is world class in about 80 -130 hp delivered.

FF

[timbillyosu]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B5PkOV6gxZA - Video of the Engine Running

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hsgCHbptRRc - Upper End Replacement

[cmdjames]

The modular cylinder design is interesting. However, it sounds very expensive to manufacture. I am not really understanding how 2 injectors per cylinder will increase effeciency or emmisions. There are currently injection systems available that can perform 5 pre injections, 3 main injections, and 5 post injections. How much additional control could one possibly need? Are you going for EPA Tier 2 / IMO certifications right now? Who performed your combustion mapping? Sorry for the questions, but I am always interested in the thought process behind certain new engine designs.

[timbillyosu]

The engines will be a bit more expensive than others, but the first time you have a problem and have to service it, you will probably come close to making up that margin.

The injectors are different size. A large and a small. For idling and low power applications the small injector could be use. When more power is required, the large is used and the small is used for pre-injection.

We will be going for full certification as soon as we have the prototype fully running and tested.

We haven't fully mapped the combustion cycles yet. That is actually something we are currently working.

[cmdjames]

Originally Posted by timbillyosu

The engines will be a bit more expensive than others, but the first time you have a problem and have to service it, you will probably come close to making up that margin.

The injectors are different size. A large and a small. For idling and low power applications the small injector could be use. When more power is required, the large is used and the small is used for pre-injection.

We will be going for full certification as soon as we have the prototype fully running and tested.

We haven't fully mapped the combustion cycles yet. That is actually something we are currently working.

That is interesting. You are taking a complicated system and simplifying it. I hope the injector thing works out the way you want it to. When I worked at Fiat, we spent a lot of time on the injection pulses. They had settled on 3 - 1 - 2 when the Alfa engine was completed. I guess this gets you around having to use a Bosch or Denso fuel system. Combustion mapping is the most expensive and important part of development. It almost always has to be outsourced in order to do it right. Good luck and I will be reading on here and your website to see how the project progresses. Whenever you get a torque curve, make sure you post it up. That should be some nice advertisement and proof that your ideas work.