Cummins is future-proofing its internal combustion engine options developing a “common base range” of power units that can be adapted to run on natural gas, hydrogen, or diesel by making a few simple alterations.

According to the company’s construction market director Jeremy Harsin, Cummins has developed a fuel-agnostic approach in which “you scale the bottom end of the engine, change the air handling systems and the cylinder head,” and away you go.

It’s all about bridge products for a zero-emission and long-term hydrogen fuel cell future.

The fuel-agnostic architecture of the company’s 15 litre platform utilises a common base engine with cylinder heads and fuel systems specifically tailored for it to use carbon-free hydrogen or biogas with up to a 90% carbon reduction.

Cummins’ 15 litre hydrogen has power ratings up to 530hp (395kW) and the natural gas unit goes up to 510hp (380kW). The advanced diesel version can use either sustainable HVO fuel or biodiesel with ratings up to 650 hp (485 kW) for the most demanding off-highway duty-cycles.

A key design feature of the new platform is a Double-Overhead-Camshaft (DOHC) realising significant advances in combustion and thermal efficiency. Friction losses across the engine design have also been reduced and a sculpted block contributes to weight saving. The DOHC design also enables a more efficient integral engine brake to be accommodated.