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Kohler In-Production on Command PRO EFI Engines
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- Category: Technology
- Published: Saturday, 20 February 2010 17:47
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Closed-loop EFI is standard on new models, ensuring fuel efficiency and reliability
KOHLER,
Beginning with its Command PRO 29-horsepower (747 cc), twin-cylinder, horizontal- and vertical-shaft, air-cooled gasoline engines, Kohler will convert its entire Command Pro line – 22 models ranging from 19 – 41 horsepower (694-999cc) to closed-loop EFI.
Miller Electric Mfg. Co., a leading manufacturer of welder/generators, is among the first OEMs to specify a new KOHLER Command PRO EFI engine. The new 12-kw welder/generator introduced by Miller in late 2009 is powered by a horizontal-shaft KOHLER Command PRO EFI model.
Kohler is partnering with
At that time, Kohler incorporated EFI as an option on select air- and liquid-cooled carbureted models, which carried a higher price tag over its Kohler In-Production on Command PRO EFI Engines.
Since then, Kohler has found a way to take the EFI technology and integrate it among multiple horsepower levels at an extremely competitive price.
Also true to Kohler Engines, the closed-loop system the brand had incorporated on those first models more than a decade ago will continue to be the standard feature on the new EFI engines.
In most engines, when an EFI engine is started, it operates in an open loop mode mapped by the electronic control unit (ECU). Only KOHLER EFI engines include an oxygen sensor that analyzes the air/fuel mixture in the exhaust. If the oxygen level strays from the ideal air/fuel mixture, the sensor triggers adjustments in the ECU map to adjust the amount of fuel injected into the system. Only KOHLER EFI engines then close the loop between the air/fuel intake and the exhaust output to provide a constant stream of critical feedback and optimal power and fuel economy. The closed loop advantage also means that only KOHLER EFI engines automatically adapt to all operating conditions.
An additional benefit of the new KOHLER EFI engines is instant load response. The Kohler exclusive EFI system allows the engine to respond with peak performance even in the most demanding of applications.
Kohler also designed this new line of engines within the same footprint as its current Command PRO models, so that OEMs can easily drop in the newest KOHLER engine without the added expense of altering the end equipment design to accommodate the new engine. This is accommodated by Kohler’s exclusive self-contained EFI design, which features only one fuel line rather than an additional return fuel line. The fuel module, electronic control unit and sensors are also all engine-mounted.
?Given the volatility of fuel costs, engine efficiency is an ever-present concern. With Kohler’s EFI models, depending on the application, end users can realize up to 28 percent fuel efficiency savings, said Cam Litt, marketing manager, Kohler Engines. ?Adding to our reputation as an environmentally responsible engine manufacturer, Kohler engines are within the EPA phase 3/CARB Tier 3 levels, with extremely low levels of HC and NOx being produced.
Flex fuel program forthcoming
In 2008, Kohler also announced plans to develop the industry’s first EFI engines with a flex-fuel option. According to Litt, this alternate fuel option, such as E-85, could be available to OEMs some time in 2010, once the business has completed the EFI conversion across the entire Command PRO twin-cylinder line