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GASOLINE ENGINESAiming For A Cut AboveKohler launching new Command Pro EFI 824 cc gasoline engine for commercial mowersKohler is launching a new air-cooled gasoline engine for the commercial turf equipment industry. The Command Pro 824cc EFI engine will be availablein ratings of 27 to 33 hp and isdesigned to meet the growinghorsepower and fuel economydemands of ZTR mowers.By Mike BrezonickIn any business, a key to successis understanding where your customers are going and what they’regoing to need when they get there.When Kohler Engines studied thetrends in the commercial mowingindustry in recent years, it identifieda growing push for greater power andperformance, as well as a need forbetter fuel economy.The company also didn’t see anything in the market that it thought waseffectively addressing those somewhat contradictory requirements.“When we boiled down the marketopportunity,” said Mark Johansen, director of marketing for Kohler Engines, “wesaw that the commercial mower marketwas trending toward a space that wasnot being well served by any engine orengine manufacturer.”To address that deficiency, Kohlerhas developed an all-new engine inits Command Pro range of electronic fuel injection, air-cooled gasolineengines. The Command Pro 824 EFI28will be available in four models withratings from 27 to 33 hp, all targeting commercial mowing equipment,particularly zero-turn radius (ZTR)mowers. Kohler has also developeda propane-fueled version (see relatedstory) for the growing alternative fuelmower markets.“I’ve been with Kohler 5½ yearsand of any gasoline engine we’velaunched during that time, this is theproduct I am most excited about,”said Tom Cromwell, president, KohlerPower. “It provides both great powerand great fuel efficiency, which is atremendous combination that reallyfits the market needs.”Those market trends, at least in theZTR segment, have all been goingin one direction, Johansen said.“Since 2005, deck sizes 54 in. andlarger went from 55% to just over67%,” Johansen said. “In 2005, average ground speed was somewherebetween 6 and 8 mph. By 2011, thatcrept up to 12 to 15 mph.DIESEL PROGRESS NORTH AMERICAN EDITION October 2014“Larger decks, faster ground speeds,all driven by bigger hydraulic motors— it really required a shift in horsepower. It’s a pretty phenomenal shift— 28 hp and higher went from under10% to just less than 40% from 2005to 2011.“Some additional research we didshows that over the life of a commercial ZTR, fuel costs account for48% of the total cost of owning thatmachine. Fuel efficiency is extremelyimportant to this group.”Kohler aims to address the ZTRmarket needs through a combinationof displacement and technology. Interms of displacement, the CommandPro 824 EFI has a bore and strokeof 86 x 71 mm and is a significantstep up in terms of displacementfrom Kohler’s current EFI offering inthe commercial mower space, theCommand Pro 747 cc EFI engine.“We did think about,whether we couldstretch our current engine to meet therequirements we saw coming,” saidDale Snyder, director of engineering,Gas Engines, Kohler. “In reality, thatengine has been stretched somewhatalready from the original design.“To hit the torque level we wanted,the mean effective pressure wouldhave needed to be much higher —and it was higher than we were comfortable with.”“That could have added a lot ofdurability risks,” Cromwell added. “Atthe same time, a higher displacementwill typically produce more torque butit also starts to use more fuel so thegoal is to keep displacement as smallas you can.“We also considered the new emissions limits coming in California.Knowing they’re going to go to anew standard for engines 825 ccand above — and typically what wesee is that what California does getscontinued on page 30

GASOLINE ENGINESThe new Kohler 824 cc EFI engine is designed to fit within the same general envelope asthe company’s existing 747 cc EFI engine and is also engineered to fit in the same spaceas many carbureted engines.adopted across the industry at somepoint — we knew we could get towhere we wanted to be from a torquestandpoint and stay below that emissions threshold.”In the new engine platform, Kohleris relying on some familiar technologies, teamed with some new designsto deliver improved fuel economyand high power and torque. TheCommand Pro 824 will utilize thesame tried-and-true Delphi closedloop EFI system used on the 747cc engine. Kohler and Delphi wereamong the pioneers in fuel injectionfor small gasoline engines and thereare thousands of Kohler engines withthe system operating in the field.The system can be teamed with amechanical or electronic governor.“The closed-loop Delphi EFI system is an enabler for fuel economy,” Snyder said. “Another thing wefocused on was reducing engine friction. We spent a lot of time trying tominimize engine pumping and frictionMore Powerful Propane PlayersBy Jack BurkeKohler Engines’ new line of 824 Command Proengines will include two propane versions.The 27 hp PCV850 and 29 hp PCV860 enginesare expected to go into production during the second quarter of 2015, said Eric Hudak, senior product manager, GasEngines Americas, Kohler Engines.“There’s been a significant boom in the production ofnatural gas in North America, specifically in the UnitedStates,” Hudak said. “That boom of natural gas production has caused a fundamental shift in the economics ofpropane, such that it’s really a 20 to 40% advantage forpropane over gasoline on a per Btu basis.”Hudak said Kohler has been producing gaseous-fueledengines for more than 50 years and currently has morethan 10 models, ranging from 0.6 to 1 L, in production.The company introduced its first closed-loop, electronicfuel-injected (EFI) propane engine in 2011. The 747 ccCommand Pro EFI PCV680 engine is rated 22 hp and wasreleased on zero-turn radius (ZTR) mowers in 2012.But because propane doesn’t have the same powerdensity as gasoline, there was concern that the 747 ccengine wasn’t providing enough power for some landscaping applications, especially in machines with 60 in. cuttingdecks, said Tom Cromwell, president, Kohler Engines.30DIESEL PROGRESS NORTH AMERICAN EDITION October 2014Kohler Engine’s newCommand Pro 824 cc EFIpropane engine will bemanufactured at the company’s commercial plantin Kohler, Wis. The company recently redesignedits production line andadded new robotics andinspection technology.“By changing from gasoline to propane, the enginepower drops by about 2.0 to 2.5 hp which, on a 60 in.deck and running higher ground speeds, is enough to besubstantial and that’s been one concern,” Cromwell said.

GASOLINE ENGINESlosses, making sure the crankshaftbearing supports are as stiff as possible to eliminate edge loading andavoid getting more friction in the rotating assembly.”The 824 cc Command Pro EFIengine also incorporates a highlytuned air intake system designed toenhance airflow and maximize powerand torque.The 17.5 in. manifold runners provide for better airflow into the engine,Snyder said. “This is a smaller displacement compared to some ofthe competition, so we need toget this engine to breathe betterand we put a lot of effort into doingjust that,” he said. “The key to making power in any gas engine is reallyto get enough air into it while minimizing pumping and frictional losses.“We draw air in through theintake manifold into the intake portand we focused on getting a downward slope of the port to increasethe inside radius and improve theThe 824 cc Command Pro EFIengine incorporates a highlytuned air intake systemdesigned to enhance airflow and maximize powerand torque. Kohler usedCFD analysis to developbetter airflow into theengine.airflow as the air goes in throughthe valve. Traditional die-cast cylinderheads usually make the air flow ona 90 angle and that doesn’t workKohler’s new engines will still offer all the fuel benefitsof propane but with more power than the smaller propane,Cromwell said.“It’s going to absolutely fit into that 27 to 29 hp sweetspot, which is where ZTRs are today,” Cromwell said.“From a propane EFI offering, it’s really going to be a greatsolution for the core of where the ZTR market is today.”Hudak said that because of the efficiency of Kohler’sEFI system as well as the low cost of propane, the newpropane engines could deliver 2 per hour savings overcarbureted gasoline engines. With the average commercialuser operating his ZTR mower approximately 600 hours ayear, that equates to savings of 2000 a year.Hudak said Kohler is the only company manufacturing a closed-loop EFI engine designed and optimized forpropane that produces equivalent power and torque to carbureted gasoline engines. The factory-direct propane EFImodels eliminate the need for less effective aftermarketpropane kits that typically need fuel adjustment, primingand often don’t perform as well, he said.As in the gasoline versions, the Kohler propane enginesincorporate Delphi’s closed-loop EFI technology designedto deliver optimal fuel efficiency along with a variety ofother benefits, including easy starting, improved power andincreased life span, Kohler said.The engine control unit (ECU) is engine mounted, as is thefuel pressure regulator, to simplify packaging, Hudak said.as well. We did a lot of CFD simulationon the airflow into the engine.”That simulation work includedcontinued on page 32Exmark introduced the Lazer Z propane mower powered by Kohler’sPCV740 EFI engine in 2013. Kohler is launching larger EFI propaneengines, the 27 hp PCV850 and 29 hp PCV860, in early 2015.“The new engines are really a drop-in place design, sothe package size is nearly identical to our gasoline EFI, soit is very easy for an OEM to put that into a piece of equipment,” Hudak said.The new engines will come standard with heavy-dutyair cleaner system and high-capacity PTO sleeve bearing,continued on page 32October 2014 DIESEL PROGRESS NORTH AMERICAN EDITION31

GASOLINE ENGINESAll of the new Command 824 EFIengines undergo a two-minutehot test at no load before theengine’s electronic control module is flashed.the Kohler-designed heavy-duty aircleaner, which is engineered to optimize centrifugal separation of debrisand reduce air cleaner depression.Along with the optimized intakemanifold, Kohler spent a lot of designeffort on the cylinder head and combustion chamber that incorporate amulti-angle valve seat configurationand fast-burn combustion chamberwith twin spark plugs.“We spent some time asking our-Hudak said. A horizontal shaft orientation will also be available.Along with fuel savings, the newengines offer a “green” bonus thatshould appeal to operators, Hudaksaid. The engines produce 50% fewerhydrocarbons than typical carburetedengines and can operate on OzoneAction Days that are in place in morethan 200 communities in the U.S.,he said.Propane-fueled equipment can alsohelp commercial cutters win businesscontracts with municipalities and otherorganizations seeking green fuels andtechnologies, he said. Additionally,there are numerous incentives forusing propane, including a 1000rebate from the Propane Educationand Research Council (PERC) onnew equipment purchases, additional state incentives of up to 2500offered by 11 states around the country, and municipal incentives in manylocal areas.While growing, the propane marketis still a sliver of business for Kohler.In model year 2014, four products onthe market used Kohler’s EFI propaneengines. In 2015 that number willlikely be more than 10, Hudak said,including one product from a newpartnership with Gravely.“Could propane be 10% of the commercial cut market in the future?”Cromwell said. “I’d say yes, I think thatis realistic, I think that’s possible.“But the current trends would haveto continue. We don’t want to drivethe market necessarily to propane,we think we have a great gasolinebased EFI system — we think wehave the best solution out there. Butwe also think we have the best propane EFI solution out there.“So let those chips fall where theyare and I think we’ll be well positionedin either case.”Kohler will produce the 824 ccCommand Pro EFI propane modelsat its commercial plant in Kohler, Wis.32www.kohlerengines.comDIESEL PROGRESS NORTH AMERICAN EDITION October 2014selves, did we really need two plugsor not?” Cromwell said. “We did alot of testing and said initially thatdefinitely could give us a faster flamefront — a faster burn rate resulting inless negative work from the engine,usually attributed to significant ignitionadvance — and could help us from atorque perspective. Then we considered whether we could get by with onespark plug, which is less cost.“We found through testing that therewas a substantial difference betweenone spark plug and two spark plugs.Using two helped us accomplishwhat we wanted both from a powerand emissions standpoint. It was animportant feature that we ended upverifying we needed.“We don’t think there is really a risk.Adding an additional spark plug addsa little bit of cost, but spark plugs arewell known, the ignition modules arewell known so there isn’t any part thatshould feel risky to customers. I don’tthink anybody’s going to look at it andsay, ‘Two spark plugs per cylinder,wow, that’s really scary.’”The company also did significantdevelopment work related to enginecooling, which manifested itself in highly engineered baffles, cylinder headsand specially designed crankcase finsengineered to provide efficient enginecooling for maximum reliability and

GASOLINE ENGINESdurability. “Heat is the root of all evilsfor an air-cooled engine,” Snyder said.“If you’re not cooling the source of theheat, you run into a lot of issues —vapor locking, leaking oil seals, leakinggaskets, structural failures.“So we focused a lot of upfrontanalysis to cool the source of theheat, which is the cylinder head, thecombustion chamber and the top thirdof the cylinder bore, to get all thatheat out. That way you’re not relyingupon an oil cooler to cool the oil whichtypically picks up heat from the powercylinder internally on an inefficient aircooled engine design.“This could be the first engine in itsclass that does not need an oil coolerto go into an application. That was achallenge that was thrown out to usand initially, we weren’t sure we coulddo it, but it worked out pretty well.”To make sure it did, the CommandPro 824 cc EFI engine underwent acomprehensive program of testingand verification that included nearly13,000 hours of computer simulations, more than 22,000 hours ofruntime in the lab and approximately5000 hours of application testing.“We’ve invested in a work-hourequivalent of six years of design simulation,” Johansen said. “The 824exceeds commercial duty standardsand is being released to the market after more than 27,500 hours oftesting, so the Kohler team and ourOEM partners are confident that theengine will offer lasting performanceand durability.”To support easy maintenance, allKohler Command Pro EFI enginesare supported by proprietary diagnostic software, which can be used to tapinto an engine’s critical performancedata. The software provides automotive-grade diagnostic capabilitiesand a variety of information to helpsimplify upkeep and repairs, including a log of operating conditions,total hours, oil temperatures, detailedload parameters.Kohler will produce the 824 ccCommand Pro EFI models at itscommercial plant in Kohler, Wis.,using new computer numerical control (CNC) machining centers and anewly designed production line outfitted with new robotics and inspection technology. All engines gothrough hundreds of quality checksthroughout the production processand each is individually testedbefore shipment, Kohler said. AllKohler Command Pro EFI enginesoffer a three-year commercial warranty.The Command Pro 824 EFI engineswill make their official debut at theGIE-Expo in Louisville, Ky., later thismonth and Kohler said the engineswould be in several model-year 2015commercial mowers. dpwww.kohlerengines.comTogether, we candeliver big filtrationthat fits in small spaces.Whether the rolling fairways of Augusta or the stripes onYankee Stadium, turf equipment depends on big filtration thatfits in small spaces. Racor delivers – with SNAPP – powerfulprotection with clear bowl monitoring. When it’s time forservice, simply snap in a new filter. For clean air, there’sthe compact ECO TL, built to withstand vibration and deliverhigh capacity filtration. Racor, the clean, green solution.www.parker.com/racor 1 209 521 7860 racor@parker.comOctober 2014 DIESEL PROGRESS NORTH AMERICAN EDITION33

Kohler Engine’s new Command Pro 824 cc EFI propane engine will be manufactured at the com-pany’s commercial plant in Kohler, Wis. The com-pany recently redesigned its production line and added new robotics and inspection technology. The new Kohler 824 cc EFI engi

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