AUSTRALIA is the largest gas exporter in the world, and when the market asked for a sub-4L reliable engine to power the gas well heads, Kubota’s engineers set to work to develop a spark ignition natural gas engine.
Kubota Australia OEM engine application engineer Alex Pedemont said the new WG series engines have the DNA of a diesel engine.
“Based on diesel engine derivatives, the WG range share the Kubota diesel engine block, premium timing gear train cam and valve systems and cast-iron cylinder heads,” Mr Pedemont said.
“The WG range is built stronger than its automotive counterpart and the feature that really makes it stand out is the coil-on-plug ignition system.
“The automotive system is a distributor where you have spark plug leads that run across the engine whereas the coil-on-plug ignition system is directly over the spark plug – so there are less components and less chance of failure.”
The ignition system eliminates spark plug wires and is a water-resistant system that starts easily and runs smoothly, with sensors managing the spark.
“The engines have knock sensors which detect detonation through mechanical vibration in the engine block, cylinder or head,” Mr Pedemont said.
“The sensor sends instant feedback to the ignition system in order to retard spark, reduce knock intensity and therefore protect the engine.
“Also, the electronic control unit (ECU) can be programmed on site with an engine calibration file (CAL) to match fuel input.”
The replacement intervals on the spark plugs are 2000 hours, and Mr Pedemont said the new engines provide a longer life cycle than the automotive engines with the added benefit of being cheaper to power and maintain.
“With less moving parts than the automotive engines currently in use, the WG engines advantage is clear, less maintenance, less downtime,” he said.
“That’s great news for operators who can expect continuous and uninterrupted production.”
Natural gas engines
The new family of Kubota engines have similar components to the company’s reliable diesel counterparts and are designed to run on natural gas.
Kubota have targeted that these engines to power wellhead application using generators and hydraulic power units.
The new engines provide a sub-4L option to the automotive engines currently running pumps at gas wellheads.
Configured to be fuelled by natural gas, Kubota’s WG engines also provide gas field operators with an efficient, low fuel usage engine that increase the profit of the wells for the operators.
Mr Pedemont said the engines are perfect for gas wellhead operations and because they are smaller, the engines are key to wellhead profitability.
“The power demand to extract the gas at the wellhead decreases over time, and that is where the smaller engine comes into service,” he said.
“Cheaper to run, easy to install and maintain, the Kubota engines have easy access points and testing has shown the engine to provide continuous uninterrupted power.”
After field testing at different speeds on gas wellheads, engineers from Japan inspect and evaluate the engines – demonstrating the importance of the WG natural gas market and Kubota’s dedication to making a first impression that lasts.
“The engineers in Japan have learned that the engines are capable to withstand extremely harsh environments and a broad range of wellhead gas,” Mr Pedemont said.
“They are simply built stronger to last longer in the harsh Australian environment.”
WG2503-N-E3 and WG3800-N-E3 Specifications
Emissions:
Kubota’s WG series engines have been designed to comply with EPA Tier 2/CARB Tier 3 + Stage V (EU Stage V for the WG2503-N-E3 engine).
Fuel Flexibility:
The installation compatibility that exists between spark-ignition engines (SI) and compression-ignition engines (CI) is convenient for customers who need fuel flexibility for their products. The Kubota WG3800 includes gasoline, LPG, and natural gas versions, as well as duel fuel version (gasoline and LPG) to meet customer needs.
Durability and reliability:
Kubota’s WG3800 SI engines are designed based on Kubota V3800 diesel (CI) engines, which are known worldwide as reliable industrial engines and feature combination chambers, as well as fuel and ignition systems dedicated for SI engines.
The WG2503 SI engines are designed after Kubota 03 Series diesel (CI) engines. While keeping the same footprint as the V2403 diesel, they offer performance similar to that of our turbo diesel engines, which are known worldwide as reliable industrial engines.
The WG series engines offer very low vibration and extremely low noise.
Key features
- Coil-on-plug ignition
- Individual coils for each spark plug deliver improved control and durability.
- Runs on natural gas
- The diesel engine block is built on the footprint of the tried and trusted diesel counterpart.
- Front gear train with heavy duty valve timing control
- Delivers heavy duty valve timing control and zero maintenance
- Premium engine valves with robust cast iron cylinder head
- Valves made of high temperature alloys to provide a longer life cycle and are built to operate in Australia’s harsh conditions.
- Knock sensors
- Programmable on site to match fuel energy levels, the knock sensors regulate spark ignition to provide superior engine protection.
More Information:
P: 1300 582 582
W: www.kubota.com.au
