MAN reveals details of new gas-powered stationary engines

MAN E3872 natural gas and biogas engine

MAN Engines has published details of its new biogas and natural gas engines for stationary applications.

Based on the MAN E3262 (25.8 L), the MAN E3872 is a 29.6 L 12-cylinder four-stroke engine with spark ignition. The new engine produces 735 kW at 1,500 rpm. Length/width/height of the engine is 1760 x 1245 x 1410 mm and it has a dry weight of 2160 kg.

While the new engine uses the same crankcase as the E3262 (in production since 2010), the bore has been increased to 138 mm (+6 mm) and the stroke has increased to 165 mm (+7 mm).

MAN states that numerous innovations have been incorporated in the engine to achieve this power output.

These include the single turbo concept, which is said to have had a significant impact on engine efficiency through fine-tuning the inlet and outlet guide units (diffuser and nozzle ring). This allows the turbo to operated at optimal efficiency.

The engine also uses a new piston bowl design to help accelerate combustion and increase efficiency. The pre-chamber spark plugs, specifically adapted for the combustion chamber, help the mix to combust in several areas, which helps to reduce NOx output.

A hydraulic valve lash adjuster makes checks and adjustments of the valve train unnecessary.

Other modifications include control times based on the Atkinson cycle, which is unusual for a stationary engine.

The natural gas and biogas variants of the E3872 engine respectively produce 250 mg and 500 mg NOx. An aftertreatment system (such as SCR) has the potential to reduce this to 100 mg.

MAN says that the efficiency of this engine makes it ideal suitable for applications where ‘the focus is on the production of electricity and additional generation of heat’. This makes it suitable for agricultural and municipal applications, and also other business settings.