Lightweight and Highly-Efficient Engines Through Al and Si Alloying of Martensitic Materials

The aim of this work is to modify current steel powertrain materials using small amounts of alloying additions to significantly improve mechanical, physical, and thermal properties of the material. The improved materials will be deployed in Cummins portfolio of light, medium, and heavy-duty diesel engines to enable significantly improved efficiency and weight reduction while maintaining manufacturability and limiting cost increases. The work to be accomplished during this project will include computational design of a series of notional modified alloys, melting and thermo-mechanical processing of the designed alloys, followed by testing and microstructural characterization of the alloys to identify which alloying strategies provide the most optimal performance and cost benefits.

Cummins Success Story, 2023