Bennett Clayton Engine Technology

Bennett Clayton Pty. Ltd. is an engine development company specialising in the development and implementation of alternative fuel conversions for existing diesel engines.

John Bennett was invited to Brazil in the 1980s, when the Government decided to start turning the huge sugar glut into ethanol fuel to power the transport fleet. The engine development engineers encountered the usual problems, making an engine run without sputter, misfire, and high fuel consumption and the motors were clearly unacceptable for general use.

JB was allocated an engine laboratory and staff and within 3 weeks of arrival had built a demonstration engine, which ran extremely well and the principle of his design was used in subsequent ethanol engines in Brazil. JB spent the next year testing, refining and lecturing both in Brazil and at CRMT in France. JB also speaks fluent Portuguese.

The Bennett Clayton technology, invented and patented by John Bennett in the 1990’s, enables the conversion of diesel engines to a range of alternative and/or renewable fuels including LPG, LNG and bio-alcohols (including methanol and ethanol). These engines are designed to operate in traditional heavy-duty applications delivering significant improvements in fuel efficiency, power and reduced emissions.

Bennett Clayton’s current development focus is principally the conversion of stationary diesel engines to LPG, as this fuel is locally produced; widely available and supported by a well established and extensively distribution infrastructure.

Diesel to LPG conversions have been implemented in a range of stationary and mobile diesel engines including MAN metropolitan transport buses; Mercedes Benz trucks; London taxis; Nissan utility truck; Toyota Landcruiser truck and on stationary engines used for deep bore water pumping and electricity generation.

In every case, the converted engines have delivered significant benefits in terms of emissions, running costs and operational improvement

A John Deere 6068 diesel engine was remanufactured incorporating a Bennett Clayton LPG conversion.

The engine has been developed on order for an agricultural application powering a deep bore water pump.

Engine No.1 of the type was developed as a proof-of-concept and development bed. It has been in field operation since April 2009 delivering the following performance benchmarks:

· Pumping costs reduced from AU$51/Ml to AU$38/Ml
· Greenhouse gas emissions (GHG) reduction of 11%
· Regulated emissions reduced by up to 92%. Particulates reduced by 99.9%

Sophisticated combustion design, and thoughtful engineering are required to produce a motor that is simple and maintenance friendly, yet super clean and efficient.

This engine will provide years of service, using LPG, and is ready for future alcohol fuels.

Bennett Clayton engines are essentially multi-fuel ready and can be optimised to other fuels, such as bio-alcohols, with little adjustment and modification.

Bennett Clayton delivers customer product requirements right first time by implementing a rigorous and comprehensive product quality assurance; reliance on high integrity materials; meticulous process control; and by embedding quality engineering in processes, procedures and team ethic.

Source: Bennett Clayton, July 2009