On January 18, the CPC Central Committee and the State Council held the 2012 National Science & Technology Award Conference at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing. The conference presented the National Top Science and Technology Award to two experts, the second prize of the National Natural Science Award to 41 projects, the National Technical Invention Award to 77 projects and the National Award for Progress in Science and Technology to 212 projects. The Key Technologies and Industrialization of Energy-conserving and Environment-friendly Engines of Yuchai Machinery Co., Ltd. (Yuchai) grabbed the second national prize for progress in science and technology. Shen Jie, chief engineer of Yuchai Group and the first completer of the project, received the prize on behalf of Yuchai. This is Yuchais first time to win the award.

As Chinas largest internal combustion engine manufacturing base, with the dual mission of fulfilling social responsibility and developing the national brand, Yuchai Group launched the special project of Key Technologies and Industrialization of Energy-conserving and Environment-friendly Engines in 2003, striving to achieve breakthrough in key technologies of energy-conserving and environment-friendly diesel engines including light-weight and high-strength structural design, high-efficiency in-cylinder combustion, accurately-controlled electronic high-pressure fuel injection and clean exhaust emission control, and to develop new-type energy-conserving and environment-friendly diesel engines that suit Chinas national conditions and are up to international standards. Through nearly a decade of efforts, the project has achieved breakthrough in innovative technologies and fulfilled fixed targets during the development of core technical platforms for diesel engine structure design, combustion development, emission control and electronic control.

Since 2005, engines based on the projects technical achievements have been launched in large volume and been widely used on over 100 key models. According to the projects key technical achievements compared with eight to ten years before the initiation of the project, Yuchais key energy conservation and environmental protection technologies have been close to foreign technologies and kept ahead of other domestic technologies. Of these technologies, combustion and emission control have basically been up to advanced international standards, and power density, thermal efficiency and B10 life have been fully up to advanced international standards.

(Li Wei)