Engine nomenclature explained

Perkins engines are produced with a large number of options. Most of the information you need is included in the engine’s name – as long as you know how to read it.

The letters and numbers that make up an engine’s model number are a series of codes to tell you the engine family, the number of cylinders, the emissions standard, the type of ignition, the capacity, the type of aspiration and the generator set rating.

The Model Number

It is easiest to demonstrate with a particular engine model – a 1206E-E66TAG, for instance.

• The first two digits – 12 – tell you the engine family, in this case 1200 Series
• The next two digits – 06 – tell you the number of cylinders, in this case six
• The next letter – E – confirms the engine meets EU Stage IIIB/U.S. EPA Tier 4 Interim
• The E after the hyphen says it has electronic fuel injection. If there were no letter, it would have mechanical injection
• The next two digits – 66 – give you the engine capacity in decilitres, in this case 6.6 litres
• The following letters give its type of aspiration. In this case, T means it is turbocharged, and A says it is air-to-air chargecooled. W would mean it was water-to-air chargecooled, and if there were no letter, it would be naturally aspirated
• The G in brackets gives the engine’s generator set rating

Other designations:

• ElectropaK has ratings to suit a generator set application. It has a fixed speed, and comes complete with radiator, cooling group and fan
• Electro Unit, also fixed speed, has no radiator, cooling group or fan. It is suitable for individually installed combined heat and power set-ups

Industrial Open Power Unit (IOPU), with variable speed, is normally sold with a radiator, cooling group and fan. It is a non-vehicle power unit, which often shares ratings with off-highway derivatives. Typical applications include pumps and compressors.