Engine Division January 1997

New Fuel Usage Guides for Cat® G3400

Product News and G3500 Gas Engines

Market All gas

Application All gas G3400 and G3500 engines

Description New Fuel Usage Guides (FUGs) have been published in the
latest edition of Performance Books for the G3400 and G3500
engines. These books were published during the months of July
and October 1996.

Features/Benefits The new FUGs are in tabular form. The derate factor and timing
information is given for a range of fuel methane numbers
(see example: Fig 1). These new FUGs offer the following
advantages: 1) a chart for each AC Temp (engine rating),
2) easily determined Minimum Methane Number, and
3) numerical derate factors given in tabular form.

Compatibility The new FUGs are available at this time for all G3400 and
G3500 gas engines. These FUGs should be used with the
methane number that is calculated with Methane Number
Program Version 5.0 (form LEKQ6378).

Attachments to Example and explanation of a new Fuel Usage Guide

This Publication

LEXX7232 Information contained in this publication may be considered © 1997 Caterpillar Inc.
confidential. Discretion is recommended when distributing. Printed in U.S.A.
All rights reserved.
 PRODUCT NEWS – FUEL USAGE GUIDE

G3516 LE Fuel Usage Guide

8:1 Compression Ratio 130° F
1200 rpm

Derate Factor/Engine Timing vs Methane Number DM0107-01

<30 30 35 40 45 50 55 60 65 70 75 80 83 to 100
0/– 0.9/19 0.9/21 0.9/22 1.0/23 1.0/24 1.0/26 1.0/27 1.0/28 1.0/30 1.0/31 1.0/32 1.0/33
Fig. 1

• Fig. 1 Fuel Usage Guide from new G3500 Industrial Performance Book (form LEBQ6117)

• Fuel Usage Guide Information:

The header gives the engine model and configuration (LE, TA, NA), the compression ratio, the AC
Temp (engine rating), and the engine speed.
The Minimum Methane Number of the fuel that can be used with this engine model is 30. This is
denoted by the 0 derate factor for fuels with <30 methane number (column one). The derate for fuels
with methane number between 30 and <45 is .9. This means the fuel derate for the 30 to <45
methane number fuels is 10% or the engine can develop 90% of its power before detonation will
occur. Power is shown in the performance data on the page previous to each FUG in the new books.
For fuels with a methane number of 45 to 100, the derate factor is 1.0, or there is no fuel deration
required, and the engine can develop full engine horsepower without detonation. Note: fuel deration
is only one of the deration factors to consider with gas engines.
The second number after the “slash” symbol (/) in the bottom row is the optimum timing for the fuel
shown in the same column. Example: The timing when using a 55 methane number fuel should be
26 degrees Before Top Dead Center (BTDC). No timing is shown for fuels with <30 methane
number since 30 is the Minimum Methane Number of fuel that should be used in this engine model
and configuration. The highest methane number shown in this chart is 100. This implies that the 8:1
compression ratio engine is not the better choice for fuels over 100 methane number. For better
combustion and fuel economy, an 11:1 or higher compression ratio engine should be used with these
slower burning fuels.