Perkins 4012-46TAG V12 Diesel Generator Engine

Overview

The Perkins 4012-46TAG is a twelve-cylinder diesel engine from the Perkins 4000 Series, designed for the power generation industry with a particular focus on the standby market. It is a turbocharged, air-to-air charge cooled 60 degree vee engine of 45.8 litres, developed from a proven engine range, and Perkins offers it with either temperate or tropical cooling packages. Four ratings, TAG0A, TAG1A, TAG2A and TAG3A, cover typical generator outputs from 1000 kVA baseload up to 1880 kVA standby.

Seven Star LLC supplies the Perkins 4012-46TAG and its service parts to generator set packagers, EPC contractors, utilities and owners of critical facilities in Oman and the GCC. We help clients compare ratings and cooling options for high ambient conditions, and we offer sourcing and model selection support in Muscat during project execution and in service.

Working Principle

The Perkins 4012-46TAG works on the four-stroke direct injection diesel cycle. Turbochargers driven by exhaust energy compress the intake air, which is then cooled in an air-to-air charge cooler before it enters the cylinders. Each cylinder has an individual four-valve head, and Perkins explains that the four valves give optimised gas flows while the unit fuel injectors ensure ultra-fine fuel atomisation and therefore controlled, rapid combustion. The 12.8:1 compression ratio is typical of large, highly charged engines of this class.

Because the engine is offered with baseload, prime, data centre power and standby ratings, the same hardware can be applied to very different duty cycles. In general engineering terms, the baseload rating is the lowest because the engine must sustain it continuously without overload, while the standby figure is the highest because running hours are short and no overload is expected. Selecting the right rating is therefore as important as selecting the right engine size.

Engineering Design of the Perkins 4012-46TAG

The Perkins 4012-46TAG has twelve cylinders arranged in a 60 degree vee with a 160 mm bore and 190 mm stroke, for a swept volume of 45.842 litres. It holds 157.5 litres of lubricating oil, and total coolant capacity is 223 or 233 litres depending on the cooling pack selected. Rotation is anti-clockwise viewed from the flywheel end. No exhaust aftertreatment is required on these fuel optimised ratings.

The engine is available as an Electro unit or as an ElectropaK. Standard equipment includes a fitted radiator, engine-mounted fuel filter, water separator, manual fuel priming pump, fuel cooler, engine-mounted air filter, starter motor, battery charging alternator, flywheel housing, flywheel, fan and fan guard, and configurable temperature and oil pressure stop or alarm. Unlike the smaller electronic Perkins ranges, the sheet lists no engine-mounted ECM for this model. The ElectropaK measures 2269 x 3915 x 2200 mm in temperate form, with dry weights between 5663 kg and 5860 kg depending on rating and cooling pack.

Key Features

The Perkins 4012-46TAG offers the following benefits for large power projects.

• A 45.8 litre V12 core delivers typical generator outputs from 1000 kVA baseload up to 1880 kVA standby.
• Individual four-valve cylinder heads and unit injectors give optimised gas flow and rapid, controlled combustion.
• Temperate or tropical cooling packages, with or without fuel oil cooling, suit different climates.
• A Data Centre Power rating is published alongside baseload, prime and standby ratings.
• Component commonality with other 4000 Series engines helps reduce spare parts stocking levels.
• Service intervals of 500 hours for oil and fuel apply as standard under all operating conditions.
• The design aims at low cost of ownership, simple maintenance and reduced downtime.
• Engines are produced using the Caterpillar Production System used across Perkins manufacturing.

Industrial Applications

Large standby generators built on the Perkins 4012-46TAG protect hospitals, airports, data centres, telecom switching centres, desalination plants, high-rise towers and large industrial sites, while the baseload and prime ratings suit continuous power at remote oil and gas facilities, mines and isolated grids. Several units are often paralleled to form a power station, which allows N+1 redundancy and staged starting as the load grows. For Oman, where ambient temperatures are high for much of the year, the tropical cooling option is usually the first choice.

Seven Star LLC supplies the Perkins 4012-46TAG to packagers and end users in Muscat, Sohar, Duqm, Salalah and the wider GCC, and supports operators with filters, gaskets and other wear parts. We provide model selection support from Muscat. Related products on our site include the Cummins QSK60-G4 V16 generator engine, the Perkins 2506C-E15TAG2 diesel engine and the Perkins 1106A-70TAG ElectropaK.

Technical Specifications

The values below for the Perkins 4012-46TAG are taken from the Perkins specification sheet. Generator outputs are typical, based on typical alternator efficiencies and a power factor of 0.8.

Rating Definitions

Perkins defines baseload as power available at constant load with no overload permitted. Prime power is available at variable load in lieu of a main power network, with a 10 percent overload for one hour in every 12 hours. Data Centre Power (DCP) is power available for variable or continuous electrical loads in a data centre application, also with a 10 percent overload for one hour in every 12 hours. Standby (maximum) is available at variable load in the event of a main network failure, with no overload permitted. These definitions should guide the choice of Perkins 4012-46TAG rating for each project.

How to Order

To request the Perkins 4012-46TAG, send Seven Star LLC the required output, duty type, frequency, cooling preference and site conditions. Our Muscat team will confirm the right rating and prepare a formal quotation, and the Perkins specification sheet can be downloaded from this page. Seven Star LLC supplies the Perkins 4012-46TAG and its spares from our office in Muscat for customers in Oman and the GCC.