V18 engine

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title: "V18 engine" type: doc version: 1 created: 2026-02-28 author: "Wikipedia contributors" status: active scope: public tags: ["v18-engines", "piston-engine-configurations", "v-engines"] description: "Piston engine with 18 cylinders in vee configuration" topic_path: "general/v18-engines" source: "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/V18_engine" license: "CC BY-SA 4.0" wikipedia_page_id: 0 wikipedia_revision_id: 0

::summary Piston engine with 18 cylinders in vee configuration ::

::figure[src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/b/bf/Montreal_power_backup.jpg" caption="ALCO 18-251]] engine being used as a backup electrical generator at a wastewater plant in Montreal."] ::

A V18 engine is an eighteen-cylinder piston engine where two banks of nine cylinders are arranged in a V configuration around a common crankshaft.

The V18 engine is a rare configuration and is primarily used in large diesel engines running at low operating speeds. These large V18 diesel engines have seen limited use in haul trucks, electricity generation, rail transport, and marine propulsion.

There are no known automobiles that have used V18 engines and no engine manufacturer has developed or produced a V18 engine for use in automobiles.

While the V18 is a more uncommon engine configuration, there are more common eighteen-cylinder engine configurations such as the W18, which has seen use in both automobiles and aircraft, and the Deltic, an opposed-piston eighteen-cylinder diesel engine created by D. Napier & Son which was used for a variety of applications.

Examples

::data[format=table]

Name	Displacement	Power output	Fuel	Notes
ALCO 18-251	12024 cuin	4500 hp	Diesel	Originally designed and manufactured by
American Locomotive Company; now manufactured by
Fairbanks Morse Engine.
Caterpillar 3618	20,320 cu in (333 L)	9,655 hp (7.2 MW)	Diesel	Out of production
title=Cummins QSK78	url=http://cumminsengines.com/every/applications/mining/qsk78_mine.page	work=Cummins	access-date=25 June 2011}}	4735 cuin
Fairbanks Morse Colt-Pielstick PC2.5	63,510 cu in (1,040 L)	11,700 hp (8.73 MW)	Diesel	In production
MAN V32/44CR	39,055 cu in (643 L)	14,483 hp (10.8 MW)	Diesel	In production
title=Wärtsilä 50DF	url=https://www.wartsila.com/products/marine-oil-gas/engines-generating-sets/dual-fuel-engines/wartsila-50df	work=Wärtsilä	access-date=2 August 2017	archive-date=29 June 2017
natural gas	Available for both marine propulsion and power generation, and used in e.g. Humboldt Bay power station.
Paxman Valenta 18RP200	7,230 cu in (118.44 L)	4,901 hp (3,655 MW)	Diesel	Out of production, used for marine propulsion and power generation.
::

The BelAZ 75600 and Liebherr T 282B haul trucks are powered by the Cummins QSK78 engine, while the Komatsu 960E-1 haul truck is powered by the Komatsu SSDA18V170 engine.

In 1971, the Canadian locomotive manufacturer MLW-Worthington produced the MLW M640 prototype diesel-electric locomotive powered by a 4000 hpALCO 18-251 engine, however the locomotive did not reach production.

References

References

1. (July 2025). "Power Solutions: 251 Diesel Engines". Fairbanks Morse Engine.
2. "Cummins QSK78". Cummins.
3. "New Engine - Rated 3500 horsepower at any altitude". MINExpo Report.
4. "Wärtsilä 50DF". Wärtsilä.
5. [http://www.industrialmarinepower.com/-3-107-humboldt-bay-usa-power-plant-wartsila-18v50df--natural-gas.html Humboldt Bay, USA Power Plant Wartsila 18V50DF Natural Gas]. Industrial Marine Power Forum. {{retrieved
6. "Paxman History Pages - Valenta and VP185 Applications".

::callout[type=info title="Wikipedia Source"] This article was imported from Wikipedia and is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License. Content has been adapted to SurfDoc format. Original contributors can be found on the article history page. ::