Truck & Off-Highway Engineering - February 2021 - 13

POWERTRAIN FEATURE

" Powertrains now are integrated with safety
systems. The more advanced they have become,
the more they can identify vehicles and traffic
ahead and also potentially behind them. "
- Johan Agebrand,
Volvo Trucks North America

VOLVO

Digital controls help
trim engine size and
reduce noise.

Trimming size requirements is a major element in
most designs. Developers want to deliver more power
from smaller engines. Many different strategies are
being deployed.
" One way to accomplish that is by precisely controlling the amount of air going into the engine to provide
precisely enough to support optimum fuel combustion
to provide the most power, " said Pete Moorhouse,
product marketing consultant, medium engines, at
Perkins. " Our new Tier 4 Final/Stage V C4.4 engines
accomplish this with a full electronic wastegate control, twin-turbo air system that delivers increased
power density. Customers can downsize from a 7.1-L
engine to a 4.4-L engine without sacrificing performance - while gaining the benefits of reduced noise
and vibration from the physically smaller engine. "
The integration between engines and aftertreatment
systems also is an important element in today's designs. Sensors must constantly check temperatures
and other parameters to ensure that all subsystems
tied to powertrains are operating at peak efficiency.
" Our mid-range engines - the Detroit DD5 and
Detroit DD8 - come standard with variable cam phasing
(VCP), " said Len Copeland, product marketing manager
for Detroit products at Daimler Trucks North America.
TRUCK & OFF-HIGHWAY ENGINEERING

" VCP monitors aftertreatment temperatures and then based on need,
can adjust the timing of the exhaust camshaft to open early and release heat downstream to bring temperatures to optimum levels. "
Design teams are leaving no stone unturned in their quest for continued advances. Artificial intelligence is becoming a part of many
new programs.
" We'll be able to create AI algorithms that will simulate situations
when trying to automate the vehicle that will help the driver adapt
to every unique situation, " Volvo's Agebrand said. " This will also
help us in the development of the engine and engine efficiency by
creating technology and techniques to control fuel in a more efficient way as well. "

Control signal transmissions
Engine efficiency has been improved by linking engines and transmissions to ensure that rpm levels are as close to optimal as possible.
Network links are expanding to navigation and safety systems to
boost efficiency and potentially avoid accidents. Information sharing
is at the core of all these advances.
" Our latest Tier 4 Final/Stage V engines can broadcast accurate
information on the available torque and power at a given moment,
February 2021 13

Truck & Off-Highway Engineering - February 2021

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