Power management company Eaton in Galesburg (east of Kalamazoo) will display its Vehicle Group’s portfolio of internal combustion solutions for commercial vehicles Sept. 20-25 at the IAA Transportation show in Hannover, Germany.
“Although the transition to electrification is progressing, OEMs continue to seek improvements in fuel emissions and consumption for internal combustion engines,” says Traci Melville, senior vice president and general manager for global products at Eaton’s Vehicle Group. “In fact, according to KGP Powertrain Intelligence, there will be more than 30 million commercial vehicles produced with a diesel engine over the next decade.”
Among the technologies Eaton is planning to show at the IAA show are its flexible and emission-reducing variable valve actuation (VVA) technologies.
According to Eaton, its VVA solutions are adaptable to any valvetrain architecture, allowing OEM customers to implement one or multiple functions that can significantly reduce carbon dioxide (CO2) and nitrogen oxides (NOx) emissions and lower fuel use.
Cylinder deactivation keeps selective catalytic reduction (SCR) at optimal temperatures by operating just two or three cylinders rather than all six in light-load conditions. That effectively delivers higher exhaust temperatures from the functioning cylinders at low speeds and loads or when the truck is neutral coasting, two conditions that can quickly cool aftertreatment systems. Concurrently, cylinder deactivation also lowers fuel consumption.
Late intake valve closing improves the engine’s thermal efficiency, enabling a higher compression ratio, which reduces CO2 emissions and increases exhaust gas temperature that contributes to aftertreatment performance.
Another Eaton technology that will be displayed in Germany is the TVS exhaust gas recirculation pump, which the company says is more controllable than competitive offerings.
Eaton’s positive-displacement TVS pump enables the use of a high-efficiency turbo to reduce engine pumping losses and increase fuel economy. The TVS EGR pump is driven by a 48-volt electric motor, making it completely independent from engine speed and significantly more controllable than pumpless EGR systems.
Other Eaton technologies being displayed at the IAA Transportation event include:
A decompression engine brake, which enhances brake power in the full engine operating range and is compact for easy integration into smaller engines.
A portfolio of valves, including monometallic and bimetallic, solid and hollow sodium cooled, seat faced and coated, providing a suitable solution for all vehicle applications. Eaton is developing new valve technologies for future commercial vehicles, including those with hydrogen internal combustion engines (ICE). Unlike traditional diesel-powered commercial vehicle engines, hydrogen ICE powertrains can operate dry combustion at extremely elevated temperatures depending on engine calibration.
Exhaust thermal management system, a joint development between Eaton and Tenneco, it is an integrated exhaust thermal management system that enables commercial truck manufacturers to meet upcoming emissions regulations.
48-volt electric catalyst heater controller, an air-cooled electric catalyst heater controller as part of its broader 48-volt electrical system portfolio. It contains several technologies that allow manufacturers to integrate 48-volt architectures into next-generation commercial vehicles. The controller manages the power delivered to the aftertreatment heater and is designed to receive commands from the aftertreatment system and provide soft-start and soft-stop capabilities for maintaining system voltage control.
48-volt DC-DC converter for dual-voltage electrical systems, which will enable future powertrains to comply with new emissions regulations and provide higher levels of electrical power for CO2 reduction and autonomous driving systems.
Supercapacitors for 48-volt system power storage, for use in commercial vehicle applications, including 48V commercial vehicle systems. In addition, Eaton is developing advanced technology to further increase the level of power and energy storage capacity in these products.
