Jacobs Looks to Cylinder Deactivation to Reduce Emissions
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ATLANTA — Jacobs Vehicle Systems has completed testing of its cylinder deactivation technology with a third-party laboratory funded by the Environmental Protection Agency, the company announced Feb. 25.
CDA already is proved to increase fuel economy and reduce tailpipe emissions in heavy-duty diesel engines. Jacobs, though, welcomed the opportunity to have these benefits independently measured, said an executive with the company, which also wants to be viewed as an emissions technology provider and not just a place for engine brakes.
“What this does is, when you shut off three cylinders, the other three cylinders have to work harder [increasing the exhaust temperature, which makes selective catalytic reduction more efficient], and really the only time you do that is with light loads or idle,” Steven Ernest, Jacobs vice president of engineering, told Transport Topics.
The tests were conducted on a 13-liter Navistar engine equipped with CDA, which Jacobs introduced in 2018 for medium- and heavy-duty commercial vehicle engines. Also that year, EPA announced its Cleaner Trucks Initiative focused on the need for additional nitrogen oxide reductions.
Jacobs made its announcemenat at American Trucking Associations’ Technology & Maintenance Council annual meeting.
Results from these independent tests showed that fuel consumption was improved by 5% over the baseline in the Hot FTP (federal test procedure) cycle, while increasing exhaust temperatures and limiting the cool-down of the SCR system.
To demonstrate the capability of the CDA system, the proposed California Air Resources Board low-load cycle was evaluated, and CDA was found to raise the exhaust temperatures so that tailpipe NOx emissions were reduced by 86%. Carbon dioxide and fuel consumption was reduced by 12%. SCR NOx conversion increased from 48%, the baseline, to 95%, with CDA.
CDA also enables faster warm-up of the aftertreatment system after engine start-up and minimizes cooling of after-treatment during coasting, according to the company.
More extensive tests and results will be published under a joint paper at the 2020 SAE World Congress in April, Ernest said.
In related news, Jacobs reported it is collaborating with internal combustion controls company Tula Technology Inc.
It's opening day of #TMCAnnual20. You can find us in the Technology Pavilion, Booth 2745. Stop by to learn more about our newest technologies and our upcoming demo tour. @TMC4Trucks#JakeBrake #JacobsDrivestheFuture #TMC #Technology #Maintenance #trucking #transportation pic.twitter.com/U5UJzrsZKs — Jake Brake (@JacobsVehicle) February 24, 2020
Tula has developed a variable cylinder deactivation system, integrating advanced digital signal processing and software with sophisticated engine control algorithms.
“We have been working jointly, I would say, but independently going to original equipment manufacturers,” Ernest said. “They always mention our name as a potential actuator that is easy to work with. We mention Tula, but you don’t have to take us both. We have OEMs that want our actuator but want to write their own software.”
The Broomfield, Conn.-based company is a global manufacturer of heavy-duty diesel engine retarding systems and valve actuation systems.
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