Issue link: http://read.dmtmag.com/i/531852
I DA U N I V E R S A L M ay -J u n e 2 0 1 5 11 LEGAL LINE Robert W. McIntyre IDA Association Legal Counsel Continued on page 52 M ost of us either have had a piano or known someone who did and more than likely have encountered a "piano tuner." Pianos are incredibly complex machines with hundreds of moving parts, many of which are made from materials that respond to changes in tempera- ture and humidity. ey have more than 100 strings of special steel wire. With use over time, it's no wondereasy to see that how the whole system can undergo changes that result in the sound becoming "off ." Enter the piano tuner, usually a "not so young" person with an assortment of small metal tuning forks and long, wooden handled wrenches to tighten or loosen the strings. rough trial and error, the piano is eventually put back in tune. What has happened is the strings that respond to each piano key are re-tensioned to the exact point where the vibrations precisely match the appropriate tuning fork and produce the musical note that corresponds to the same frequency. Diesel engines were once this way, as well. Detroit Diesels had a couple of adjustments to the injection system and some metal gauges to set the racks and linkages (tuning forks?). Similarly, Cummins, Cat and others were also mechanically "tuned." Even with the arrival of turbos with their "interacting" controls and "links" to the injec- tion systems, setting up a new or rebuilt engine was within the understanding of compe- tent technicians. ere simply Piano Tuning were not that many ways to do it wrong. Cars were also simple. Carbu- retors, points, distributors, valve adjustments and so on could be learned ,even by teenagers, and "tuning up" the family car or hot rodding for more speed was something that could be done at home without serious conse- quences. More importantly, it could be done without upsetting some "alphabet soup" govern- mental agency. ose days are over, for good. Today, part-time musicians come to your house with a little electronic box with matching needles or blinking lights that tells the "piano tuner" when each string arrives at the assigned frequency. Fortunately, this technology is not restricted, nor is there (yet) a Piano Sound Control Agency in any government's portfolio. Unfortunately, the same cannot be said for diesel and gas engines, which are now approaching the level of govern- mental scrutiny and control formerly reserved for airlines and aircra manufacturers. is was recently brought into sharper focus by an article in the April issue of the Society of Automo- tive Engineering's Off -Highway Engineering magazine. e article related the challenges faced by MTU and others in making and servicing a new generation of engines with "over 750" horsepower, now subject to the "tiers" that defi ne emissions for nearly all engines. While this size engine is typically found in mining, marine, oil patch and locomo- tive applications, the technolo- gies being applied are brought "up" from smaller engines that have previously been subject to the same emissions targets. Also along for the ride are at least six of the newer concepts that are being applied to engines in the size ranges most o en seen by IDA members. Here are the letters in this new soup: ADEC or FADEC: Automatic Digital Engine Control or Full Authority Digital Engine Control. Simply put, it's complete "digital" control of the engine. When a speed and power setting is selected by some control inter- face, the engine digs into its computer memory, and power comes out (also ECU, or engine controller). EGR: Exhaust Gas Recircu- lating. at is, feeding exhaust back into the engine through the intake system. is is seemingly counter-intuitive. e reason is to constantly change combus- tion chamber temperature and chemistry, so that the desired "recipe" for fuel and air can be adjusted on the fl y to meet emissions targets. DPF: A metal Diesel Particu- late Filter for catching soot particles in the exhaust that are