Fleet Management News & Business Info | Commercial Carrier Journal
Issue link: http://read.dmtmag.com/i/667099
26 commercial carrier journal | april 2016 Volvo debuts 2017 engines, updates I-Shift AMT A t its assembly plant in Hagerstown, Md., Volvo Trucks North America last month introduced its mod- el-year 2017 Volvo engines, including enhancements to both the D11 and D13 and the launch of the D13 with turbo compounding. As a result of the improvements, Göran Nyberg, president of Volvo Trucks North America, called the 2017 powerplants "the most fuel-efficient we've ever offered in North America," adding that the company is deliver- ing between 2.2 to 6.5 percent better fuel efficiency with the 2017 engines compared with prior-generation Volvo power. The D13 with turbo compounding – a technology that recovers wasted exhaust heat and converts it to use- able mechanical energy in the form of 50 additional horsepower that is transferred back to the engine – was designed for customers in long-haul applications. This results in up to a 6.5 percent improvement in fuel efficiency compared with previous engine mod- els, Nyberg said. The turbo-compounding D13 also can be spec'd with Volvo's XE power- train packages or in super direct drive. The D13 with turbo compounding is available on an XE driveline with a 2.47 rear axle ratio. Volvo's XE powertrain package with the D13 turbo-compounding engine is suited for customers wanting to run in top gear in locations that have 55-mph speed limits. Through downspeeding, XE allows the engine to cruise at up to 300 rpm less than the average truck. According to Nyberg, more than 27 percent of all Volvo models sold in 2015 featured an XE package. "When you lower rpms, you have a more efficient engine," said John Moore, Volvo product marketing manager – powertrain. "It's also less frictions because the pistons aren't moving up and down as much." Volvo also updated its 11-liter D11 and standard 13-liter D13. Wade Long, director of product marketing for Volvo Trucks North America, said the engines feature a common-rail fuel system designed for reduced engine and cab noise, providing drivers a more com- fortable ride. The system also contrib- utes to fuel efficiency improvements through finer control of fuel injection, allowing for quicker, more accurate injection and a more efficient way to control fuel pressure, Long said. An updated exhaust gas recircula- tion flow sensor has a new double-wall casing designed to reduce condensation and soot buildup in cold weather to help prevent downtime. A low-pres- sure fuel system features an improved aftertreatment dosing module that is integrated into the fuel filter housing for easier serviceability. Upgrades to the two-speed coolant pump for both engines also improve fuel efficiency as a result of reduced parasitic losses. The new intake throttle enables a faster warmup when the engine is started. The 2017 D11 offers up to 425 horse- power and 1,550 lb.-ft. of torque, an increase of 20 horsepower. The engine also delivers up to a 2.2 percent fuel efficiency improvement compared with the previous D11 engine, Long said. Designed for regional, less-than- truckload and pickup-and-delivery applications, the D11 is available in VN daycabs, VNM 430 and VNL 430 sleep- er models and VAH and VHD models. D11 production is expected to begin in January of next year. The 2017 D13 and D11 feature a new wave piston designed to increase the compression ratio from 16:1 to 17:1 to help maximize fuel efficiency. Im- proved flame propogation reduces soot while also increasing cylinder efficiency. "We don't have any wet spots on the side walls [of the cylinder], and that's where we reduce soot," Moore said. Volvo's 2017 model-year D11 engine delivers up to a 2.2 percent fuel efficiency improvement compared with the previous D11 engine. Volvo's D13 engine with turbo compounding recovers wasted exhaust heat and converts it to useable mechanical energy that is trans- ferred back to the engine. Volvo's model-year D16 engine, which gets no major updates, will begin production in January 2017.