Beyond Braking - Leveraging our proven technologies for non-braking applications in the field, forest and sea
Over the last 60 years, we have learned a lot about engine performance. Today, we are leveraging our proven heavy-duty on-highway braking technologies for non-braking applications in the field, forest and sea.
The Non-Road Mobile Machinery (NRMM) industry is starting to see equivalent pressure from emission regulations authorities to provide “cleaner” engine technology, very much similar to what has happened and is happening on the on-road technology. NRMM includes applications such as power generation, forestry, mining, agriculture, and even marine. Many engine platforms are shared between the two industries, but it is also very clear that the applications require a very specialized approach mainly because of the large differences between duty cycles and load cycles that the engines see in the NRMM industry.
Long Idle Times
In NRMM applications such as mobile cranes, agricultural and mining equipment, and similar machinery, where engine shut-off during idling is not possible due to the hydraulic equipment that needs to stay available, Cylinder Deactivation (CDA) is particularly helpful. CDA deactivates multiple cylinders during idle times, providing an optimized load on the firing cylinders and thus ensuring optimized temperature management for the aftertreatment system downstream the engine. The aftertreatment system will get hot earlier, and stay hot easier, allowing for optimized SCR conversion rates and DPF performance.
Using Jacobs’ durable hardware and controls that are already commonplace in on-highway engine brake applications, our emission solutions are now being applied in an innovative way to help make engines and aftertreatment systems more efficient both on- and off-road. Variable Valve Actuation (VVA) is an example of a technology where the engine valvetrain can be actively switched to provide a modified valve lift event like Miller cycle when in idle or part load conditions to provide a more optimized running cycle. VVA is integrated directly into the valvetrain and provides this valve lift flexibility when engaged with a modified. By using VVA, NOx and CO2 emissions will be reduced significantly, and, depending on the duty-cycle, helps meet today’s and future emission regulations significantly.
See how these technologies can be used in cranes to lower emissions in KHL.
Heavy Loads
Just as the total weight of a vehicle adds to the load on the engine during an uphill climb, it also stresses the braking systems on a downhill grade. For the highway trucking industry, this is often solved with an engine brake. When talking about mining applications, a vehicle with 60 tons of material requires a similar engine braking technology for safety and reliability. For years Jacobs has been providing solutions to off-highway manufacturers in the mining, logging, agriculture, and construction industries.
Maintenance in Dust and Dirt
In off-road or NRMM applications, operating in tough and dirty conditions is part of the game. Opening the engine to set lash is risky because dirt or debris can enter the engine and cause downtime and increased costs. Engines in these vehicles are often integrated into the chassis in very confined spaces and have turbo inlets, exhaust manifolds, and aftertreatment systems mounted on top of the engine.
Jacobs’ Fulcrum Bridge technology is an ideal solution for these off-road applications because it eliminates the need to set lash at certain intervals, hence reducing maintenance requirements and vehicle or equipment downtime. Fulcrum allows an engine brake to be used with hydraulic lash adjusters (HLAs) which have been incompatible with higher displacement engines used in the off-road industry until now.
Additional benefits, including improved emissions, can be achieved with the Fulcrum Bridge technology. For the latest information, read “Engine Braking with Lashless Valve Trains” article in the March 2021 issue of ATZ.
