Companies are now working to rethink the original role of the engine brake and looking at other ways to use these components to address future commercial vehicle needs. One example at the forefront is cylinder deactivation technology. We talked with Kyle Lazzaro at Jacobs Vehicle Systems about the evolution of engine braking technology, and the development of other products to help address changes to vehicle design and improve vehicle efficiency.
Transcription of interview:
Erica Schueller, Fleet Maintenance: Welcome to VSP News: Uptime Update. I am your host Erica Schueller, editorial director of Fleet Maintenance magazine, covering all maintenance, all vehicle classes, all management, all the time.
We are all familiar with the traditional rumbling chug when a semi driver engages the engine brake, usually going down a long or steep hill. This engine component known as a compression retarder or “Jake brake,” opens the exhaust valves of the engine cylinder at the end of a compression stroke to slow the vehicle down.
Companies are now working to rethink the original role of the engine brake and looking at other ways to use these components to address future commercial vehicle needs. One example at the forefront is cylinder deactivation technology.
We talked with Kyle Lazzaro, business manager for Jacobs Vehicle Systems – the company that originally introduced the Jake brake back in the 1950s – about the evolution of engine braking technology, and the development of other products to help address changes to vehicle design and improve vehicle efficiency.
He first shared some insight on the traditional engine brake’s intended job and how it improves vehicle efficiencies today.
Kyle Lazzaro, Jacobs Vehicle Systems: The traditional engine brake is used as an auxiliary safety device to slow the vehicle as you’re descending a hill. The purpose of engine braking system really is to save on [the wear] of the service brakes which will, in turn, increase your savings on maintenance and brake life for those components.
Schueller, Fleet Maintenance: Lazarro discusses the service and maintenance considerations fleets may include on their PM checklists when inspecting engines, to ensure optimized use of the engine braking system.
Lazzaro, Jacobs Vehicle Systems: For optimization of the engine brake, what we recommend is when fleets are going in for typical service, say the first service may be lash setting of the overhead, we ask them to do a visual of the engine brake componentry to make sure everything looks adequate.
In terms of long-term serviceability, the newer products now are made such that there really isn’t much service required. When an engine overhaul occurs later on in its lifetime, say around 1 million miles, we suggest that they can inspect the individual brake components and it may be necessary at that time where some of those components can be changed out. They (the components) are modular in nature, so they are very easy to exchange or replace.
Schueller, Fleet Maintenance: As heavy duty diesel trucks continue to see more efficient designs like adding aerodynamic devices and trends toward lower engine speeds and smaller displacement sizes, it can impact on the performance of the engine brake.
Lazzaro shares more about why this is, and what companies like Jacobs are doing to address these changes.
Lazzaro, Jacobs Vehicle Systems: With the new technology on vehicles in terms of aerodynamics, it’s required a lot more engine braking performance from our product.
Jacobs has developed some technologies, such as the HPD (high power density engine brake) where it is now a two-stroke type braking system where you can get double the engine brake performance at lower engine speeds (RPM). Therefore, you have better control speeds at the newer operating conditions of these vehicles.
Schueller, Fleet Maintenance: Lazzaro talks more about what trends we might expect in the future, as it relates to engine technology.
Lazzaro, Jacobs Vehicle Systems: Jacobs has developed cylinder deactivation technology, which will aid in not only in reducing emissions but in improving fuel economy.
The benefits of cylinder deactivation are that you can run individual cylinders variably, therefore that keeps the internal heat within the engine higher, which helps to reduce the overall emissions for that particular vehicle.
Schueller, Fleet Maintenance: Cylinder deactivation technology is being developed and tested by a number of companies, including Jacobs Vehicle Systems, to determine the viability of improving engine efficiency. It works through variable valve actuation, allowing the valves to limit the number of cylinders operating on an engine at a given time.
If you’d like to learn more about cylinder deactivation technology and other engine efficiency trends, head to the link below.
Thank you for tuning in to VSP News Uptime Update, I’m your host Erica Schueller.
Until our next broadcast, keep up with this, and other industry topics, by visiting us online at VehicleServicePros.com.
