At its Hagerstown, Md. assembly plant Tuesday, Volvo Trucks North America introduced its model year 2017 Volvo engines, including enhancements to the Volvo D11 and D13 engines and the launch of the Volvo D13 with turbo compounding.
As a result of the improvements, Göran Nyberg, president of Volvo Trucks North America, calling the 2017 powerplants “the most fuel-efficient we’ve ever offered in North America,” adds the company is delivering between 2.2 to 6.5 percent better fuel efficiency with the 2017 engines compared with prior-generation Volvo power.
The Volvo D13 with turbo compounding – a technology that recovers wasted exhaust heat and converts it to useable mechanical energy in the form of 50 additional horsepower that is transferred back into 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 models, says Nyberg.
“When you lower RPMs, you have a more efficient engine,” says John Moore, Volvo product marketing manager – powertrain. “It’s also less friction because the pistons aren’t moving up and down as much.”
The turbo compounding D13 can also be spec’d with Volvo’s XE powertrain 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 will be available to customers desiring 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 sold today. According to Nyberg, more than 27 percent of all Volvo models sold in 2015 featured an XE package.
Volvo also updated its 11-liter D11 and standard 13-liter D13, already two of the industry’s most fuel-efficient engines. Wade Long, director of product marketing for Volvo Trucks North America, says the engines feature a proven common-rail fuel system for reduced engine and cab noise, providing drivers a more comfortable ride. The common-rail fuel system also contributes to fuel efficiency improvements through finer control of the fuel injection, allowing for quicker, more accurate injection and a more efficient way to control fuel pressure, Long adds.
