Combining optimised performance and maximised efficiency is the Holy Grail for powertrain developers. This is the case for companies that operate within both the commercial vehicle (CV) and the passenger vehicle segments. A number of measures can be taken in order to get the right balance between performance and efficiency.
Power management
Many of the current trends seen in powertrain development, like boosting for instance, are a product of the aspiration towards more efficient vehicles without compromising on performance. In providing innovative powertrain products such as downsized and supercharged engines, the effective management of power is crucial.
Ken Davis, President of Eaton’s Vehicle Group, believes that the company has considerable competence and strength in power management. “We run a business of approximately $4bn that covers all of the vehicle products within Eaton’s Vehicle Group portfolio – everything from passenger vehicles all the way up to heavy-duty CVs. Our technology is really focused on helping our customers better manage power effectively, efficiently and safely.
“The power management area is also where a lot of our investment and future capital is heading,” he continues. With a significant amount of Eaton’s future investment inevitably targeted at power management, Davis expects trends such as downsizing and boosting to become an ever increasing part of the company’s work. “There is nothing startling – the same trends are governing our work,” he says. Yet, there are two specific subcategories which will be of particular importance to the company in the near future: engine air management and drivetrain development.
Engine air management
Within the power management area, there are two smaller areas that Davis describes as flourishing for Eaton. These are “not the only areas, but are definitely two of significant focus for Eaton and the Vehicle Group.”
The first is engine air management. “We are a leading supplier of engine valves to the global OEM and CV industry,” he says. “At the moment, we are furthering our competence in this area by investing heavily in a lot of the new technologies for the enhancement of engine valves and valve trains,” he adds.
Essentially, valve trains are an enabling technology for the downsizing and boosting trends, he tells Megatrends: “Engines and vehicles are being modified to produce more power and higher output at smaller displacement, with better fuel economy. That means engines tend to run hotter, which has a huge impact on the valves and the valve train system.”
A relatively new addition to Eaton’s range of powertrain valve solutions is its advanced engine braking technology for heavy-duty CVs, which changes the valve lift between driving mode and braking mode according to customer requirements. In short, it is yet another technology that Eaton has produced in order to decrease total cost of ownership, enhancing the efficiency of the powertrain and making engine air management more efficient.
Drivetrain development
The second area of focus for Eaton, and one in which the company is current investing considerable time and development, is drivetrain development.
“We also try not to lose sight of the performance side, because increasingly customers around the globe want better performance – that’s where our drivetrain products that we are developing can add some value.” Davis suggests that Eaton’s drivetrain business will also see significant expansion, with the further development of products in order to optimise the performance of vehicles. “Whether it’s the torque products that we sell to the market, or transmissions and clutches on the heavy-duty CV side, we have a firm competence and understanding of the area,” he says.
Essentially, both areas are linked by a marriage between performance and efficiency. They are encompassed by what Davis describes as “intelligent power management – how to take the energy from the engine and deliver it to the wheels efficiently and without the loss of performance.”
Bringing in the big guns
Many industry experts believe the engine boosting trend will continue. Davis concurs, suggesting that the industry “will witness many larger and maybe heavier vehicles with smaller displacement engines, looking for the right level of power management to move the vehicle efficiently and effectively.”
In order to achieve this goal, Davis emphasises the importance of developing a portfolio of valve train technologies, including variable valve lift and cylinder deactivation. “If we can help our customers make the combustion event more efficient through valve train products and air boosting products like superchargers, then we can add value in an important part of the vehicle.”
Eaton believes that its expansive range of valve train technologies will perform well in the near future, as the company looks to implement these new technologies into existing products, as these technologies can have a huge impact on improving the fuel efficiency and reducing vehicle emissions, says Eaton’s Vehicle Group President.
Essentially, Davis believes the future of Eaton’s Vehicle Group lies in succeeding in delivering a combination of optimising performance and economy. “It boils down to what all OEMs are looking for – improved fuel efficiency, emissions reductions and enhanced performance,” he says. “We think we can add value to our customers by making the vehicle more efficient and making power delivered to the ground more efficient. We will offer a whole host of technologies and innovative ways to ensure our customers receive what they expect and deserve.”
Michael Nash
