COMMENT: Turbocompound’s ‘second wind’

Volvo’s announcement that it will be offering North American heavy-duty truck customers a turbocompounded version of its 13 litre diesel is a reminder that the technology is being ‘revisited’. The principle of channelling the exhaust gases, from which substantial energy has already been extracted in the main turbocharger, into a second downstream turbine to feed in additional power and torque at the flywheel, is well established.