The Cummins ComfortGuard is the first diesel-fueled auxiliary power unit to be verified as compliant with the California Air Resources Board’s anti-idling regulations, Cummins announced Tuesday, March 25, on the eve of the Mid-America Trucking Show in Louisville, Ky.
CARB rules require that any diesel APU used on a truck with a 2007 or newer diesel engine be approved by the agency.
Cummins has sought CARB approval of its ComfortGuard system in two different configurations: a standalone particulate filter on the ComfortGuard APU, and a Cummins engine installation kit to route the ComfortGuard diesel exhaust gas into the Cummins Particulate Filter. So far, CARB has verified only the integrated kit for the ISX engine, but Cummins hopes to have approval for the standalone option soon. The company plans to begin production of both options by the end of June.
Cummins ComfortGuard APUs feature a two-cylinder low-emissions diesel engine and either a regenerative diesel particulate filter or an exhaust adapter kit for use with 2007 Cummins ISX engines. Equipped with a Cummins alternator, the APU produces 4,000 watts at 120 volts, 60 Hz AC, the company says; it also produces up to 40 amps at 12 volts DC for charging the truck’s batteries and powering lights and fans. Cummins estimates an 18-month payback period for the ComfortGuard APU.
“Cummins is the only manufacturer with experience in the design and production of all the components in an APU – diesel engines, diesel exhaust aftertreatment systems, alternators and controls,” said Shawn Wasson, APU business leader for Cummins.
In other news, Cummins announced it had produced a driver training DVD and an audio CD to familiarize customers with its on-highway engines. The CD and DVD address such issues as fuel economy, Load-Based Speed Control and Gear-Down Protection, and the Cummins aftertreatment system.
