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Steve Slesinski, director of global planning, commerical vehicle driveline technologies for Dana, said the company believes that because the efficiency and fuel economy gains achieved using engine downspeeding are so attractive, the trucking industry will continue to gravitate toward lower engine speeds in the future.
“Overall, the think the trend will be downward heading toward a new target of 900 rpm at highway speeds,” Slesinski said.
Any time engine operating parameters change, so do the driveline components it works with. That is the case with engine downspeeding, which Slesinski says has led Dana to develop a whole new generation of highly specialized driveline components and products specifically engineered to boost down-sped engines and vehicle performance.
With those goals in mind, Slesinski said Dana has developed a new training module to help educate fleets on the benefits of engine downspeeding. The module is a computer-based course that instructs users on the basic principles, benefits and challenges associated with engine downspeeding while serving as a key source for drivetrain system knowledge associated with lower RPM diesel engines. The module will be available in the second quarter of this year.
Dana has also introduced a new axle lubricant that Slesinski says is specially formulated for fuel economy improvements with lower RPM engines. The XFE 75W-90 axle lubricant is a synthetic gear oil with a 500,000 mile change interval.
Slesinski says Dana engineers have validated a number of benefits associated with using the new lube, including reduced friction and spin loss, lower stabilization temperature and more viscosity during operation. Slesinski said these benefits can add up dramatically with fuel savings of up to $730 over a 5 year period for each truck using the new axle lubricant.
