Cummins Inc. says its ComfortGuard auxiliary power unit will meet Clean Idle requirements in California by exhausting through a diesel particulate filter. The APU's two-cylinder engine can be fitted with a special kit
that includes a filter, or its exhaust can be routed through the filter used by a Cummins ISX main engine on an affected truck-tractor.
The California Air Resources Board's rule, which went into effect Jan. 1, requires diesel APUs like Comfort Guard to have exhaust aftertreatment devices so their emissions are as clean as EPA-'07 truck diesels. Trucks and tractors powered by '07-spec engines must use a compliant electric or diesel APU, or the APU may not be used in the state, CARB has decreed.
New ComfortGuard APUs have met all Cummins standards for performance as well as all criteria for compliance with the new CARB regulations, said Shawn Wasson, Cummins' APU business leader. The company has submitted all necessary applications for product testing and verification by CARB. Once the formal approval is received, the two compliance options will be available for sale through authorized Cummins locations.
ComfortGuard APUs feature a two-cylinder low-emissions diesel and either a regenerative DPF 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, and its alternator claims necessary voltage and frequency stability for sensitive appliances and electronic equipment. It also produces up to 40 amps at 12 volts DC for charging the truck's batteries, and powering lights and fans.
Running the APU to keep the sleeper comfortable instead of running the tractor's main engine will save enough fuel to pay for a ComfortGuard in 18 months or less, the company says.