The compounding feature incorporated into the new Detroit Diesel's DD15 engine was recently recognized as the top Technical Achievement for 2008 by the Truck Writers of North America.


TWNA is a professional organization whose membership is composed of writers, editors, public relations specialists, marketing personnel and others involved in the business of creating or producing information related to the world of trucking.

To be eligible, a product or service has to clearly exhibit technical innovation, have a wide applicability in the trucking industry, offer significant benefits and be widely available. While complete vehicles are not eligible, components and systems are.

The committee was impressed by the DD15's use of turbo compounding, which captures previously wasted energy and converts it into productive power, improving fuel efficiency and performance.

The turbo compounding system employs a second exhaust turbine downstream of the standard turbocharger. In addition to providing a more efficient source of exhaust back-pressure for the engine's Exhaust Gas Recirculation (EGR) system, the secondary turbine's output is hydrodynamically coupled to the engine's drive gears.

Other finalists were Bendix's Adaptive Cruise Control, Cummins Westport's ISL G Natural Gas Engine, Eaton's Hybrid-Electric System, Eaton's Hydraulic Launch Assist System, Goodyear's DuraSeal Trailer Tire, Great Dane's CorroGuard Undercoating, and Meritor Wabco's OnGuard Collision Avoidance System.