Visitors to the Mid-America Trucking Show in Louisville, Ky., last week got the first look at Volvo's answer to October 2002 emissions regulations.

Volvo Trucks North America unveiled its V-Pulse technology in a Volvo VED12 12-liter engine. Since announcing its emissions solution last July, Volvo has been conducting extensive field-testing with a variety of fleets.
"V-Pulse technology is truly a unique approach to the EPA02 mandate," said Susan Alt, vice president of marketing. "Exhaust gas recirculation is a common solution for diesel engine manufacturers; however, Volvo's approach is unlike all others…the beauty of it is in the simplicity."
V-Pulse technology does not require a variable geometry turbocharger to achieve the exhaust gas recirculation necessary to reduce combustion emission and particulate matter to required levels. V-Pulse technology achieves EGR by harnessing naturally occurring engine pressure as a means to reintroduce up to 30 percent of the combustion by-product back into the intake mixing chamber.
The unique V-Pulse design is simple, yet high-tech and low-maintenance since it requires minimal changes in maintenance procedures and no new technical education, according to the company.
Shortly after V-Pulse technology was announced last July, field testing began. To date, many V-Pulse equipped Volvo 12-liter engines have logged 100,000 plus miles. Volvo anticipates that the VED12 Volvo engines with V-Pulse technology will have logged a cumulative field test total in excess of 3 million miles by the October 1 deadline.