Tomorrow’s commercial vehicles will rely on even more computer and safety technologies that will increase the burden on the electric system,” says Clive Harvey, vice president of engineering at Leece-Neville Heavy Duty Systems. “We anticipate an even greater need for a reliable power source to feed and protect these systems and the vehicle’s batteries.”
Prestolite Electric’s Leece-Neville IdlePro and IdlePro Extreme alternators are designed to deliver improved output at low engine speeds. The alternators also feature the company’s Isolated Ground Technology, which protects engines from electrolytic damage caused by stray voltage.
Leece-Neville IdlePro alternators in the AVI160 Series are offered in 170-, 190-, 210- and 240-amp models and have a minimum of 63% output of their rated maximum output at idle speed. IdlePro Extreme alternators in the BLP4000 Series are rated for 220, 240, 280, 325, 350 and 420 amps and a minimum of 90% of rated maximum output (200+ amps) at an engine’s idle speed.
With the acquisition of Remy International late last year, BorgWarner is incorporating Remy’s engineering and manufacturing of heavy-duty rotating electrical components, such as alternators and starters for commercial vehicles, into its product line.
The Delco Remy starter product line covers all truck classes. The units feature a stator design that the company says uses less horsepower. Available with Integrated Over Crank Protection, a built-in circuit breaker that protects the starter from thermal damage, the starters are also offered with an Internal Magnetic Switch Solenoid that reduces corrosion and vibration.
Delco Remy heavy-duty brushless alternators are available with the company’s Remote Sense technology that is said to reduce battery charge time by 50%. Remote Sense utilizes a second wire that reads the actual voltage at the battery and signals the alternator to increase its output to compensate for voltage drop, ensuring a constant 14 volts. Remote Sense is especially suited for commercial vehicles that make frequent stops.
Denso’s new line of PowerEdge alternators has a compact square wire design that the company notes helps lower weight and provide for ease of installation and service. The alternators are offered in 40- to 160-amp models for a wide range of vehicle applications.
Denso also offers a line of starters, including the R5.0 offset gear reduction starter for Class 8 applications that features a high-torque rating for maximum starting power and a torque limiter feature to prevent ring gear and drivetrain breakage.
Mitsubishi Electric’s line of brushless alternators for the North American market is available in 160- or 200-amp versions. The models are a direct replacement for 1998 and newer vehicles with two-, three-, four- or five-wire systems. Included in the product lineup is the DP A160 alternator that exceeds 110 amps of output at idle and 160 amps at road speed and the DP A200 alternator that delivers over 137 amps at idle and 212 amps at road speed. According to Mitsubishi Electric, both alternators limit battery discharge and extend battery life by up to 50%.
Introduced last year, the Mitsubishi Electric Diamond Power S60 starter is an enhanced version of the DP S55 model for engines built since 2010 that require starters with higher cranking speeds and more torque while also drawing less current. Standard on the Paccar MX-13 engine, the DP S60 starter is also available through the manufacturer’s Diamond Gard All-Makes program, which provides coverage of nearly every truck and engine combination produced since 1998.
