ideling

IF the APU is big, strong and able to maintain coolant temp, provide hotel support to cab and sleeper from -60 to +140 outside and provide housepower to feed big stuff for the driver it's way cheaper to run that than the big engine under the hood. I know that much. And support that.

In my time several bosses have tilted back in their creaky chairs and roard APU? HA too FANCY!!! (Not to mention expensive back then) I recognize that we were rather small minded back then.

But until I find such a APU, that engine is going to be idling. Or we go to a hotel. Which will work out to about the same expense either way.

 

Depends on the truck


The 16 FL I had would raise the idle. 850 rpm. But after 9 hours the engine regen light would flash. At 9 hours 15 minutes truck would shut down. And manual regen required. Lasted 20 minutes I think it was.

A second idle would only go 5 hours and regen was 45 minutes.

One time I did a 3rd idle. 1 hour and regen was 1 hour.

Only once did the truck do a driving regen I think is what is was doing. Had smoke from underneath when I was stuck in cali traffic. Though I caught the weeds on fire. But when I looked under. The exhaust was glowing.

 

My 2020 Freightliner has the Park Smart and Optimized Idle and 8 truck batteries. When parked it has electric a/c and a coolant diesel fired heated for the sleeper. The batteries can run heat or a/c for 6 hours plus tv and CPAP. When the batteries hit 12.1 or 12.2 v the Optimize idle will start the engine and run 2 hours to recharge the batteries and then stop. So a 10 hour break the engine will idle 2 hours. When I do a 34 hour reset it normal go through 3 of those 2 hour battery recharge cycle. So engine will idle 6 hours. Usually on the 3 recharge cycle the DPF filter needs to have Regen. So the computers will do that automatic also.

 

My head hurts.

I tell you this. If that thing is quiet and lurches into running Im a fall out of sleep wondering WTF. I cannot sleep that way straight through. Its either on or all off.

 

My APU works awesome. All my trucks have them.

I swear by them.

I need a sleeping bad in Phoenix when it's 110 in July, and the bunk heater will cook a ham in Fort Bridger in January.

This is just engine/ after treatment savings, let alone the fuel savings.

 

Yes its ok but long term it is not good for engine or emissions system. The last company i was with i idled just about all summer long. Remeber going 3 weeks without turning truck off . Same thing in winter if it gets below zero i will idle. Now i have apu and i only idled 2 times this winter overnight . 1 was because it was 5 below zero the other one cuz my bunk heater didnt want to work. Other than that i dont think i could drive another truck without an apu on it after having one now. Best invention ever for otr drivers

 

Smells real bad too especially in the summer.

 

With or without dpf idling isn’t good for trucks. DPF gets clogged and will need a manual regen if you idle too much and idling a diesel for too long causes glazing on the cylinder walls. Of course we’re talking about a low idle. If you idle at 850 you run less chance of glazing I’m not sure if the DPF would still do a passive regen though.

 

Diesel engines that have the longest lifespan are ones that operate at a constant load, 50% or more at a constant speed. Think generators, pumps, marine power. The engine can be optimized for those narrow operating conditions.
Our engines on the other hand, drive the engineers crazy. Constant changes in speed, temperature, load, weight requirements, well everything is a compromise. Add the emissions, hotel requirements and it is almost impossible to satisfy.
That is what stopped this idea: