Delphi's Smart Remote Actuator Helps Reduce Emissions, Improve Performance in Heavy Duty Engines

LOUISVILLE, Ky., March 17 -- Delphi's new smart remote actuator (SRA) will help the heavy-duty diesel engine market meet the increasingly stringent U.S. '04 and '07 emission standards for NOx while improving fuel economy and increasing engine output. Delphi will begin production of the SRA for the North American market in the first quarter of 2004. The SRA is a highly accurate, integrated electronic device that combines controller area network (CAN) communication and/or a pulse width modulated (PWM) control interface to provide precision rotary position control with totally self-contained electronics, motor and gear train.

The smart remote actuator is a key building block to the variable geometry turbo chargers of the heavy-duty diesel engine market. This technology, with the proper mechanical interfaces, provides the electrical control necessary to close and open the turbine vanes. This allows the turbo to provide variable boost to adapt to speed and load conditions, in addition to altitude compensation, shorter engine warm-up cycles and providing engine braking on descending grades. The SRA also can provide the closing, opening and position control for butterfly exhaust valves in heavy-duty diesel applications that use exhaust gas re-circulation to reduce NOx.

The smart remote actuator provides precise position control, plus or minus 0.26 degrees over a rotational range of 90 degrees, and fast response to position commands ( < 200 milliseconds from open to close). This allows for the accurate control necessary to reduce engine out emissions without the engine performance or fuel economy tradeoffs of the typical pneumatic and hydraulic actuator systems used today. These devices have less position accuracy and slower response time that typically results in compromises to optimal engine calibration.

Delphi's smart remote actuator has an aluminum body, a DC brushless motor, steel gears and ball bearings, microprocessor-based closed loop position control and a pigtail wiring harness. The unit offers default positioning even without power to provide a safeguard position in the event of an electrical system malfunction. Its durability and mounting flexibility allow for the actuation of various high-temperature and other engine control devices.

Using one of the available control interfaces, the smart remote actuator receives a position command from the engine control unit and accurately positions its output shaft accordingly to control the selected turbo or exhaust valve technology.

The technology was adapted from Delphi's stepper motor cruise (production since the late 80s) and electronic throttle control technologies (production since the late 90s). Utilizing these proven technologies, Delphi engineers were quickly able to develop the smart remote actuator for the commercial vehicle market and add to the company's extensive portfolio of engine management system components and subsystems, including air/fuel management, fuel injection and exhaust.

For additional information about Delphi Corp., visit www.delphi.com/media .

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