Power pack

What if, when you pulled into a truck stop and set your parking brake, your truck’s engine could sense you no longer need power to the drivetrain and provided juice only to the cab and sleeper? In its “tuned down” state, the engine would use just over a pint of fuel per hour.

“The concept is real, but instead of the main engine itself being smart, that job is left to an auxiliary power system that is integrated into the vehicle,” says Eldon Willis.

Willis is vice-president and chief technology officer of Auxiliary Power Dynamics, maker of the Willis Auxiliary Power Unit (APU). Through a digital unit controller, the Willis APU automatically kicks in to power cab and sleeper systems as the truck is parked. The APU shuts down when you start the truck’s main engine and it takes over the charging system.
Compared to an idling truck engine, the APU’s three-cylinder Kubota engine uses 72-per-cent less fuel to cool the cab and sleeper and 88-per-cent less fuel to heat the truck in the winter. The company says its APU stands apart from others because of its integration with the truck’s operating system. It can run almost every device on the truck, heating or cooling the cab and sleeper through the existing HVAC system. Since the APU is using the truck’s fuel line, it can also prevent fuel gelling.

The Willis APU contains an alternator, an A/C compressor, and a heat exchanger for circulating coolant. Options include an air compressor, air starter, oil pump for pre-lubing the engine, and a 1,500-watt inverter for AC power. For more information:
www.auxiliarypowerdynamics.com;
or 775/825-4566.