LOUISVILLE, Ky. — Three air management systems from Bendix can collectively reduce a commercial vehicle’s fuel consumption by up to 8%, Bendix officials announced at the Mid-America Trucking show.

The company said its PBS Air Injection Booster, Electronic Air Control Dryer and its Turbo-Clutch Air Compressor all work together to maximize engine efficiency, reduce emissions and save fuel.

The Bendix PBS air injection system was introduced at last year’s Mid-America Trucking Show. Since then, the company says it has continued internal validation and field testing, which has suggested fleets can save up to 3% in fuel using the PBS unit alone.

The PBS engine booster is placed near the air intake manifold on an engine where it monitors the Controller Area Network for specific signals. When conditions for activation are met, the system injects compressed air from an auxiliary air tank into the engine manifold, delivering the perfect amount of air that the diesel combustion processes require.

It overcomes turbo lag by injectng the desired air into the intake manifold, allowing the turbo to spin up to its full capacity and take over the air delivery demands, Bendix officials explained. In addition to improving fuel economy, it also helps drivers get up to speed more quickly.

“Bendix PBS air injection is the first air management system of its kind to improve fuel economy and reduce emissions, while also helping to increase engine performance,” said Steve Mance, Bendix vice-president and general manager for the charging business group.

The Bendix EAC system is a compact, electronically-controlled air treatment system that integrates the air dryer, unloader valve, multi-circuit protection valve and potentially even the park brake mechatronics. It provides air quality assurance, pressure control, air distributions (defined by customer priorities) and information management. EAC technology can improve fuel economy by up to 2%, Bendix claims.

The pneumatically-operated, single-cylinder Bendix Turb-Clutch Air Compressor works with PBS and EAC so the compressor disengages during the portion of the duty cycle when no air is demanded. This reduces power consumption from the engine and increases fuel economy. As a result of the reduced overall cycling, the life-cycle of the compressor is also increased, the company claims.

“The total energy package from Bendix can reduce fuel consumption by up to 8%,” Mance said. “This is a significant savings to both the owner/operator and the fleet manager. Bendix will continue in its efforts to set a benchmark for the industry as we continue to design and engineer components that benefit our customer and the environment, while responding to changes in global regulations.”