Detroit Diesel DD15 Engine Turbo Compounding
Wins TWNA Technical Achievement Award

Orlando, FLA. – (February 12, 2009) – TWNA recently recognized the turbo compounding feature incorporated into the new Detroit Diesel DD15 engine as the top Technical Achievement for 2008. The presentation took place at the annual Technology & Maintenance Council (TMC) meeting in Orlando, Florida.

The Technical Achievement Award trophy itself was presented to Chuck Blake, Manager of Senior Technical Sales Support for Detroit Diesel, by Paul Abelson (Road King & Land Line) and Tom Berg (Heavy Duty Trucking), both members of the Award Committee along with John Baxter (Randall-Reilly Publishing), Peter Carter (Today's Trucking), and James Menzies (Truck News).

Created in 1988, TWNA is a professional organization whose membership is composed of writers, editors, public relations specialists, marketing personnel and others involved in the business of creating or producing information related to the world of trucking.

The very first Technical Achievement Award was presented in 1991 to Grote Industries. Since receiving the inaugural award, Grote has generously sponsored the trophy. To be eligible, a product or service has to clearly exhibit technical innovation, have a wide applicability in the trucking industry, offer significant benefits and be widely available. While complete vehicles are not eligible, components and systems are.

According to committee chairman James Menzies, "The committee was impressed by the DD15's use of turbo compounding, which captures previously-wasted energy and converts it into productive power, improving fuel efficiency and performance. With diesel prices reaching unprecedented heights in 2008, we felt it was a technological advancement worthy of the award."

The turbo compounding system employs a second exhaust turbine downstream of the standard turbocharger. In addition to providing a more efficient source of exhaust back-pressure for the engine's Exhaust Gas Recirculation (EGR) system, the secondary turbine's output is hydrodynamically coupled to the engine's drive gears.

The review process for 2008 began with more than a dozen candidates nominated by the press members of TWNA. From that group of candidates, eight finalists were selected for an in-depth review. The "Great Eight" finalists were Bendix's Adaptive Cruise Control, Cummins Westport's ISL G Natural Gas Engine, Detroit Diesel's DD15 Engine, Eaton's Hybrid-Electric System, Eaton's Hydraulic Launch Assist System, Goodyear's DuraSeal Trailer Tire, Great Dane's CorroGuard Undercoating, and Meritor WABCO's OnGuard Collision Avoidance System.

Using a point system based on each committee member's ranking of the candidates, Detroit Diesel's DD15 Engine scored a substantial lead to receive the honor of the 2008 TWNA Technical Achievement Award.

Congratulations to all the finalists and special thanks to every member of TWNA's Tech Award Committee, as well as to those who took the time to suggest entries.

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Previous winners of the annual TWNA Technical Achievement Award are:

- Michelin's Durable Technologies - 2007

- Cummins Filtration's Fleetguard User Friendly Filters - 2006

- Carrier Transicold's Deltek Hybrid Reefer - 2005

- ConMet's TruTurn Brake Drum - 2004

- Meritor-WABCO's anti-rollover system - 2003

- Bendix XVision (night vision system) - 2002

- XM Satellite Radio - 2001

- ZF Meritor's fully automated mechanical heavy duty truck transmission without a clutch pedal - 2000

- Donaldson's Silent Partner muffler - 1999

- Cummins' Signature 600 engine - 1998

- Eaton Fuller's Autoshift transmission - 1997

- Rockwell Automotive's ESS (Engine Synchro Shift) transmission - 1996

- Navistar International's flat floor of its International 9800 cabover - 1995

- Caterpillar Engine and Navistar International (joint award) for the HEUI (Hydraulic-actuated Electronically-controlled Unit Injectors) fuel system for diesel engines - 1994

- Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company's G300 tire - 1993

- Cummins Engine's ESP variable power engine line - 1992

- Grote Industries' LED marker lamp - 1991

- In 1990, the predecessor of the TWNA Technical Achievement Awards, then called the "Most Significant Awards", were given to:

Most Significant Vehicle - Freightliner Corp., for the "Business Class" series of Class 6, 7 & 8 trucks and tractors.

Most Significant Product - United Marketing International Inc., for its Oberg Oil Filter Press.

Most Significant Service - Suspension Specialists Assn., for its sponsorship of clinics & training programs for its repair shop members.