New Cummins Diesel Engine with 48-volt Architecture

The Critic

The Critic

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www.ccjdigital.com

Cummins' new fuel-agnostic, 48-volt 10-liter engine

Cummins says its new fuel-agnostic 10-liter engine will come in well under 2027 EPA emissions requirements.
www.ccjdigital.com www.ccjdigital.com

Looks like Cummins is adopting a 48V system for accessories, which is similar to what the Euros have been doing. I think the 48V architecture is really neat way to broaden the functionality of many drivetrain accessories.

The article also suggests that Cummins is moving to a scalable, modular architecture.....similar to the VAG EA888 concept.
 
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FWIW most of the newer construction equipment is 24 volts today. I think you will see the same adoption here as the Cummins engine with 48 volts.

Just my $0.02
 
48 volts? When there is a short that should help the fire start faster. So instead of just 2 expensive 12 volt batterys now they will need 4.
Yeah great idea. Like the old 12 volt system is no good now? Oh most trucks had a series parallel switch, the only time 24 volts was used is for the starter motor, other wise 12 volts for everything else.
 
Exhaustgases said:
48 volts? When there is a short that should help the fire start faster. So instead of just 2 expensive 12 volt batterys now they will need 4.
Yeah great idea. Like the old 12 volt system is no good now? Oh most trucks had a series parallel switch, the only time 24 volts was used is for the starter motor, other wise 12 volts for everything else.
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That isn't how that works. Higher voltage would allow less potential for fires. Less current flow makes for smaller wires and less heat. While you need more batteries they dont have to be as big of CCA.
 
I assume they’re talking +48VDC with the negative still going to chassis ground? I can see the higher voltage causing more ground point corrosion due to the higher voltage / electrolysis. Can be overcome if they use the right materials I believe.
 
jhellwig said:
That isn't how that works. Higher voltage would allow less potential for fires. Less current flow makes for smaller wires and less heat. While you need more batteries they dont have to be as big of CCA.
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You mean like having 120 or 240 volts in the average home, causes less potential for fires?
Funny how those tiny old low voltage land line phone wires never caused any fires that I know of.
I know of many house wire fires.
 
Exhaustgases said:
Funny how those tiny old low voltage land line phone wires never caused any fires that I know of.
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How much power is allowed down phone line? Looks like a nominal 48V but when using 24g wire, it's in the 10's of mA (seeing below 30mA as a max but I'm not sure if that is fault). Or put differently, you can short the wires out and nothing happens, other than the phone company thinks you have a fault.

Not enough power to run even a modern LED lamp, let along anything that takes real power. Quite resistive, the more current you draw the less voltage you have on the typical loop.
 
Exhaustgases said:
You mean like having 120 or 240 volts in the average home, causes less potential for fires?
Funny how those tiny old low voltage land line phone wires never caused any fires that I know of.
I know of many house wire fires.
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No. People not knowing what they are doing cause electrical fires.

Ohm's Law is a law of physics.
 
supton said:
How much power is allowed down phone line? Looks like a nominal 48V but when using 24g wire, it's in the 10's of mA (seeing below 30mA as a max but I'm not sure if that is fault). Or put differently, you can short the wires out and nothing happens, other than the phone company thinks you have a fault.

Not enough power to run even a modern LED lamp, let along anything that takes real power. Quite resistive, the more current you draw the less voltage you have on the typical loop.
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Everything in a phone circuit is high impedance. This limits fault potential when something shorts. Plus there is fusing and current limiting in phone equipment. Phone lines aren't low voltage either.
 
Exhaustgases said:
Funny how those tiny old low voltage land line phone wires never caused any fires that I know of.
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Years ago I had a phone with an interesting problem. The circuit board where the RJ11 was soldered in had some tracks connecting to the RJ11 running close to each other. The phone's history and use prior to my getting it was unknown.

I'm not sure what caused it, perhaps it was lightning or a surge on the phone line, but the circuit board was carbonized (burned) right between the tip and ring such that whenever it was plugged into the phone line, you'd see a little glow on the circuit board. Not sure what would've happened if I'd just left it plugged in like that but I didn't.

To this day I wonder if that could've caused a fire, eventually.
 
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