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LetÕs start with batteries (get the pun?).
 
Generally, alternator output climbs with turning speed, but its rate of charge is otherwise constant. It doesnÕt know the batteryÕs condition so it doesnÕt vary its output. In addition, a long cable linking the two components causes resistance to the current flow and can drop voltage at the battery by 0.5 volt which also interferes with charging. 

Batteries that are fully discharged, i.e. need a jump-start, do not easily accept a full charge and, further, higher alternator output voltages are needed as ambient temperatures drop. 

There are products to help monitor batteries. One answer is a fairly new product, Smart Sense, a device which controls the alternatorÕs regulator setting. It continually senses what charging voltage is needed and signals the alternator to deliver it. 

It is a tubular device installed on the battery pack and wired to the alternatorÕs remote sense circuit. In hot temperatures, the device tells the alternator to produce voltage at its normal output. It can also be set to lower output in extreme heat to prevent battery gassing. 

And International has demonstrated a new tire and battery monitoring technology for its 8600 model which it says will reduce downtime and roadside repair expenses. If a tire is low or a battery is about to fail, the technology warns the driver in advance. 

A high-resolution on-board color display screen makes it easy to check tire pressure and battery health. Optional exterior cameras to reveal blind spots and provide assistance when backing can also feed images into the on-board display. The tire pressure monitoring system quickly and accurately identifies temperature and pressure. The system relies on InternationalÕs multiplexed electrical system and pressure sensors. The battery monitor provides drivers with information on battery voltage and state of charge for engine cranking.  
In addition, a batteryÕs must be protected from corrosion. Corrosion on the cables increases resistance and reduces the flow of current between a battery and the starter, and interferes with a good ground. Usually corrosion begins at one end of the cable and migrates inward under black plastic insulation.  
Again, suppliers are helping. There is now a battery cable using clear, 2-wall insulation allowing drivers to see any corrosion and eliminate it.
 
Electrical System Trends
At a recent industry meeting, Remy, Inc. provided electrical system trends it feels are likely to take place in the future:
¥ Larger, more powerful engines mean there will be a need for increased cranking requirements.
¥ There will be an increased importance of circuit integrity because of low system voltage, voltage drop issues, battery conditions, and cold weather challenges.
¥ Unnecessary replacement of electrical components will result from an overly complex troubleshooting process. Technicians may not understand the interrelated issues that can mask the source of a no-crank or low-crank condition.
¥ Higher temperatures, increased engine vibration caused by exhaust gas recirculation engines, higher-output engines, and other emission technologies will increase heat production.
¥ Enhanced vehicle aerodynamics, including lower hoodlines, will mean reduced air flow within the engine compartment: tighter component packaging will complicate charging system performance.
¥ There will be increased voltage demand from cab-based electronics and safety system requirements, as well as add-on equipment for vehicles in certain applications.
¥ The electrical system will be viewed as a source of potential fuel savings because of reduced idling requirements to maintain an optimum state of charge and because of high-efficiency charging system components which minimize parasitic horsepower draw.
 
Remy also provided the leading causes of starter failure in heavy-duty vehicles. These include a degraded, inadequate electrical circuit resulting in voltage drop or low system voltage; thermal damage because of operator error, engine issues or cold weather starting conditions; and solenoid-related mechanical failure resulting from contact welding caused by low system voltage.
 
Lighting
The most important spec on a vehicle to promote safety is lighting.  
Almost 90 % of the input into driving decisions is visual. At night, frontal vision requires the very best headlights. And the most common headlight system used for newer commercial trucksÕ forward lighting is halogen.  
Halogen bulbs have a tungsten filament which interacts with halogen gas in the bulb. In the process, the gas cycles tungsten molecules that have evaporated under heat and pressure back to the filament. This regeneration makes the filament last two or three times longer than in conventional sealed beams.  

On the other hand, Peterbilt opted for complex reflector headlamp technology for several models, with the following benefits:
¥ Broad, even distribution of light
¥ Forward lighting improved by about 43 % versus sealed-beam headlamps
¥ Life about 70 % longer than traditional bulbs
¥ Improved safety and reduced driver fatigue
¥ Vertical height adjustment can be done without even opening the hood
 
LEDs
After headlights as a source of vision for a driver, for the other drivers on the road itÕs the stop/tail/turn signals (s/t/t) and marker lights. The brighter the better, first to warn vehicles following you of their distance from you, and secondly for on-coming vehicles to show exactly where your vehicle is.
The consensus is that light-emitting diodes (LEDs) lights are the best products for this job, for a vehicle's original specs and as replacement lamps. Exact figures are hard to come by, but a few years back LEDs had only 6-8 percent of the exterior vehicle lighting market but now claim well over 50 %. The reason it took so long was that too many managers looked at the initial purchase price rather than the lifetime cost, and LEDs were pricey going in.  
Now, since the cost of LEDs has dropped in relationship to incandescents to about two times as much for markers compared to six to eight times, and from 10-12 times as much for s/t/t signals to about 3-4 times as much, they are more in demand. 

Not really a light bulb, an LED is a solid-state semiconductor which emits light when an electric current is passed through it.
 
Long-proven benefits to safety include:

• Providing instantaneous and brighter illumination compared to incandescents, they light up approximately 200 mille-seconds faster. At 55 mph a vehicle travels about 16 feet in that time, giving the following vehicle much more room to stop.
• Longer life - With no filament to burn out, they live much longer than incandescents, estimated at 100,000 hours, or in some cases longer than the vehicle.
• Superior resistance to shock and vibration.
• Draw less current - LEDs power conversion puts less of a load on the alternator and batteries, under 3 amps compared to 19 for incandescents.

 
Other benefits of the reduced load include increased fuel economy. Fewer loads being placed on the alternator can reduce fuel consumption. Also, most LED lamps remain fully illuminated at less than 7 volts, so emergency flashers may still function in emergency allowing the vehicle to be seen.
 


High Intensity Discharge (HID) Bulbs: In The Future For Headlights?
 
HID bulbs, popular in Europe, have recently arrived in the U.S. but are not yet used in heavy trucks.
 
They produce more light than quartz-halogen bulbs, without the use of wire filaments which are subject to vibration damage, while consuming less power. The reflective qualities of the light produced by the HID bulb enable the beam focus to be accomplished with the fixture's reflector rather than the lens. Because of this quality, the lens can be made of high-impact, clear polycarbonate plastics, making them more resistant to stone damage than glass or more rigid plastics. And this lens costs less than a focused lens.  
HIDs produce three times more brightness per watt than the quartz-halogen design, while producing less heat, which means more compact headlamps can be integrated into today's aerodynamic front-ends.