Abby Metty/The Oregonian Multiple fans, each electrically powered and capable of starting and stopping on its own, maintain the temperature of a TriMet bus' engine more efficiently than the old-style pneumatic single fan, a fuel and horsepower drain. TriMet's retrofit of 66 buses with the new fans means an annual savings of thousands of gallons of deisel fuel and less wear and tear on the engines, which translates to greater longevity. The Portland agency collaborated in the development of the fans, now being adopted elsewhere in the U.S.by Dylan Rivera, The Oregonian Thursday August 20, 2009, 8:00 PM
Hot summer days like the Portland-area has experienced this week require public transit buses to do more than crank up the air conditioning. Extremes of summer heat - as well as the hard cold of icy winters - force big diesel engines to work harder and burn more fuel to maintain their optimal operating temperatures. That means more diesel fuel consumption and emissions that pollute the region's air and contribute to global warming.
TriMet, the agency with Portland's mammoth bus fleet, has tried for years to improve efficiency by reducing idling time, improving maintenance, and keeping tires inflated. But the agency has also been quietly stepping out to help pioneer a new, efficient cooling technology first developed for use in Army tactical vehicles.
TriMet, the agency with Portland's mammoth bus fleet, has tried for years to improve efficiency by reducing idling time, improving maintenance, and keeping tires inflated. But the agency has also been quietly stepping out to help pioneer a new, efficient cooling technology first developed for use in Army tactical vehicles.
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