Development of a Higher Capacity Air Cleaner

Abstract

Air filtration systems are essential for maintaining reliable engine performance and long service intervals in heavy-duty trucks operating in demanding environments. This thesis was carried out in collaboration with Volvo Group Trucks Technology with the purpose of developing an air cleaner with increased dust holding capacity for diesel-powered trucks. The objective was to increase the dust holding capacity from 3000 g to 7000 g while maintaining acceptable pressure drop, preserving existing packaging constraints if possible, and ensuring good serviceability and manufacturability. The project followed a product development process combining both qualitative and quantitative methods. The work included literature studies, benchmarking of competitors, analysis of existing systems, interviews with company experts, and development of a requirements specification. Several concepts were generated through brainstorming, brainwriting, and morphological matrices. The concepts were then evaluated using Pugh and Kesselring matrices to support systematic concept selection. The final concept achieved the targeted dust holding capacity while remaining within the available packaging space of the truck under the cab. The solution was also developed with consideration for airflow performance, serviceability, and Design for Assembly and Design for Manufacturing. The results demonstrate that it is possible to significantly increase air cleaner capacity without negatively affecting installation complexity or surrounding vehicle systems. This thesis contributes with a conceptual solution and an engineering development approach that may support future development of air cleaner systems for heavy-duty transport applications.