Danfoss pressure transmitters in record-breaking JCB Dieselmax™ car
JCB, a UK-based construction equipment manufacturer, incorporated Danfoss technology in its record-breaking Dieselmax car when it set the diesel land speed record at the Bonneville Salt Flats in Utah on 23 August, 2006, averaging 350 mph/563 km/h. That’s 114 miles/183 km. an hour faster than the previous record of 236 mph/380 km/h from 1973.
The JCB Dieselmax car has two highly tuned four cylinder JCB diesel engines, each producing approximately 750 HP to drive the front and rear wheels independently. The sleekly designed car used Danfoss MBS1250 pressure transmitters, supplied by Hydraforce in the UK as part of the electro-hydraulic transmission control system , to monitor pressure in the drive clutch packs. Accurate monitoring of the drive system was crucial for the success and safety of the project.
Founded in the UK the 1940s, JCB has factories in Europe, Asia, and the Americas that build over 50,000 machines a year. The company had always used proprietary engines in its products, but began manufacturing its own diesel engines in the winter of 2004. Not content with the successful launch of its own diesel engines, the company set out on the daunting task of trying to break the diesel land speed record, using its standard four cylinder engine as the foundation for the attempt.
They set the attempt for August 2006, just 18 months after they began producing engines. The result was a remarkable achievement for everyone involved, and Danfoss is proud to have contributed to its success.
By Alan Johnson – Key account manager
