Still selling smooth starts: Kold-Ban International evolves product line, broadens focus; newest ultracapacitor systems offer enhanced starting capabilities, long cycle life

Diesel Progress North American Edition, Feb, 2005 by Mike Brezonick

From the beginning of internal combustion engine technology, the first order of business has always come down to getting started. And while the diesel engine's ability to start in cold temperatures has improved with the introduction of advanced fuel injection and engine control systems, there remain some instances where a little help in the form of some type of starting aid is required.

Throughout its 35-year history, Kold-Ban International (KBi) has specialized in products and systems designed to help diesel engines get going in cold weather. Starting initially with basic ether systems, the company has evolved through the years and more recently, has developed a range of advanced systems designed to ensure that engines can be started quickly and effectively, no matter the ambient temperatures.

"Engines are easier to start these days, no question;' said James O. Burke, vice president of the Lake In The Hills, Ill., company and son of KBi founder James W. Burke. "But no matter what they do with the diesel, with compression ignition, there is going to always be a need for some ether systems in some applications.

"It's not just 'no starts' we're trying to address. It's cold-start characteristics that we can improve dramatically for relatively little costs.

"Electronic engines are much easier to start. You can have a truck sitting over the weekend at 5[degrees] and if you crank it long enough, eventually, it will start on its own.

"But what will happen is that it will be billowing white smoke until it finally hits on a couple of cylinders and it lopes along until it's running normally. In the meantime, unburned diesel fuel is affecting the engine in many ways, vibration is excessive because of the uneven firing of the cylinders and the batteries have been maxed out or deep cycled. Is that a good start? Aside from the fact that emissions are such a major concern these days, there is also the wear and tear on things such as starters. And if the user has to, he may resort to the dreaded aerosol can of ether to spray down the air cleaner and hope for the best.

"To the savvy maintenance manager who looks at his cold weather operating costs and realizes that the cost of one of these systems can be less than one no-start, it's cheap insurance."

Much of KBi's activities have involved the development and sales of increasingly sophisticated ether injection systems. The newest is the Dieselmatic NVT (New Valve Technology), which directly integrates the control of ether injection with the standard OE engine control module. "NVT was conceived and designed from the ground up," said Burke. "KBi worked directly with all the major North American heavy-duty diesel engine manufacturers to ensure that the proper ECM controls are in place to effect a perfect cold engine start every time."

More recently, much of KBi's focus has been on continuing the development of applications for its range of electrochemical double-layer capacitors (EDLCs). The company markets its EDLC ultracapacitors under its KA-Power brand name.

"We were introduced to ultracapicitors in two ways;' said Burke. "Back in the '90s, we developed an electronic ether system for the Marine Corps. and one of the performance specs for this particular vehicle said they did not want to rely on lead acid batteries for starting. The technical demonstrator was built by NATC (Nevada Automotive Test Center) and it included an air starter.

"When they were done with it, they sent it to a couple of prime contractors, and neither wanted to proceed with the air-start systems, but pursued capacitor start systems. That was our first introduction to capacitor systems.

"We had been looking for another product to enhance our ether injection products, but it had to be the right fit. We know diesel engines--we didn't want to take on mud flaps or heated windshield wipers. We wanted something that fit the core, and capacitors seemed like it might be that."

KBi began working with a Russian company, ECOND, which had developed an improved form of EDLC capacitor. "We had tested some in our cold room and they were extremely impressive," Burke recalled. "It was kind of ugly at the time--it looked like a coffee can with a couple of posts on the end of it. But we took one with no charge, and were able to charge it up to 12.5 V using four 3 V lithium ion photo cells about the size of my thumb. We took it out, hooked it up to my truck and started my truck off of it."

While impressed with the technology, several issues, particularly quality control, kept KBi from getting too involved. But that changed a couple of years later thanks to a chance meeting. "We were in one of our agricultural OEM's cold rooms" Burke said. "We were there supporting the ether valve product, and as I'm walking out of the door of the cold cell, these fellows are trying to get in the door and I hear them speaking Russian.

"The cold room technician said you guys should talk. You make the best ether system, and the capacitor technology these guys have cranks over engines like none we've ever seen and the quality is superior to anything we've seen."