Eaton Begins Commercial Production of Hybrid Systems for Medium-Duty Trucks
Aug 9, 2007 2:29 PM
“Financial incentives at the local, state and national level will help encourage early adoption,” said Beaty. “Meanwhile, increased production volumes will help drive down the per-unit cost of the systems and empower the industry to offer a compelling value proposition that is sustainable.”
Beaty added that Eaton is looking forward to significant government-related purchases of hybrid-powered trucks for its fleet operations, noting that many of these same government agencies are also offering the purchase incentives. “We hope to see hybrid power encouraged and mandated in ways similar to what is being done today for alternative fuel vehicles,” said Beaty.
In the hybrid systems being released into production, Eaton employs a parallel-type diesel-electric hybrid architecture with Eaton’s Fuller UltraShift automated transmission. It incorporates an electric motor/generator between the output of an automated clutch and input of the transmission. The system recovers energy normally lost during braking and stores the energy in batteries. When electric torque is blended with engine torque, the stored energy is used to improve fuel economy and vehicle performance for a given speed or used to operate the vehicle with electric power only. The system can also be designed to provide energy for use during engine-off worksite operations, further reducing noise, emissions and fuel costs.
In addition to its diesel-electric hybrid products, Eaton is also developing advanced hybrid systems using hydraulic power. Working with the Environmental Protection Agency under a Cooperative Research and Development agreement, Eaton is helping develop a “series hydraulic hybrid” power system that combines a high-efficiency diesel engine and a unique hydraulic propulsion system to replace the conventional drivetrain and transmission. The vehicle uses hydraulic pump/motors and hydraulic storage tanks to recover and store energy, similar to what is done with electric motors and batteries in hybrid electric vehicles.
Eaton also has a “parallel hydraulic hybrid” system that utilizes regenerative braking and has a number of other applications. This system, known as the Eaton HLA system (Hydraulic Launch Assist), is being initially targeted at refuse trucks.
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