Eaton to Receive $2M to Develop Hydraulic Hybrid Technologies for Army Vehicles
09 November 2007
As part of the defense funding included in the conference report for HR 3222 and approved by the House of Representatives by a vote of 400 to 15, Eaton will receive $2 million to develop advanced digital hydraulic hybrid drive systems for US Army vehicles.
Eaton will conduct the research and development in collaboration with Western Michigan University.
The US Army recognizes the potential benefits of hybrid hydraulic systems and has spent the past several years fostering the development of hybrid vehicles. While these systems offer improved fuel economy and increased acceleration capabilities, there are three issues that are not being adequately addressed for hybrid hydraulic systems on military vehicles: weight and size of the hybrid system; improved energy storage and regeneration capability; and improved vehicle mobility.
Several “leapfrog” technology advancements are proposed to tackle these three issues.
This program will specifically address the weight and volume challenges that military vehicles face due to the additional armor and armaments that are required to increase performance and protection of military personnel.
Eaton & WMU’s research will seek to dramatically reduce the weight of the drive system while providing over 50% improvement in fuel efficiency. The result will be clear logistical benefits as well as an increase in vehicle range and a decrease in vehicle refueling requirements. Vehicle traction and stability will be improved, all the while maintaining the vehicle’s performance.
Eaton is also developing full series hydraulic hybrids (earlier post) and a parallel hydraulic hybrid system for launch assist (earlier post).
Mmmm...pork!
Posted by: Matthew | 09 November 2007 at 06:05 AM
matthew;
It must be a very young one.
Posted by: Harvey D | 09 November 2007 at 07:40 AM
This is taxpayers money well spent since Eaton already has developed a viable hydraulic hybrid system for truck usage.
http://www.pressroom.ups.com/pressreleases/current/0,1088,4694,00.html
Posted by: gary | 09 November 2007 at 08:42 AM
The fact that car companies, and I talking about all of them, are not utilizing hydraulic hybrids is just flat out baffling. This is dead simple farm boy technology that actually works. Every new light duty PU sold could be getting 25 to 30 mpg city, if they would just build it.
Posted by: Joseph | 09 November 2007 at 08:45 AM
Hydraulics only store 30-100 seconds of impulse power, so it's mostly good for frequent stop-start vehicles like city buses, delivery vans and trash trucks. I wonder what happens to the hydraulic transmission when the nitrogen tank gets a bullet hole in it?
Posted by: HealthyBreeze | 09 November 2007 at 09:31 AM
@ Joseph
It is truly baffling. The light truck manufacturers say we can't have small diesels because Americans wouldn't buy them; we can't have PHEVs because the battery technology isn't there yet; we can't have ultracapacitors because it's still experimental; and we can't even have hydraulic launch capacity (farm boy technology as Joseph so aptly put it)for city stop-and-start driving!! Is it because the corporate boards of the light truck makers are packed with oil company execs? That seems overly simplistic. I'm with Joseph - totally baffled.
Posted by: Mick C. | 09 November 2007 at 09:36 AM
Joseph & Mick,
Hydraulic hybrid system is heavy and not as efficient as electric hybrid or conventional tranny at cruise speed. As such, it is used mainly for delivery vehicles (UPS) and gabage trucks that do not spend much time cruising but must do a lot of stop-n-go driving.
A passenger car does not offer much space for storing the hi-pressure tank AND the low-pressure hydraulic reservoir of equal volume. The required volume is 2-3 x that of the volume of battery for an HEV, and many HEV's like the Camry Hybrid and Lexus hybrid already have their trunk space significantly compromised by the battery pack. If hydraulic hybrid is used, there will be no trunk space left!
Ford has been working on hydraulic hybrid for a pickup truck for several years now. Hybrid makers like Toyota and Honda have no connection to Big Oil, and they chose the electric hybrid route for the above reasons.
Posted by: Roger Pham | 09 November 2007 at 11:47 AM
Healthy Breeze,
At 5,000-7,000-psi of pressure, the nitrogen tank is bullet proof. The hydraulic system can also be rigged such that even with the lost of nitrogen pressure, the hydraulic transmission would still deliver the engine torque to the wheel, just not the hydraulic boost.
I would worry more about the bullet hitting the driver, however, or much worse, an IED, then there will be no more vehicle to worry about! :(
Posted by: Roger Pham | 09 November 2007 at 11:53 AM
"Ford has been working on hydraulic hybrid for a pickup truck for several years now."
5 years now to be exact. One phone call to Caterpillar would have answered most of thier questions. In May it was rumored that 2008 model year was the ticket. So where is it? How long do we have to wait?
Posted by: Joseph | 09 November 2007 at 01:31 PM
One call to Caterpillar huh?
Amazing how people like to try to simplify Engineering problems. Are you a salesman by chance?
Posted by: Patrick | 09 November 2007 at 03:00 PM
This technology is at least 20 years old.
I remember back in the 80's that Beyond Tommorow's predecesor, Beyond 2000, or even it's predecesor, Toward 2000, doing a story on am Ausie bus riged out with this system.
We need anything to reclaim the braking enrgy on every type vehicle. Stop dumping all that expensively achieved kinetic enrgy as heat!
Posted by: nick47g | 10 November 2007 at 04:16 AM
I've personal inside info with a friend @ Ford Motor Corp....she told me a few months ago that the New Ford F150/Hydraulic Hybrid will be rolled out on time....for the 2009 model year as promised after full testing is done for reliablity testing.....release date of the truck will be in Sept or Oct 2008 and will be the 2009 model year.....I"ve heard it averages 60mpg.....that's how America will beat the Bad Guys....with what most of you don't believe in nor understand.....American ingenuity......
Posted by: TomBadger | 10 November 2007 at 04:27 AM
@ Tom
I hope you're right. Maybe if Ford would combine this technology with a *small* diesel they could get mpg #s close to that. Conventional wisdom says that pick up truck drivers have such serious personal (size) issues that we couldn't live with a small diesel. Sure there may be a few little guys that *need* the Duramax and Powerstroke, but most of are sufficiently confident that we'd be happier with a little engine and lots of gears. Besides, isn't that the equipment we need to screw OPEC? :-)
Posted by: Mick | 10 November 2007 at 10:42 AM
Who are the Bad Guys, Tom?
Posted by: evman | 10 November 2007 at 05:27 PM
The history of locomotives might help here.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Locomotive
In 1940 locomotives switched over to diesel power. The diesel engines would drive the wheels by way of either an electric generator or hydraulics. The electrically driven trains won out. The engines turn at VERY low rpm's and last a long time. The diesel has recently become much more environmental friendly with low sulfur fuel. When you see a locomotive, you are looking at one of the most efficient hybrid machines ever devised.
The U S Army would do well to emulate the train industry. Diesel hybrid seems the way to go.
Posted by: Gawker | 10 November 2007 at 08:31 PM
http://www.epa.gov/otaq/technology/
http://www.epa.gov/otaq/technology/420f04019.pdf
Posted by: J | 13 November 2007 at 05:07 PM
Buffer tanks need not be large. There can be a lot of them. There is little weight advantage to having large tanks compared to a bunch of smsll ones for the same total volume. The odd empty corners in a car cound be used for them. A cheap electric motor pump could give the unit longer range with the engine shut off and electric pumps for the power brakes and coolant systems. Two sizes of NOAX free piston pumps should be used for greater efficiency less weight fewer parts and smaller size... with greater reliability..hg...
Posted by: Henry Gibson | 17 March 2008 at 09:41 PM
how about compressed air for driving an hydraulic
pump. India has a six passager van with a motor which works on compressed air. It has 128 mile range and a maximum speed of sixty eight miles per hour. It would be interesting to explore the possibility to have their compressed 4000 psi system ,which they are using, to run the hydraulic pump for the hydraulic motors powering a car. Result....no gas needed. Any comments ???
Ed
Posted by: Ed | 09 May 2008 at 06:16 PM