Use of hydraulic hybrid technology grows

[Fledermaus]

Hydraulic hybrid vehicles with their time-tested technology deliver better fuel economy than their battery operated hybrid cousins—saving companies that use them 30-50% on fuel consumption. The energy efficiency of hydraulic hybrid technology is being realized now in commercial vehicles, such as delivery and sanitation trucks, and availability for pick-up trucks and other smaller passenger vehicles is on the horizon. As use of hydraulic hybrid technology grows, the savings will be measured in billions of gallons of oil per year.

Many industry players are hard at work on this problem. So is a new kind of organization, the Engineering Research Center for Compact and Efficient Fluid Power (CCEFP), a consortium of seven universities and more than 50 companies funded through the National Science Foundation and dedicated to changing the way fluid power is researched, applied and taught.

The CCEFP is currently collaborating with Ford Motor Company and Folsom Technologies International on a new platform for its hydraulic hybrid vehicle test bed. In this new platform, a Ford F-150 vehicle will be modified with a hydraulic hybrid power train by incorporating hydraulic accumulators with a compact, integrated hydraulic continuously variable transmission (CVT). Simulation indicates a 50% improvement in fuel economy over the conventional drive train. Development of practical hydraulic hybrid passenger cars will create a substantial savings in the nation’s fuel economy.
http://www.prlog.org/11013709-hydraulic-hybrids-offer-savings-of-30-50-on-fuel-consumption.html

[DainBramaged]

1. Coke has a test fleet ordered in 2008

http://www.greencarcongress.com/2008/02/coca-cola-order.html

[Fledermaus]

2. They have a quicker payback time than electric hybrids.

[NickB79]

3. Have they gotten the system small enough for a passenger car?

Personally, I'd rather have a 50-mpg sedan than a 30-mpg F-150.

[Fledermaus]

4. Artemis Intelligent Power demostrates hydraulic hybrid BMW 530i w/Video

http://green.autoblog.com/2009/02/26/artemis-intelligent-power-demostrates-hydraulic-hybrid-bmw-530i/
Artemis claims a 50 percent reduction in urban fuel consumption on its demonstrator vehicle. The key difference that Artemis is claiming for its version is the design of the hydraulic pump motor which is claimed to provide greater efficiency and more precise control. You can check out a video after the jump.

[kristopher]

5. K&R