Eaton fluid drive software promises 50% fuel saving
1 min read
Fluid power drivechain developer Eaton has selected IBM to supply the modelling software for its latest hydraulic hybrid systems that promise to cut fuel use by 50% and carbon emissions by one third.
Its series hydraulic hybrid (SHH) system uses hydraulic pumps and storage tanks to capture and store energy, similar to the principles of electric motors and batteries in a hybrid electric vehicle.
Steve Zielinski, chief engineer for software in Eaton’s Fluid Power Group, explains that, like much of today’s vehicle technology, SHH is an intelligent system, which is where IBM’s Telelogic Rhapsody software modelling software comes in, helping Eaton to save development time.
“Using Telelogic Rhapsody improves the quality of the application software that is integral to the series hydraulic hybrid system development process,” says Zielinski. “[It] increases communication through graphic modelling, and provides validation through simulation and automated testing.”
Shipping giant UPS is set to trial the first two package delivery vehicles using Eaton’s SHH system in Minneapolis next spring, and an additional five vehicles are due to be deployed later in 2009 and early 2010.
Zielinski says that with Eaton’s smart system, fuel economy is increased in three ways: vehicle braking energy is recovered; the engine is operated more efficiently, and the engine can be shut off when stopped or decelerating.
