Hydraulic Hybrid Vehicles
Feature Story: Hydraulic Hybrid Vehicles
How the Hydraulic Hybrid Works
Video
Niloufar Glossan, EPA Air Program:
Are you ready to hear all about the hydraulic hybrid UPS delivery truck? Because it's one of many that can help us clean the air. This truck is a full service hydraulic hybrid UPS delivery truck.
Narrator:
The main components in the hydraulic hybrid are the high pressure accumulator, the low pressure reservoir, the rear pump motor, the engine pump motor, the hoses and the controller.
Niloufar Glossan, EPA Air Program:
This technology achieves 40% fewer green house gas emissions.
Narrator:
Energy stored in the form of high pressure hydraulic fluid is used to accelerate the vehicle . The force of this pressurized hydraulic fluid is converted into power for the wheels by the pump motor as it is transferred from the accumulator to the reservoir.
Niloufar Glossan, EPA Air Program:
This hybrid technology reduces fuel use and our dependence on foreign oil.
Narrator:
The engine pump is activated by the controller where the pressure and the high pressure accumulator falls below a pre-determined level. The engine pump drives fluid from the reservoir through the pump motor. The excess fluid being pumped that is not immediately used, is stored in the high pressure accumulator for later use. The engine is typically operated at the sweet spot so as to achieve maximum efficiency for vehicle fuel economy.
Niloufar Glossan, EPA Air Program:
This technology can be used on buses, airport shuttles, garbage trucks, and any other similar vehicle.
Narrator:
When braking, the hybrid controller uses the energy from the wheels to pump fluid from the low pressure reservoir to the high pressure accumulator. When the vehicle starts to accelerate, only the stored energy is used to accelerate the vehicle.
Niloufar Glossan, EPA Air Program:
A large part of the air pollution in California is due to mobile sources and commercializing innovative technology such as this can be part of the solution and cleaning California's air.