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UI students' newest test vehicle is hybrid-hydraulic truck

A prototype hydraulic-hybrid pickup truck in development by University of Idaho students debuted last month at the INEEL Science and Engineering Expo in Idaho Falls and at Idaho Department of Transportation’s conference on transportation investment in Boise.

The hybrid-hydraulic Ford pickup is used as a demonstration and test platform for senior mechanical engineering students, who will redesign the hydraulic system for use on a refuse truck. Its next showcase will be Nov. 5-6 during the UI homecoming parade and at an open house following in the Gauss-Johnson Engineering Building.

The hydraulics captures energy that is normally wasted during braking, which then assists the engine when it works the hardest, during acceleration. By storing and reusing energy, the hybrid is more fuel efficient, which in turn reduces emissions into the air. The Environmental Protection Agency claims that hybrid-hydraulic delivery trucks could reduce fuel consumption by 25-45 percent and tailpipe emissions by 20-30 percent when used in urban areas.

An additional benefit for refuse trucks is significantly less wear on the brakes in their daily stop-and-go environment. By adding a redundant braking mechanism, the hydraulics improve safety while recycling energy.
Advanced Vehicle Concepts Team Adviser Frank Albrecht says UI is the only university in the nation that builds on this type of research.

"According to government and industry sources, we are the only university actually building a hybrid-hydraulic vehicle," said Albrecht. "Our team is motivated to learn about cleaner, more efficient vehicles. Its members range from freshman through graduate-level students in various disciplines; they build and test advanced vehicle technologies and then share their lessons with the community."

Undergraduate student team members who accompanied the vehicles to the INEEL Expo include Michael Shurliff, a senior in electrical engineering from Idaho Falls, and Brandon Butsick, a freshman in mechanical engineering from Hamilton, Mont.

Researchers at the National Institute for Advanced Transportation Technology (NIATT) at UI say one application of this technology could be improved hydraulic controls. "Control logic is the key to making hydraulics efficient by reducing undesirable oscillations and controlling noise," said Don Blackketter, NIATT acting director.

Recognizing the possibilities of such research, Ford Motor Company, Eaton Corp., and the EPA jointly agreed to donate to NIATT a concept 1998 Lincoln Navigator along with two hydraulic systems to be used for both education and research..

Photo: The University of Idaho displayed two vehicles recently at the Forum on Transportation Investment in Boise. Pictured is a hybrid Ford Expedition that students retrofitted.