Altair Picks Hybrid Drive For More Efficient Bus

Troy-based Altair Engineering Inc. said Wednesday it had selected Parker Hannifin Corp.'s series hydraulic hybrid drive for its BUSolutions project, a public-private effort that aims to reinvent the passenger bus for a greener era.

Altair says the system will enable the new advanced bus platform to achieve 45-70 percent increased fuel economy over average diesel powertrains and more than double the fuel economy improvement of hybrid-electrics, contributing to an overall lower cost of ownership for transit authorities and reduced emissions.

Under the Parker system, the engine is not connected to the drive wheels of the vehicle, but instead pressurizes hydraulic fluid. Altair says this decoupling produces several advantages, including the ability to recover and store as much as 70 percent of braking energy that's now dissipated as heat, leading to extended brake life. It also allows an engine management system that reduces fuel consumption, and allows the bus to operate with the engine off, significantly reducing carbon emissions in depots and contributing to reduced fuel consumption.

"We decided to use hydraulic hybrid technology for the bus since it recovers more than three times the brake energy and an overall 30 percent lower cost of ownership than any electric hybrid technology available today," said Tim Smith, director of design engineering for Altair ProductDesign. "Of all the hybrid hydraulic products evaluated, the Parker system was the clear choice because it uses well proven technologies in a system that has been tested and validated through extensive field trials. It also can easily integrate with other technologies in the bus platform and can be implemented quickly within the required timeline."

Added Joseph A. Kovach, vice president of technology at Parker Hannifin: "This application of the Parker advanced series hydraulic hybrid drive system demonstrates how we have been able to deliver results far ahead of any other hybrid hydraulic system, since it also optimizes the engine speed and load for maximum fuel efficiency and lowest emissions of the bus ... Transit buses are a vehicle segment that could greatly benefit from our hybrid hydraulic technology, and this program will allow us to prove how our technology has the potential to be used extensively within the transit bus system."

Fabrication of the first technology-demonstrator bus body structure was completed in April, and final assembly is well under way. A technology demonstration event is planned for this month. Altair will conduct testing to validate the reductions in fuel, maintenance and lifetime-operation costs. Any necessary improvements will be incorporated to ensure the design is production-ready, ensuring a smooth transition of the program into a commercialization phase. 

Since BUSolutions launched in 2005, Altair has worked closely with local transit authorities, the Suburban Mobility Authority for Regional Transportation and the Detroit Department of Transportation, to ensure the new bus will meet regulatory requirements and address the needs of bus drivers and riders.
Altair also established the BUSolutions Advisory Board to offer insight into broader community needs, as well as perspective on actual ridership issues and public-interface ergonomics. As a result, Altair ProductDesign successfully completed the bus structure engineering incorporating design principles that will enhance the rider experience.

Additionally, BUSolutions has strategically partnered with regional and global high-tech manufacturers that will help to incorporate state-of-the-art components and technologies from the transportation sector. Program sponsors include Arvin Meritor, Parker, Pran, Sika Corp., Meritor Wabco, Alcoa Wheel Products, Carrier Corporation, Laad Industries, Pretoria Transit Interiors, Shaw Development, Tenneco, USSC Group and Williams Controls.

Cleveland-based Parker had annual sales of $10 billion in fiscal year 2010, and employs 55,000 people in 46 countries around the world. More at www.parker.com. For more on the company's hybrid technologies visit http://parkerhybrid.parker.com.

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