A Series Hydraulic Hybrid Drive Train

For Off-Road Vehicles

With heavily fluctuating fuel

prices, the total cost of own-
ership of loaders, excavators,
and other off-road machines is
nowadays strongly influenced
by the fuel costs. Moreover, there
is growing concern about CO2-
emissions caused by the burning
of fossil fuels as well as about the
long-term availability of these
fuels. The fuel economy and ef-
ficiencies of the drive train and
the hydraulic implements have
therefore become extremely im-
portant parameters in the design
of future off-road machines.
Hybrid transmissions are nor-
mally not considered to be a
solution for off-road machines.
Hybrid drive trains are foremost
developed for passenger cars
where they can benefit from the
recuperation of brake energy. But
for many off-road vehicles, brake
energy recuperation is not an op-
tion. Furthermore, hybrid electric
vehicles need sophisticated elec-
tric transmissions with delicate
and expensive inverters, con-
verters, and batteries. Taking the
extreme power transients
in mobile machinery and
the rough operational
conditions of off-road
drive trains into account, it
is questionable whether the
delicate hybrid electric drive
trains can be considered a viable,
inexpensive, and robust option
for off-road applications.
Yet, there is still the alterna-
tive of the hydraulic hybrid drive
train. These are for some years
developed for buses, refuse, and
delivery trucks [1-6]. This paper
describes a hybrid drive train

8 | Off-Highway Directory 2009 www.ifps.org | www.fluidpowerjournal.com

 By Peter A.J. Achten, Innas BV
and motors. Current piston
Fig. 1: Hybrid electric swing pumps and motors have a peak
drive for an excavator [16] efficiency of around 93%. A
pump-motor-combination could
Fig. 2: Measured total effi- therefore – in theory – have an
ciency of a 28 cc floating cup efficiency of maximum 86%. In
pump/motor reality, the part load operation
of the hydrostatic machines re-
Fig. 3: Low speed torque rel- duces the efficiency of both the
ative to the maximum theo- pump and the motor. If, for in-
retical torque stance, an average efficiency of
80% for both the pump and mo-
Fig 4: Operating points of the tor is assumed, the total aver-
diesel engine of a loader [38] age efficiency of the hydrostatic
drive is limited to 64%.
3 The new Floating Cup Prin-
ciple [19-25] strongly improves
1 the efficiency of hydraulic
pumps and motors. Recent
tests have proven a maximum
total efficiency of up to 98%.
The floating cup principle is a
multi piston pump, having 24
pistons. This creates an almost
constant torque output. In ad-
dition, the floating cup principle
has extremely low friction loss-
es at low rotational speeds. The
smooth torque and the low fric-
tion result in a start-up torque,
which is nearly equal to the
maximum theoretical output
torque of the hydrostatic motor.
2 Figure 3 shows the torque
efficiency of a floating cup mo-
tor compared to two other mo-
tor principles, measured at low
for off-road machines. The drive presented an excavator, in which of the Gryphin, at least for the speed (< 1 rpm). The floating
train –coined the ‘Hydrid’ [7, the swing movement of the up- drive train part of the system. It cup principle offers a starting
8]– is a full series hybrid system per carriage is realized by means has an in-wheel hydrostatic ma- torque, which is about twice as
with an in-wheel motor in each of a hybrid electric drive ([16], see chine in each wheel, hydraulic high as the radial piston motor.
wheel and hydraulic transform- Figure 1). Because of the hybrid transformers instead of electric For the same output torque at
ers for efficient power control. system, a smaller internal com- power controllers, and hydraulic start-up, the floating cup motor
bustion engine could be applied. accumulators instead of batter- can therefore be half the size
HYBRID ELECTRIC DEVELOPMENTS The fuel consumption is reduced ies. Added to this, the hydraulic of a radial piston motor. This is
There is a common consen- by 40%, according to Kobelco. hybrid system also includes re- not only important for reduc-
sus that hybrid drive trains can In Europe, Deutz and Atlas cuperation modes for the hy- ing the size and weight of the
strongly increase the efficiency Weyhausen have shown a hy- draulic cylinders. hydraulic components, but also
of a drive train. Especially in the brid electric wheel loader, in for increasing the drive train
passenger car market segment, which the flywheel of the in- FLOATING CUP AND HYDRAULIC efficiency. If, due to a low start-
the Toyota Prius has proven the ternal combustion engine is TRANSFORMERS ing torque, the motor size needs
viability of the concept. How- replaced by an electric motor/ A full hydrostatic drive re- to be increased, then the same
ever, the increased efficiency generator [17]. According to the quires highly efficient pumps motor will have to run in strong
does not by itself result in a re- developers, the fuel consump-
duction of the fuel consumption tion is reduced by 20%.
or the cost of ownership. The Finally, also Volvo Construc- 4
electric drive train components tion Equipment (Volvo CE) has
result in an increased vehicle announced a concept of a hybrid
weight, which increases the fuel electric loader called the Gry-
consumption of the vehicles. phin [17, 18]. Unlike the develop-
Moreover, the added cost for the ments of Kobelco and Weyhau-
electric components gives doubt sen, the mechanical drive train
about the cost- benefit-relation- in the Gryphin is completely re-
ship, especially of the full hybrid placed by an electric drive, hav-
drive train concepts [9-15]. ing in-wheel electric motors in
Nevertheless, the trend of hy- all four wheels.
brid electric transmissions has The hydraulic hybrid system,
also come to the off-road market. which is described in this pa-
Kobelco and New Holland have per, is the hydraulic equivalent

www.ifps.org | www.fluidpowerjournal.com Off-Highway Directory 2009 | 9

part load conditions during nor- engine can be twice as high as in ed to a constant displacement loads, and a simple grid for en-
mal operation, which often re- the optimum or sweet point). pump. If this would for instance ergy and power distribution. As
sults in a reduced efficiency. In the proposed hydraulic hy- be a 28 cc pump, then the pres- with electricity production, more
The Floating Cup Principle is brid (or Hydrid) transmission sure range of the accumulator then one power plant can be
also applied in the design of hy- (figure 5), the engine is supply- would result in an engine torque, connected to the Common Pres-
draulic transformers. A hydrau- sure Rail. The combined power of
lic transformer is the hydraulic all power plants will be chosen
equivalent of a mechanical CVT. as such that it can deliver the
Where a CVT converts torque maximum power that the ve-
and speed, a hydraulic trans- hicle needs for extended periods.
former converts pressure and This can be lower than the maxi-
flow, without principal energy mum power demanded in a con-
losses. In the hydraulic trans- ventional drive train, since the
former developed by Innas (the increased efficiency also reduces
Innas Hydraulic Transformer or the maximum power demand. In
IHT [26-37]), the control of the addition, the accumulators can
transformer is realized by rotat- also deliver extra power to the
ing the port plate. Whereas the system, thereby acting as peak
port plate in hydrostatic pumps shaving devices. In most operat-
and motors only has two ports, ing points, the power demand of
the port plate in the IHT has the vehicle is much lower than
three ports: one connected to the the maximum power demand.
load, one connected to the high- Having two power plants, one of
pressure supply side, and one to the power plants can be switched
the low-pressure supply side. off, and the power management
There are also hydraulic can be optimized better for aver-
transformers developed for hy- age operating points.
drostatic drive applications, al- Fig. 5:
lowing 4-quadrant operation of Hydraulic HYDRAULIC IMPLEMENTS
the wheel motors (i.e. forward circuit of the Like the electricity grid, there
propulsion, forward breaking, hydraulic hy- can be any number of loads
reverse propulsion, and reverse brid (‘Hydrid’) connected to the power grid, in-
braking). These transformers cluding hydraulic cylinders. The
have four ports: two for the sup- accumulators will avoid load
ply side and two for the load side. disturbance reactions from one
Unlike valves, hydraulic
Fig. 6: Hydraulic load to the other and also allow
6a. circuit for the con-
transformers are based on a the recuperation of energy. The
positive displacement principle,
trol of a hydraulic hydraulic transformers convert
and therefore have no principle
cylinder by means the pressure level offered by the
throttle losses. Being a non-
of a hydraulic trans- high-pressure rail to the pres-
dissipative principle, it is also
former (6a: rod side sure level required by the load,
possible to convert hydraulic
always pressurized; thereby avoiding the throttle
power to a higher-pressure lev- losses that would occur with
el. This creates the opportunity valve control.
for recuperating energy from Figure 6 shows two configu-
any hydraulic load, both wheels rations for the control of a dou-
and hydraulic cylinders. For in- ble-acting hydraulic cylinder
stance, in a forklift truck, it is 6b: rod side can be by means of a single hydraulic
possible to recuperate the break switched). transformer. In the second con-
energy of the vehicle as well as figuration, the rod side can be
the energy from the lift cylin- switched between the low-pres-
ders while lowering a load at the sure rail and the high-pressure
fork boom [28]. 6b. side of the CPR-system. In the
upper design (figure 6a), the rod
HYDROSTATIC HYBRID DRIVE side is always connected to the
In a wheel loader, about half of high-pressure side and the hy-
the fuel consumption is used for ing all its power to a so- called which can only vary between 89 draulic transformer must am-
the hydraulic cylinders. The oth- common pressure rail (CPR). The Nm (at 200 bar) and 156 Nm (at plify the pressure at the bottom
er half goes to the wheels for the pressure at the high- and low- 350 bar). As a result, the engine side of the cylinder in order to
propulsion of the vehicle [38, 39]. pressure side of the CPR-system will always be operated at a me- compensate for the hydrostatic
Figure 4 shows the operating is defined by the accumulators. dium to high load, and the oper- force from the rod side. More de-
points of the diesel engine of Due to the design of the accu- ating points with a low efficiency tails about the control of hydrau-
loader for a typical cycle [38]. For mulators, the pressure differ- of the engine (and the pump) will lic cylinders by means of hydrau-
a large part, the engine is oper- ence between the high- and low- be avoided completely. lic transformers can be found in
ated at a load of less then 50% of pressure side can only be varied The new driveline is similar the literature [28-37].
the maximum load. In this area, in a limited pressure range, for to the design of the stationary Not all hydraulic cylinders
the engine efficiency strongly de- instance between 200 and 350 electricity production and dis- need to be controlled by means
teriorates (at a load of 20% the bar. In the Hydrid, the internal tribution, having a separation of a hydraulic transformer. If cyl-
specific fuel consumption of an combustion engine is connect- between the power plants and inders are only used occasion-

10 | Off-Highway Directory 2009 www.ifps.org | www.fluidpowerjournal.com

 By Peter A.J. Achten, Innas BV
ally and don’t consume a large duces the complex design and
amount of energy, a simple and maintenance of current load-
less expensive throttle valve is sensing systems. In principle, the
perfectly acceptable for control- CPR-system treats the hydraulic
ling the cylinder. Figure 7 shows loads (and the power plants) as
two hydraulic diagrams for a modules, which can be attached
forklift truck. The upper diagram or detached from the system as
is the conventional system with long as there is enough power
a hydrostatic drive and a load- capacity available.
sensing system for the cylinders.
The second diagram shows the ENERGY RECUPERATION
CPR- alternative with hydraulic The possibilities for brake
transformers for the hydrostatic energy recuperation in loaders,
wheel motors as well as for the excavators, and other mobile Fig. 8: (Normalized) engine power for a wheel loader
lift cylinder. The other cylin- machineries are often less than during a typical loading cycle [38]
ders for tilting and clamping are in on-road applications like gar-
controlled directly with valves, bage trucks and city buses. This
thereby accepting the (limited) is for a part due to the fact that sults in a much higher rolling Another function of the ac-
throttle losses. loaders and other machines resistance. Moreover, a loader cumulators is to avoid load de-
The CPR-system offers a don’t drive on asphalt but on needs the kinetic energy of the pendency. In a hydraulic system,
simple layout, and strongly re- sand, mud, and dirt, which re- vehicle to dig into a pile of dirt. the oil flow has to be distributed
Still, there are many applica- across the various hydraulic
tions in which brake energy re- loads. Thereby, the oil always fol-
cuperation can be of importance. lows the path of least resistance
Examples are forklift trucks, and a load change on one of the
dump trucks, and articulated hydraulic motors or cylinders
haulers, but also for the swing can cause a change in the oper-
movement of the upper carriage ating speed of all the other mo-
of an excavator, energy recuper- tors and cylinders. Load sensing
ation could be a significant con- systems compensate for these
tributor to a better fuel economy load disturbance reactions. In
of the vehicle. Depending of the the CPR-system, the loads are
size, the accumulators in the controlled at the motors and
CPR- system can store at least cylinders (often referred to as
part of the recuperated energy. secondary control). The accumu-
But, first and for all, the accu- lators act as system capacitance
mulators are important for al- separating the individual loads.
lowing power management and It is to be expected that the
load separation. The diagram of accumulators can play an im-
Figure 8 shows the variation of portant role in recuperating
the engine power of a loader dur- energy from the hydraulic cyl-
ing a typical loading cycle. The inders. Hydraulic cylinders have
graph is split for the drive power by definition a limited stroke
7a. and the power needed for the hy- and hence a limited amount of
draulic implements. energy. On the other hand, the
The diagram clearly shows power transients generated by
the strong transient power de- the hydraulic cylinders can be
mand of both the drive and the very high, too high to handle
implement functions of the load- for electric batteries but excel-
er. Hydraulic accumulators are lent for hydraulic accumulators.
ideal storage devices for power The hydraulic transformer is the
management in these vehicles. key enabling technology for dy-
They are simple and robust, and namically managing the power
they have a high power density, stream between the accumula-
much higher than electric bat- tors and the hydraulic cylinders,
teries. Also their efficiency can without loss of productivity.
be higher than of batteries.
In the Hydrid, batteries are IMPROVED FUEL ECONOMY
however not excluded as an op- The hydraulic hybrid im-
tion for storing larger amounts proves the fuel economy in sev-
of energy. By combining a hy- eral ways:
draulic and an electric ma- • Idle losses of the engine are
chine, energy from the CPR- avoided.
7b.
system can be exchanged with • Losses of the hydrodynamic
electric batteries. Because the torque converter are avoided.
hydraulic machine will always • The engine is always oper-
Fig. 7: Comparison of hydraulic circuits for a fork lift truck [28] (7a: operate at a high pressure and ated around the sweet point.
Conventional load sensing and hydrostatic drive system; 7b: Common load, the efficiency of this unit • Throttle losses in the control of
pressure rail (CPR) system) can be high. hydraulic cylinders are minimized.

www.ifps.org | www.fluidpowerjournal.com Off-Highway Directory 2009 | 11

 • Energy recuperation can be emissions form passenger cars, fi- – the commercial value of the Innas
maximized. REFERENCES nal report, TNO (the Netherlands) Hydraulic Transformer, Proc. SICFP’99,
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