Hydraulic hybrids truck

Hydraulic hybrids utilize hydraulic hardware to augment the conventional engine of a vehicle to reduce fuel consumption by recovering energy normally wasted when a vehicle is braking. This is similar to what is done with electric hybrids, except that hydraulic hybrids have the ability to store and release much larger amounts of power than most electric hybrids. This results in hydraulic hybrids having the capability to save larger amounts of fuel than electric hybrids when used on vehicles that undergo repeated stop/start operation. As hydraulic hybrids favor applications with high dynamic driving cycles (i.e., frequent start and stop cycles) they are being designed for use in commercial refuse trucks, city buses, and delivery vehicles. Hydraulic hybrids are typically less expensive to manufacture than electric hybrids.

When a vehicle equipped with a hydraulic hybrid needs to stop the energy can be recovered by using the pump to pressurize fluid which can be stored in the accumulator. This regenerative braking not only recovers the energy, it dramatically reduces the brake wear. When the same vehicle needs to accelerate from a stop, that high pressure fluid can be used to power the pump and therefore the vehicle. This saves fuel and reduces emissions. The remainder of the time the hydraulic hybrid system is not used.

Czero has partnered with the Colorado State University to develop a hydraulic hybrid retrofit kit to upgrade existing vehicles with this fuel savings technology. This partnership includes Czero engineers, and professors, graduate students, and undergraduate students from both the engineering and business schools. The Czero/CSU team has their first prototype demonstration vehicle up and running and is working on their second generation system which will be running this summer. The team is working on the business aspects of introducing the product into both developing nations and domestic markets.