Permo-Drive's New Hybrid System Promises Major Fuel Economy Gains

    TEMPE, Ariz., Feb. 19 -- Permo-Drive Technologies has
developed a compact version of its recently introduced hybrid hydraulic drive
system that promises to improve the fuel-economy of medium-duty commercial
vehicles by 30 percent or more.
    The new design is 300 pounds lighter and significantly smaller than the
prototype systems first shown by the company last year, according to Paul
Chandler, vice president of North American Operations.
    Speaking at the third annual Clean Heavy-Duty Vehicles Conference on Feb.
19-20 in Tempe, Chandler said that the new system is "ideally suited for Class
VI-VII trucks and represents an important, evolutionary step in the
development of hybrid hydraulic drive technology."
    The second-generation system weighs approximately 330 pounds.  When fully
charged the system can generate power equivalent to a 340-horsepower engine
with 995 foot-pounds of torque.  A prototype will be ready for fleet testing
in the fourth quarter of 2003, with production planned in 2005.
    Chandler noted that, "This smaller, lighter version of Permo-Drive's
Regenerative Drive System (RDS) offers significant fuel savings, reduced
emissions and improves brake life to the trucking industry and major fleet
operators, including the U.S. military."
    A U.S. Army vehicle equipped with the Permo-Drive system recently
underwent three weeks of intensive testing.  Preliminary results show a 27
percent improvement in fuel economy, a 36 percent jump in rapid-acceleration
or "dash" capability and a 60 percent improvement in deceleration when
comparing hydraulic-system deceleration rates to engine-braking.
    Dennis J. Wend, executive director of the U.S. Army National Automotive
Center, recently noted that, "In our modeling and simulation work to date,
parallel hybrid-hydraulic systems show the potential to provide significant
fuel-economy savings for future generations of trucks."
    Chandler pointed out that the company's hybrid hydraulic system also has
been tested on commercial vehicles in Australia, where it achieved fuel
economy gains of 33 percent or more.  Permo-Drive's system captures normally
wasted energy generated during braking, then releases it back into the
vehicle's driveline when additional power is needed.
    RDS technology can be applied to new or existing trucks.  Key design
features include an innovative inline axial-piston pump/motor, high-pressure
accumulator energy-storage devices that utilize special composite materials,
ultra-light-weight metals and advanced hydraulic and electronic engineering.
The Permo-Drive system integrates vehicle dynamics, hydraulics, mechanical
engineering, accumulator technology, material science, computer telemetry and
electronics.
    "Installed on a medium-duty truck, the system acts like a second 340-
horsepower engine," Chandler noted.  "It dramatically reduces the need for
fuel, while providing additional horsepower when necessary."
    RDS is a high power-density, high energy-flow system that features a
light-weight, compact design.  "You can quickly transfer a lot of energy in
and out of the system.  It's also a very efficient system with very little
mechanical or hydraulic energy loss."
    Chandler pointed out that Permo-Drive's technology offers a number of
other advantages when compared to electric hybrids, including:
    *  Hydraulics are a mature technology with a proven track record around
the world.  Hydraulic systems are robust enough to operate in arctic cold or
desert heat with a minimum of routine maintenance.
    *  There is a readily available supply of hydraulic components and
engineering expertise.
    *  The RDS system is retrofitable to many existing vehicles.

    The U.S. Army vehicle tested with the Permo-Drive system was a 6x6 FMTV
(Family of Medium Tactical Vehicles) equipped with a seven-speed transmission
and six-cylinder Caterpillar engine.
    The Permo-Drive RDS storage system includes two hydraulic fluid
"accumulators" -- a high-pressure tank (up to 5,000 PSI) and a low-pressure
reservoir.  As braking takes place, energy is captured with the flow of oil
from the low-pressure tank to the high-pressure accumulator.  A central
processor later controls the release of the oil during acceleration to enhance
overall fuel economy and reduce emissions.
    Permo-Drive Technologies Ltd. is an Australia-based company focused on the
development of regenerative energy-management systems for the automotive
industry.  More information about the company is available on the Internet at
http://www.permo-drive.com .
    The 2003 Clean Heavy-Duty Vehicles Conference in Tempe is sponsored by the
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the United States Army National
Automotive Center, CalStart and WestStart.  The conference looks for solutions
to the emissions, mileage, economic and technological issues facing the heavy-
duty vehicle industry.