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NEWS
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News Release |
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Hybrid bus uses parts made by Abbott Tool Inc. BOWLING GREEN, O.—The Diesel Electric Hybrid Bus developed at the Electric Vehicle Institute at Bowling Green State University
recently paid an inspection visit to Abbott Tool Inc. in Toledo.
The bus is equipped with a prototype electric hybrid drive system that includes parts built by Abbott Tool. Preliminary testing
has shown fuel savings of up to 30 percent on a stop-and-go route with a corresponding reduction in volume of pollutants.
The electric drive is ideal for retrofitting medium-sized commercial vehicles commonly used for parcel delivery and shuttle
buses that have missions with many stops. The hybrid system features ultra capacitors rather than batteries for energy storage.
The electric drive is being developed by the institute with a research grant funded by NASA through the efforts of U.S. Rep.
Marcy Kaptur of Toledo. Kaptur has recognized the project as one that supports her program of cleaner air and helping reduce
America’s dependence on foreign sources of energy. “We must replace imported petroleum with renewable energy that will make
us energy independent, cut greenhouse gas emissions and restore our freedom,” she said.
Jobs for Americans are also part of Kaptur’s vision. Regional companies such as Abbott Tool are benefiting right now from
work generated by the grant. Long-term jobs will be the ultimate outcome of the project.
“We are grateful that Congresswoman Kaptur has seen the merit of our work and has helped support it,” said Barry Piersol,
director of the Electric Vehicle Institute. “Commercialization is the key to the success of this project,” he continued. “If
what we design and develop is practical from both a production and utilitarian standpoint, and we find a company to take our
developments to the marketplace, we will have succeeded.
“What would be ideal is for us to partner with a regional company that will continue to subcontract parts to companies like
Abbott Tool, Inc., then assemble and provide complete system packages to vehicle chassis builders. This is the way this project
can bring jobs to our area.”
“Service is what we have to offer,” said Leonard Livecchi, vice president of Abbott Tool. During the recent visit, Tony Palumbo
and Aaron Bloomfield of the Electric Vehicle Institute toured the facility and found out firsthand what makes Abbott good
at what it does. Abbott is well equipped with state-of-the-art CNC machine tools and quality fabrication and inspection.
“We have a great relationship with Abbott Tool,” said Palumbo, chief of operations at the institute. “They are genuinely interested
in what you are doing as well as how they can help. Abbott has worked with us on several of our projects, and I can always
count on them for quality workmanship and timely delivery. Without companies like Abbott, we would have great difficulty completing
our projects.”
Ultra capacitors are more efficient than batteries, require little maintenance and have the potential to outlive the vehicle.
To keep costs in line, the EVI system also includes a single motor and gear train, a traction controller and proprietary software
embedded in a supervisory control module. The hybrid power train, called the Hybrid Booster Drive (HBD ) ™, has been patented by BGSU.
The HBD ™ system is a parallel hybrid system intended to supplement the existing internal combustion driveline, so the combustion engine,
in this case diesel, remains the dominant power source and essentially unchanged. The institute is working closely with component
vendors so that commercial off-the-shelf technology is being used in the HBD ™ wherever possible.
In addition, the institute is collaborating with chassis and coach manufacturers to minimize intrusion into their present
product lines and processes. For example, the HBD ™ computer control system is geared to allow seamless integration of the hybrid system with the existing vehicle, according
to Bloomfield, control engineer.
“Our approach to system control is to utilize the existing vehicle communication network so a single connection to the vehicle
can provide smooth and reliable hybrid operation, with no perceptible change to the driver,” Bloomfield said.
From its outset in 1994, the goals of Bowling Green’s Electric Vehicle Institute have been to develop and promote advanced
electrical propulsion technology and to transfer these technologies to appropriate corporations and public agencies for production
and implementation. Innovation has always been part of the institute’s mission at BGSU.
(Posted October 26, 2004 )
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