WestStart-CALSTART Launches Advanced Heavy-Duty
Hybrid Truck Technology, Fast Charger Projects
DARPA-Funded Programs With ISE Research-ThunderVolt Inc.,
Capstone Turbine, PowerDesigners Speed Use of Clean Heavy-Duty
Hybrid-Electric Vehicles, Charging of Electric Vehicles
PASADENA, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--July 20, 2000--Clean advanced technologies for hybrid-electric heavy-duty vehicles and
development of a universal electric vehicle rapid charger are getting a big boost from two new WestStart-CALSTART demonstration
projects.
Both projects, funded by the Defense Advanced Research Agency (DARPA), are designed to enhance the commercial viability of
advanced transportation technologies.
The two projects being funded are the demonstration of the first-ever use of a microturbine in a Class 8 hybrid truck application; the
other project is the development of a universal multiport rapid charger for electric vehicles, particularly off-road vehicles such as electric
ground support equipment (GSE) and forklift trucks used at airports and in metropolitan areas.
The projects have a total program value of $1.2 million and represent a partnership between WestStart-CALSTART, DARPA and
seven companies.
``These projects keep pushing advanced vehicle technologies forward into real world applications,'' said Michael J. Gage, president and
CEO of WestStart-CALSTART, the nation's leading advanced transportation consortium. ``They will accelerate the use of advanced
vehicles in the marketplace for cleaner, more efficient transportation.''
Following are brief descriptions of the projects and technologies:
ISE Research-ThunderVolt Inc., with headquarters in San Diego, and a team of three companies, Capstone Turbine Corp., Peterbuilt,
and Sparkletts Water Company, will demonstrate the first-ever use of a microturbine in a Class 8 hybrid truck application.
The ``Turbine-Driven Hybrid-Electric Truck (THT)'' project will use, for the first time in any type of vehicle, the new Capstone 60 kW
turbine. Although microturbines have been used in a handful of small transit bus uses, they have never been used in a heavy-duty truck.
The truck being used is a Class 8 line haul truck owned by Sparkletts Water Company. Sparkletts will use the THT to ferry bottled
water from its bottling plant to regional distribution centers in the South Coast Air Basin. These trucks travel approximately 180 miles
per day on local streets and freeways and approach the legal gross vehicle weight limit of 80,000 pounds when fully loaded.
The THT project has the potential to yield substantial air quality benefits based on the combined benefits of using the Capstone turbine,
running on clean fuel -- propane -- and the efficiency of the hybrid-electric drive system.
Total emissions reductions offered by the THT are substantially greater than 1 ton per year for each vehicle converted. Based on an
estimated 8 million miles of heavy-duty vehicle traffic in the South Coast Air Basin per day, NOx emissions in the region alone would be
reduced by more than 130 tons per day if all heavy-duty vehicles utilized this technology.
PowerDesigners, in conjunction with its development partner Southern California Edison, will develop a high efficiency and low cost
universal multiport rapid charger for off-road electric vehicles such as ground support equipment (GSE) at airports and forklift trucks.
The technology being developed also will directly benefit on-road applications. The project seeks to address some of the challenges
facing rapid charging such as the providing of optimal charging to the batteries, the ability to charge different types of electric vehicles
with varying power requirements, different battery chemistries and terminal voltages.
Citing the high cost of existing rapid chargers, the project is targeting cost reduction and the ability of this single universal charter to
replace a multitude of dedicated slow charging units.
The technology of the universal multiport rapid charger will be able to interface with the diversity of vehicle battery systems. When used,
the universal multiport rapid charger technology will automatically detect the vehicle battery voltage and type and apply the proper
charging power, which will optimally charge the battery pack.
With multiple ports, more than one vehicle could be charged sequentially by the charger, improving the utilization of the charger. The
universal multiport charger also will lower the capital cost for infrastructure by reducing the number of unique ``slow'' chargers necessary
to accommodate each battery technology and power level.
Finally, rapid charging will reduce charging times and increase work cycles for vehicles, creating additional cost savings for fleet
operators.
The project focuses initially on the off-road vehicle market since off-road EVs comprise a large market for electric vehicle technology.
Initial deployment applications for the program target airports with their large number of GSE and the high demand and usage of these
off-road vehicles.
Currently, a majority of airport GSE runs primarily on gasoline and diesel fuel contributing to serious emissions problems for airports and
overall air pollution in metropolitan areas.
WestStart-CALSTART is an advanced transportation technologies consortium that focuses on developing new, clean technologies and
solutions in transportation. Working with private partners worldwide, WestStart-CALSTART provides technology development and
demonstration, market analysis, and fleet implementation services.
Its expertise includes electric vehicles, natural gas vehicles, hybrid electric vehicles, intelligent transportation systems (ITS), mobility
services and fuel-cell technologies. |
