Eaton gets hybrid power system patented; technology ready next year

KALAMAZOO, Mich. — Commercial vehicle systems manufacturer Eaton Corp. has been awarded several U.S. patents for the company’s Hybrid Electric Power System, which will be commercially available through several major OEMs in 2007.

The patents are focused on controls and systems related to Eaton’s hybrid technology for commercial vehicles. Of particular interest to many commercial vehicle fleets is the systems’ patented ePTO (power take-off) feature, aimed at trucks that operate from an off-highway job site, such as utility and telecom applications.

Eaton hybrid utility blueprint

The ePTO feature provides the ability to run a vehicle’s power take-off while the engine is off — resulting in a fuel savings of up to 60 percent. This feature also reduces emissions and noise by cutting engine idle times up to 87 percent, the company says.

“The granting of these patents is a very significant milestone for us as we prepare for the production release of our hybrid system,” said Kevin Beaty, manager of Eaton’s hybrid business unit. “In addition to protecting our intellectual property, these patents demonstrate some of the unique technology Eaton is bringing to the hybrid power systems marketplace. I’m proud of our team’s achievement and our ongoing contribution to the commercialization of hybrid technology for the commercial vehicle industry.”

Eaton’s Hybrid Electric Power System uses a Fuller automated transmission with a parallel hybrid system. It incorporates an electric motor/generator located between the output of an automated clutch and input of the transmission.

Using Eaton’s patented hybrid solutions the system recovers energy normally lost during braking and stores the energy in batteries. When electric torque is blended with engine torque, the stored energy is used to improve fuel economy and vehicle performance for a given speed, or operate with electric power only.