Heavy and Medium Duty Trucks and Buses
The Heavy and Medium Duty Trucks and Buses, and especially Concrete Mixer Trucks and Waste Collection Trucks are the most suitable applications for IMFS due to a lot of reasons.
The relatively free power-train compartments of these vehicles provide for easy allocation of the IMFS components, including as retro-fit for vehicles in use. Most of the components of such IMFS are components that are present on variety working systems of these vehicles.
For example, a scheme of IMFS implemented on concrete mixer truck or waste collection truck is shown on the right hand figure. Black colored are the components that present on any concrete mixer truck or waste collection truck. Red colored are the additional components that are necessary for upgrading the typical mixer driving or waste treatment systems up to an IMFS. Such IMFS is controlled by an ECU (not shown on the scheme) connected to the CAN Bus rail of the vehicle.
IMFS for such vehicles is assembled by very popular sizes off-the-shelf hydraulic components, manufactured by a lot of companies and having proven truck records of reliability and durability, while having relatively low cost due to the large series of manufacturing.
The high power density of IMFS is very suitable for the heavy mass and corresponding power requirements of these vehicles.
The typical intensive use of such vehicles provides for short pay-back periods of the IMFS investment.
These vehicles very often have a number of auxiliary hydraulic systems, such as Concrete Mixers, Waste Collection Cranes and Waste Compactors, Material Handling Equipment Cranes, Hydraulic Fan Drives, etc. with corresponding hydraulic pumps, tanks and fittings. If even the Basic version of IMFS is implemented, it allows to save the said components, and thus to reduce the overall cost of the vehicle and to improve its overall investment efficiency and to additionally reduce the pay-back period.
The Heavy and Medium Duty Trucks and Busses allows using of low speed axial turbines for the Extended IMFS variant, and thus to save the speed Reducer, which leads to even lower cost of IMFS, and higher cost efficiency, and shorter pay-back period.
Due to all above, IMFS is a very appropriate solution for concrete mixer trucks, waste collection trucks, city delivery trucks, school busses, city transport busses, etc. etc. even in its Basic version. When consider the Extended IMFS variant, it is appropriate for almost all heavy and medium duty trucks and busses of both civil and Military applications, nevertheless of theirs typical driving patterns, as proved by the computer simulations results done and verified by TNO Automotive.
Economic Results of IMFS
Assuming a typical annual operation of a popular size concrete mixer truck or waste collection truck, in view of the working time and the run passed, the advantages of the IMFS ensure the following for its owner or operator:
» Annual economy of resources for fuel and servicing within the scope EUR 5 000 – 11 000 per truck
» Decrease of the non-productive time for servicing the truck in the scope of 7-15 hours per year
» Annual decrease of the CO2 emissions in the scope of 8-20 tons per truck
Sport Cars & Tuning
The higher volume specific power is the race/tuned engine, the more exhaust losses are, and thus the more efficient IMFS is.
The more decelerations and accelerations are performed by the car, the more efficient IMFS is. In fact multiple intensive decelerations, turns and subsequent accelerations are typical for most of the automotive races and for the aggressive manner of driving of tuned cars.
An IMFS implemented on a sport or tuned car boosts the decelerations as well the subsequent accelerations. IMFS operates as an auxiliary brake during each deceleration of the car and thus IMFS facilitates the actual brakes and decreases their load. During the subsequent acceleration IMFS uses the accumulated energy to serve as an auxiliary motor for a certain time and thus provides an extra acceleration of the car. Simultaneously IMFS recovers exhaust losses, providing in this way an extra power to the wheels permanently.
Therefore a well tailored IMFS provides a sport or tuned car with the same advantages as a powerful engine and stronger brakes simultaneously.
It is expected that the application of KERB systems (Kinetic Energy Recovering Brakes) will become compulsory for variety classes of race cars (just like recently it became for the F1 cars). In such conditions IMFS will be even more appropriate. Apart from operating as KERB, IMFS will provide hydraulic power for example for the gear changes actuators of the race semiautomatic gear boxes and will recover exhaust gases energy for stronger accelerations and higher speed of the race cars.
If interested in specific figures of improvements concerning specific vehicle, we are ready to run our simulators, and to provide you with the results.
Other Vehicles
Thanks to its multifunctional operation and high cost and overall efficiency, apart from above mentioned vehicles, IMFS is very suitable solution for fuel savings, environment standards meeting, cost and overall efficiency improving of a large scale of vehicles applications, such as from light passenger cars, trough medium and large cars, SUV, Vans and Pick-ups to light commercial and customer trucks, nevertheless of theirs typical driving patterns.