Development and Testing of a Hydraulic Hybrid Concept for Off-Highway Vehicles

The paper illustrates the development of a hydraulic hybrid powertrain concept for off-highway vehicles, which is the result of a three-year program at Dana's advanced technology centers. Engineers have conducted extensive simulations and tests while equipping a demonstration vehicle to determine feasibility, develop advanced features, and quantify benefits of hydraulic hybridization for traction. The system concept and operation as well as its development process are illustrated, focusing the system engineering principles and on the model-based approach to system design, control, and energy analysis. Experimental results are provided.