Parker Hannifin Corp. is teaming up with Autocar LLC, Heil and Republic Services Inc. to develop and test a RunWise refuse truck fueled with compressed natural gas (CNG).
The companies have completed the initial month of demonstration trials in Southern California, where a CNG-powered truck using the RunWise Advanced Series Hybrid Drive System was handling regular service on a collection route.
‘Test data shows that the RunWise system is delivering up to 20 percent incremental fuel savings over traditional CNG trucks and a 10 percent improvement in productivity, and we can anticipate that reduced brake wear and routine maintenance requirements will also contribute to the value of these clean energy vehicles,’ says Shane Terblanche, general manager of Parker's hybrid drive systems division.
RunWise is a hydraulic-hybrid drive system whereby energy from a vehicle's braking system is stored and used to power a truck when it accelerates. An onboard controller coordinates pumps, hydrostatic motors and accumulators to power the vehicle when in hydrostatic mode during start-and-stop operation while collecting refuse. As the truck reaches highway speed, Parker's proprietary Power Drive Unit (PDU) transfers from hydrostatic drive to mechanical drive to maximize operational efficiency.
