Hybrid car developer makes lightweight accumulators

Edited by Mary C. Gannon,

senior associate editor

CCEFP to co-locate annual meeting at IFPE
IFPE 2011 recently announced that the Center for Compact and Efficient Fluid Power (CCEFP) will co-locate its annual meeting in conjunction with the exposition. CCEFP will also present research papers at the 52nd National Conference on Fluid Power (NCFP) being held at the event, March 22-26 at the Las Vegas Convention Center.

Since its inception in 2006, CCEFP has served as a catalyst to foster collaboration between academia and industry, with the goal of accelerating fluid power technology advancement and transforming results into real-world applications.

According to IFPE show director Melissa Magestro, “The participation of CCEFP offers IFPE attendees a higher level of information sharing than ever before with direct access to some of the ‘best and the brightest’ minds involved in hydraulic and pneumatic technology research.”

CCEFP’s annual meeting will bring together researchers, educators, students and industry leaders to listen to and discuss research and education project presentations. Right after the meeting, posters describing CCEFP research will also be presented by Center students.

For information, visit www.ifpe.com.

White paper touts aluminum air cylinder benefits

Fabco-Air Inc., Gainesville, Fla., offers aluminum air cylinders that vie with their stainless-steel counterparts for extended cycle life in hostile environments. The proprietary coatings provide an economical alternative to stainless steel.

A free white paper documents life-cycle testing that shows coated aluminum products are well protected against the effects of harsh environments.

To download the white paper, visit www.fabco-air.com.

Hybrid car developer makes lightweight accumulator
In its efforts to develop an efficient hydraulic hybrid passenger vehicle, Lightning Hybrids Inc. (LHI), Loveland, Colo., introduced lightweight high-pressure composite bladder accumulators for hydraulic and other energy storage applications.

LHI’s composite tanks are one-third the weight of standard steel accumulators and offer significant energy savings due to weight reduction, increased safety due to a higher than standard burst pressure factor, and cost savings because they are easier and less expensive to ship and install since weight and mounting hardware are minimized.

The tanks were engineered specifically for use in the company’s HyPER Assist hydraulic hybrid vehicle application, but can also find use in emergency vehicles, and forestry, agricultural, and mining mobile equipment, among others.

“Our lightweight accumulators enhance the performance and efficiency of a variety of hydraulic systems,” stated Dan Johnson, LHI’s CEO. “In addition, they add a higher dimension of safety and reliability over standard steel accumulators.”

Structural Composites Industries, a subsidiary of Worthington Industries, manufactures the accumulators for Lightning Hybrids.The accumulators are 6000 psi bladder type and range in size from 10 to 30 gal.They are a Type 3 tank and consist of an aluminum lining and a spun carbon fiber wrapped shell, encompassing a nitrogen gas compression bladder. LHI’s carbon fiber wrapped vessels are considerably lighter than their steel counterparts. For example, a 15 gal accumulator weighs 115 lb compared to 465 lb for a steel accumulator.

Visit www.lightninghybrids.com for more details.