Hydraulic Hybrid Fluid Conditioning System

Abstract

The University of Michigan Challenge X Team is designing a series configuration hydraulic-diesel hybrid powertrain for the Chevy Equinox platform. This powertrain uses a small diesel engine that is less powerful and more efficient than that used in a conventional powertrain, but when coupled with the hydraulic powertrain, it maintains, or even exceeds, the original performance. Using a smaller engine minimizes energy consumption and emission of greenhouse gases. When braking, the hydraulic system can also recover energy normally dissipated as heat in a conventional system. Maintenance of the hydraulic fluid is important to the well-being of the system. Small debris, high temperatures, and nitrogen gas in the fluid can cause serious problems through wear, breakdown, and cavitation. These problems necessitate the use of a fluid conditioning system to filter debris, maintain the temperature, and monitor the level of aeration in the fluid, which is the purpose of our project.