Accumulator Piston Seal Design and Test Fixture for Hydraulic Hybrid Vehicle

Abstract

This project if for the design of a piston seal system for the hydraulic hybrid program at the EPA's National Vehicle and Fuel Emission Lab in Ann Arbor. In a hydraulic hybrid, energy is stored in the accumulator by compression of the gas inside. The EPA has a patented thin-wall hydraulic piston accumulator, where the gas and oil are separated by a piston with seals. However, the piston seals do not provide a leak-free barrier between gas and oil. This project was to design and test a seal ring (or set of rings) that would provide a positive seal for the piston accumulator for energy storage and release.