CALSTART launches seven new advanced transportation projects for new year; programs speed "flywheel" batteries, hybrid electric vehicle generators and military components.BURBANK, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Jan. 10, 1996--Advanced technologies for a new generation of commercial and combat vehicles -- from high-powered "flywheel" mechanical batteries to support systems for hybrid electric vehicles A hybrid electric vehicle (HEV) is a vehicle which combines a conventional propulsion system with an on-board rechargeable energy storage system (RESS) to achieve better fuel economy than a conventional vehicle without being hampered by range from a charging unit like an -- got a big boost to start the new year from seven new CALSTART demonstration projects designed to enhance commercial viability and military capabilities. The programs represent a new $5.5 million partnership between CALSTART, the Advanced Research Projects Agency (ARPA ARPA - Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency ) of the U.S. Department of Defense and nine California companies. They will extend hybrid electric vehicle technology capabilities in several key areas: energy storage, on-board power generation and advanced electronics. "These new programs keep the momentum for advanced vehicle technologies charging forward," said Michael J. Gage, president and chief executive officer of CALSTART, California's advanced transportation consortium. "They have real commercial applications in the global market for cleaner, more efficient transportation. They also significantly contribute to America's military readiness by helping to cost- effectively build the next generation of fast, stealthy stealth·y adj. stealth·i·er, stealth·i·est Marked by or acting with quiet, caution, and secrecy intended to avoid notice. See Synonyms at secret. combat vehicles." AeroVironment Inc., of Monrovia, Calif., will develop and test critical high-risk components -- including hybrid drivetrains, advanced active suspension active suspension active n (Aut) → aktives or computergesteuertes Fahrwerk nt systems and combat-hardened electronics -- needed on next-generation military hybrid electric reconnaissance vehicles. AeroVironment has already built one prototype -- a silent, sturdy scout vehicle known as the Joint Tactical Electrical Vehicle (JTEV), which it will outfit with the new components. Three additional projects involve electromechanical The use of electricity to run moving parts. Disk drives, printers and motors are examples. Electromechanical systems must be designed for the eventual deterioration of moving components that wear over time. The first TVs were electromechanical systems (see video/TV history). flywheels, nonchemical battery technologies that store energy in a spinning wheel spinning wheel Early machine for turning textile fibre into thread or yarn, which was then woven into cloth on a loom. The spinning wheel was probably invented in India, though its origins are unclear. It reached Europe via the Middle East in the Middle Ages. . Flywheels show tremendous potential for storing and quickly releasing significant amounts of energy. o Rocketdyne, of Canoga Park, Calif., a subsidiary of Rockwell Aerospace, will conduct durability and failure tests of its titanium flywheel for use in heavy-duty electric vehicles, such as buses. o U.S. Flywheel Systems, based in Newbury Park, Calif., will perform lifecycle testing on several of its flywheel battery modules, which could exceed 10,000 charge/discharge cycles, compared with 400-600 for traditional batteries. o Advanced Controls Technology Inc. (AVCON), of Agoura Hills, Calif., will design and test a more efficient magnetic bearing system for flywheels that allows them to spin safely at tens of thousands of revolutions per minute. Two projects involve developing and demonstrating efficient rotary engines rotary engine, internal-combustion engine whose cycle is similar to that of a piston engine, but which produces rotary motion directly without any conversion from reciprocating motion. to power electrical generators on hybrid electric vehicles. Rotary engines are quiet and durable and produce the same power in roughly one third the space of conventional engines. o Alturdyne Inc., of San Diego San Diego (săn dēā`gō), city (1990 pop. 1,110,549), seat of San Diego co., S Calif., on San Diego Bay; inc. 1850. San Diego includes the unincorporated communities of La Jolla and Spring Valley. Coronado is across the bay. , will build a 40-kilowatt (kW) rotary power Rotary Power is an engineering company based in Newcastle upon Tyne, UK, and designs and manufacturers hydraulic motors and pumps. It is a division of British Engines Ltd, also based in Newcastle, formed in 1922. Rotary Power was previously named RHL hydraulics. unit which will drive an integrated generator. The unit will be tested aboard a next-generation hybrid electric transit Electric Transit was an entertainment software publisher in the mid-1980s specializing in first-person 3-D simulation games for Apple II and IBM PC computers. The company was formed by four Edu-Ware alumni -- general manager Jeff Ford, marketing director Pamela Pollack, game bus being built by APS Systems of Oxnard, Calif. o Moller International, Davis, Calif., will build and test a 22 kW rotary engine as an auxiliary power unit An auxiliary power unit (APU) is a device on a vehicle whose purpose is to provide energy for functions other than propulsion. Different types of APU are found on aircraft, as well as some large ground vehicles. on a hybrid electric vehicle operated by the University of California The University of California has a combined student body of more than 191,000 students, over 1,340,000 living alumni, and a combined systemwide and campus endowment of just over $7.3 billion (8th largest in the United States). at Davis. The final project, using technologies from Saratoga, Calif.-based Coriolis Corp., will develop low-cost power relays for electric vehicle systems, including high-power battery pack safety switches that are simple to manufacture. These technologies will help keep America's ground forces at the technological leading edge, while also lowering military procurement costs by encouraging their viability in the commercial marketplace. Sixty percent of the program costs come from the private companies involved. "These seven projects are a perfect way to start 1996 -- they say clearly these technologies are too critical to delay," added Gage. "California's high-tech skills are providing new, advanced capabilities to ensure America's continued leadership, while also supporting strong economic development at home. We see that momentum only growing." CALSTART is a California nonprofit consortium dedicated to creating an advanced transportation industry in the state. Its more than 160 participants include electronic, defense and aerospace technology firms, vehicle manufacturers, transit districts, all the state's major natural gas and electric utilities, public agencies and labor and environmental groups. Visit CALSTART's World Wide Web site on the Internet -- http://www.calstart.org -- for more information and photos. CONTACT: CALSTART, Burbank Bill Van Amburg or Dave Sotero, 818/565-5600 |
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