TwinTorq Electric-Hydraulic Engine extends range by 45% for EV Buses

Posted by – November 22, 2016

KersTech develops and manufactures their TwinTorq motor providing they claim a major leap in energy efficiency over conventional electric motors, significantly increasing driving range and runtime. The TwinTorq motor combines an electric motor with a hydraulic motor in a single compact unit, with the hydraulic motor providing high efficiency starting torque at slower speeds and the electric motor high efficiency running torque at higher speeds. Both the electric and hydraulic systems regenerate energy during deceleration to replenish the battery and hydraulic accumulator in their respective speed ranges. The hydraulic motor can be disengaged during electric mode. Controller software manages the electric and hydraulic systems to optimize energy usage. The net effect is that the hydraulic power at low speed/high torque reduces battery demand to preserve electric energy and increase battery range by up to 45%, or enables the use of smaller batteries. And because they use hydraulics for launch acceleration and energy regeneration, minimizing high battery charges and discharges, they are kinder to batteries so they last longer. The TwinTorq motor uses simple physics and proven, reliable technologies in a novel fashion. Because hydraulic motors are 3 times more efficient than electric motors for acceleration and brake energy regeneration at lower speeds, during deceleration they recover energy hydraulically, as pressure in an accumulator. Then they release the pressure to accelerate the vehicle without using the electric motor and battery. There’s the big energy saving, because high-torque acceleration chews up battery energy. By replacing low efficiency electric energy with high efficiency hydraulic energy during launch and low speed acceleration the TwinTorq motor preserves battery energy to increase driving range and runtime by up to 45%. TwinTorq’s unique design integrates shared electric and hydraulic components, reducing component and production costs. The motor’s coaxial and coplanar architecture in combination with their patented 90° gear drive enables axial compactness or “flatness”, allowing low-in- the-chassis mounting to improve space utilization and lower center of gravity. TwinTorq is an ideal solution for commercial electric vehicles with frequent-start- stop drive cycles where range and battery life directly impacts productivity and operating cost. Their first application is electric forklifts, because 65% of new forklifts are already electric, and then we’ll address city and shuttle buses; garbage, freight and parcel trucks; and other heavy electric vehicles. This video was filmed at the IDTechEx USA 2016 in Santa Clara, California.