Skip to main content

Low construction engine emissions project

The University of Hertfordshire is collaborating in a £9 million project aimed at reducing carbon emissions from off-highway machinery. The University of Hertfordshire’s School of Engineering and Technology is part of a specialist engineering consortium working on the project. Benefiting from more than £4 million in funding from the Advanced Propulsion Centre UK Limited (APC), the project includes companies such as Caterpillar subsidiary Turner Powertrain Systems and Torotrak, a developer and supplier o
October 18, 2016 Read time: 2 mins
The University of Hertfordshire is collaborating in a £9 million project aimed at reducing carbon emissions from off-highway machinery. The University of Hertfordshire’s School of Engineering and Technology is part of a specialist engineering consortium working on the project.

Benefiting from more than £4 million in funding from the Advanced Propulsion Centre UK Limited (APC), the project includes companies such as 178 Caterpillar subsidiary Turner Powertrain Systems and Torotrak, a developer and supplier of emissions reduction and fuel efficiency technology.

The aim of the project is to develop a new drivetrain system that will reduce carbon emissions and have better energy storage. This new drivetrain will be used for a range of off-highway equipment.

The three and half year project is expected to begin in December and will focus on developing and commercialising a leading edge hydrostatic, continuously variable transmission with a flywheel-based energy storage system. This is expected to deliver improved performance along with reduced fuel consumption and CO2 emissions. It should also allow manufacturers of off-highway equipment to downsize engines across a wide range of construction machines.

Flywheel-based energy storage technology is ideally suited to off-highway and construction equipment applications because it offers a robust, low-cost way to allow engine downsizing while improving machine productivity.

Staff from the School of Engineering and Technology will provide advanced simulation, modeling and design expertise in the area of computational fluid dynamics, rotadynamics and finite element analysis. The research will also benefit from the University’s High Performance Computing cluster.

Dr Rodney Day, Associate Dean (Research and Commercial) in the School of Engineering and Technology said: ‘This is a fantastic opportunity to collaborate with two leading companies to develop this novel technology for the off-highway market.’

For more information on companies in this article

Related Content

  • Improved excavators and wheeled loaders coming to market
    October 2, 2014
    Manufacturers of excavators and wheeled loaders continue to roll out new models aimed at specific markets - Mike Woof writes With tough emissions controls now in place in Europe and North America, manufacturers have developed an array of advanced solutions to meet requirements, while also developing parallel models for sale in other territories. In the earthmoving sector the latest round of requirements in Europe and North America has resulted in a flurry of new, low emission models equipped with Tier 4
  • Key innovations in engines and drivelines technology at Conexpo 2014
    April 22, 2014
    Engines and drivelines technologies have move forward, as could be seen at Conexpo 2014 - Geoff Ascroft reports Solutions for Tier 4 Final emissions regulations dominated Conexpo 2014, with many firms showing off their options of DOC, DPF and SCR after-treatments. Deutz, while staying with an SCR-only solution, took a more unusual approach on its high horsepower V6 12litre and V8 16litre engines. Both get a dual SCR after treatment system to meet Tier 4 Final emission standards. Using a dual SCR system,
  • Innovative compaction advances
    July 23, 2024

    Innovative asphalt compaction machines are now being introduced by several of the major manufacturers, with solutions offering improved working efficiency and performance.

    Three of the most innovative developments for asphalt rollers come from Dynapac, BOMAG and Hamm, although new asphalt compactors are also being introduced by other firms such as Ammann and Caterpillar.

  • Tarmac goes low-carbon on UK’s A64
    December 20, 2024
    The trial was delivered on a 2.4km section of England’s A64 strategic highway, the eastbound carriageway at junction 44 near the town of Bramham in North Yorkshire county.