Brunel air hybrid system could be on the buses in China
Brunel University has announced it will sign a technology development and licensing deal with Guangxi Yuchai Machinery Company next week that could see the its air hybrid system installed on buses throughout China.
Guangxi Yuchai Machinery Company is the largest diesel engine manufacturer in China and supplies 70 per cent of the Chinese bus engine market.
The university’s air hybrid system is based on regenerative engine braking stop/start technology developed by a team of academics in Brunel’s Centre for Advanced Powertrain and Fuels. It is claimed to be more efficient than an electric stop/start system and can lead to better vehicle performance.
In particular, it is compatible with existing vehicle powertrain systems and the production cost is significantly lower, making it suitable for high-volume production.
Prof Hua Zhao, director of the Centre for Advanced Powertrain and Fuels at Brunel University, said the technology works by exploiting the functional capability of a current bus engine to operate temporarily as an air compressor.
’It captures and stores energy as compressed air during braking using a production engine braking device commonly installed in heavy goods vehicles. The stored compressed air can then be used to restart the engine through an air starter motor.
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