MARSHALL, Mich. – Diversified industrial manufacturer Eaton Corporation took a bunch of reporters in late September on a ride at its test track to showcase a lot of cool new auto technology, including a charging station for electric vehicles that will show up soon at your friendly neighborhood convenience store.
The Eaton DC Quick Chargers look like a conventional gasoline pump, but can recharge an electric vehicle 80 percent of capacity in as little as 20 minutes, compared to eight hours plugged into the electrical outlet in your garage. Eaton is partnering with Murphy Oil USA to evaluate the ways to expand the program. An industry source said the game plan is to put some of these fast charge stations next to gas pumps at WalMarts nationwide.
A press release said the collaboration will be an attempt to address the range anxiety electric vehicle drivers currently face due to the limited availability and visibility of installed and operating charging stations. First generation all electric vehicles have pretty limited ranges, often only 40 miles. By putting Quick Chargers at gas stations folks that want to buy these alternative energy “green” cars won’t have to worry about running out of power on trips outside of town.
Eaton has developed electrical and hybrid power systems for trucks and buses for more than 20 years. The $11.9 billion multi-national corporation offers hybrid-electric, as well as two hybrid hydraulic system technologies, and the charging and networked charging infrastructure for commercial and residential applications.
Murphy provides fuels at 1000 convenience stores in 22 states under the Murphy USA and Murphy Express brands. The company also owns and operates a network of 12 terminals that provide, along with third-party terminals, fuel supply to retail and branded wholesale stations throughout 24 states, including WalMart.
The day-long program also featured test drives in cars equipped with some other Eaton technologies. Those included:
An all-new electronic limited slip differential, called Ultra Posi, for front and rear-wheel drive vehicles that performs comparably to four-wheel-drive and all-wheel-drive systems and provides up to a 10 percent savings in fuel economy. The new differential provides instant traction and stability under slippery road conditions. We tested it in a front-wheel drive car.
The new Ultra Posi differential is located inside the transaxle and it receives input from the existing brake, wheel-speed, steering-wheel, throttle, yaw and lateral acceleration sensors to ensure each wheel is receiving sufficient torque. In the event of slippage it instantaneously engages a hydraulic power supply to transfer extra torque to the wheel with the most traction by modulating the differential from fully open to fully locked, and anywhere in between, depending on driving conditions.
An MLocker mechanical locking differential that has been selected to improve the traction and stability of the brand new Haval (formerly Hover) H5 SUV from Great Wall Motors. MLocker features a patented carbon friction disc technology to enhance performance and durability. During wheel spin, the MLocker automatically locks within a fraction of a second providing instant traction and is designed to go virtually unnoticed by the driver. No driver intervention is required. Once the need for improved traction is gone, unlocking occurs automatically. The result is enhanced vehicle safety with improved traction on a variety of surfaces, including wet roads, icy conditions, gravel, mud and dirt, plus it provides grip even when one wheel is off the road. I tested it on a 60 percent grade in a Hummer. Like taking a roller coaster ride.
Eaton also proudly displayed a supercharger that can provide up to a five percent fuel savings and reduce emissions compared to competing technologies. Recent examples of the trend toward supercharging include:
Nissan recently announced its 2011 1.2L, 3-cylinder Micra city car will be powered an engine with Eaton?s most advanced supercharger, the Twin Vortices Series (TVS). Nissan says the engine is ?aiming to achieve the lowest level of fuel consumption in the world for a gasoline-powered engine,? and offers the engine power output equivalent to a 1.5L engine.
China’s largest independent automaker, Chery Automobile Co. Ltd., will debut the first use of Eaton superchargers in China on three vehicles, the 2010 1.6S Tiggo, 1.3S A3 and Riich 1.3S G3.
Volkswagen’s 2010 1.4L TSI Twincharger four-cylinder engine combines a supercharger with turbocharging, and won the International Engine of the Year Award for the second consecutive year. The engine is used in more than eight Volkswagen models.
The 2010 Porsche Cayenne S Hybrid SUV features an Audi 3.0L V6 direct fuel- injection engine with Eaton’s TVS supercharger that produces 20 percent less carbon dioxide emissions compared to gas-only systems and achieves 26mpg.
The 2010 Volkswagen Touareg Hybrid features a supercharged 3.0L TSI V6 engine that is shared with the automaker’s Audi brand and matched with a new 8-speed automatic transmission and an electric-hybrid system to provide 17 to 25 percent better fuel economy than a conventional Touareg.
Audi will replace the 3.6-liter V-6 and the 4.2-liter V-8, in favor of two versions of the company’s relatively new 3.0-liter supercharged V-6 on its 2011 Q7 sport utility vehicle (SUV). The new supercharged V6 will provide 17 to 24 percent better fuel economy than the current 3.6L V6 and 4.2L V8 engines.
We compared superchargers with turbos in a couple of Chevy compacts driven on a road course between orange cones.
An industry source also said the Eaton supercharger will make its way into the 2011 Chevrolet Camaro Z-28 LSA engine – a 6.2L SAE certified at 556hp @ 6100rpm and 551 lb-ft torque @ 3800rpm.
Can you say Varoom?
Eaton also gave us a look-see at an electronic fuel vapor management valve for hybrid-electric vehicles that manages fuel vapor pressure contained within the fuel tank, increasing safety and enabling automakers to meet strict emissions regulations. The new system is expected to be in production vehicles by 2011. The Fuel Tank Isolation Valve leverages two key Eaton technologies ? solenoids and vapor management valves ? into a simpler, customizable, smaller and smarter system than traditional venting systems.
Plus we were shown the inner workings of a next-generation variable valvetrain systems for high-speed overhead camshaft engines. The company’s new cylinder deactivation and variable valve lift systems will debut with multiple global automakers over the next three years. Eaton’s cylinder deactivation system is designed specifically for engines with overhead camshaft valvetrains and works seamlessly with the engine management system to efficiently reduce engine displacement when full power is not needed. The system is comprised of a deactivation rocker arm and oil control valve. When engine conditions are right, for example in highway cruise, the engine computer gives a command to the oil control valve and the unneeded cylinders shut down to save fuel, much like the discontinued Cadillac Northstar engine.
For more information, click on Eaton.Com
