Skip to content

Thrust 1: Efficiency

By increasing the efficiency of fluid power in existing and new applications, the CCEFP will save many billions of dollars in energy, paying for the Center many times over. Improved efficiency will significantly reduce petroleum consumption and pollution. If new fluid power technology could cause a 10 percent improvement in overall fuel consumption for transportation, $24 billion in crude oil would be saved each year

The superior power density of fluid power makes it ideal for regenerative braking, with field tests showing fuel savings of 25 to 35 percent for trucks. The CCEFP will develop new, high-density accumulators that will make the regeneration approach feasible for passenger vehicles, resulting in much larger energy savings.

Significant energy savings can also be achieved in the construction, mining, agricultural and industrial sectors.

Research projects

  • 1A.1 Integrated Algorithms for Optimal Energy use for Mobile Fluid Power Systems
  • 1A.2 Multi-Actuator Hydraulic Hybrid Machine Systems
  • 1B.1 New Material Combinations and Surface Shapes for the Main Tribological-Systems of Piston Machines
  • 1B.2 Surface Effects on Motor Start-up Friction
  • 1D Micro- and Nano-Texturing for Low Friction Fluid Power Systems
  • 1E.1 Helical Ring On/Off Valve-based 4-Quadrant Virtually Variable Displacement Pump/motor
  • 1E.2 High Speed On/Off Valves to Enable Efficient and Effective Fluid Power Systems
  • 1E.3 High Efficiency, High Bandwidth, Actively Controlled Variable Displacement Pump/motor
  • 1E.4 On/Off Valve-based Piston-by-Piston Control of Pumps and Motors Using Mechanical Methods
  • 1G.1 Tribofilm Structure and Chemistry in Hydraulic Motors
  • 1G.2 Nano-Additives to Improve Pumping Capacity (GRADUATED)