EDEN PRAIRIE, MN – Diversified industrial manufacturer Eaton Corporation’s fuel-saving hydraulic launch assist (HLA) technology will be used on a South Texas fleet of urban shuttle buses to reduce greenhouse gas emissions (GHG). The Houston Advanced Research Center (HARC) awarded a $499,974 new technology research and development (NTRD) grant to fund the shuttle bus emissions initiative. The grant builds on a successful 2006 project in which Eaton’s HLA systems were installed on 12 refuse trucks under a State of Texas NTRD grant, according to HARC Program Director Rudy Smaling.

“This is an important technology,” Smaling said. “It cuts exhaust emissions and fuel costs, making it possible for both operators and the environment to come out ahead. The refuse trucks delivered fuel savings of 25 to 28 percent, and we fully expect similar savings from the shuttle bus application.”

According to Bradley Bohlmann, business development manager for Eaton Fluid Power Group’s Advanced Technology Team, “We collaborated with HARC on the refuse truck project and look forward to building on that experience in rolling out HLA technology into the shuttle bus market.”

Eaton’s HLA system is a regenerative braking system that captures and stores the vehicle’s kinetic energy rather than dissipating it as heat. Braking energy is stored in pressurized accumulators and used to help accelerate the vehicle. According to Eaton, the HLA system is an ideal hybrid technology for vehicles with duty cycles involving many starts and stops because it efficiently captures and recycles energy using relatively simple, highly-durable components easily integrated into conventional drivetrains.