Success Stories
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- Hydraulic Fan Drives - Norwegian State Railways
- Hydraulic Fan Drives
- A 'Cool' Bus Story
- Are Hydraulic Fan Drives For You?
- 65KW AC Generator Wind Turbine
- Refuse Truck Side Loader
- Tub Grinder
- Rock Crusher
- Remote Equipment Control
Hydraulic Fan Drives - Norwegian State Railways
Hydraulic fan drives are widely used with diesel engines to reduce fuel consumption, emissions, and noise. Despite the additional cost to OEMs, the high return on investment on hydraulic fan drives has been a major reason for their continuing growth.
However, hydraulic fans drives are also being used in train locomotives — specifically, PMC Servi AS, of Norway, which won a contract to upgrade trains used on Norwegian State Railways. Design engineers decided to retain the existing hydraulic cooling and take advantage of several major benefits, including fully independent fan speed control (fan speed can exceed engine speed) and significant fuel savings due to more efficient use of available engine power.
Click here to read the full article on the Hydraulics & Pneumatics web site.
Hydraulic fan drives have caught on as the most effective way to cool diesel engines. A diesel’s operating efficiency (fuel consumption) and emissions output are closely related to operating temperature. A diesel consumes the least amount of fuel per horsepower produced within a relatively narrow band of temperatures. Likewise, a diesel puts out the least amount of emissions per horsepower within a similar temperature range. So operating the engine within the narrow range of temperatures where the two overlap derives the most power from a diesel engine while minimizing fuel consumption and emissions.
Traditional, belt-driven fans produce air flow that is dependent upon engine speed, not cooling demand. This means belt-driven fans usually deliver too high or too low an air flow, which not only causes wide fluctuations in engine temperature, but wastes power. Maximum power is lost when the engine (fan) runs at high speed, even though little cooling may be needed. Moreover, an idling engine may need very little air flow, but, again, the fan continues to run at an unnecessarily high speed. Unlike traditional systems, hydraulic fan drives operate with variable speed. This means air flow through the radiator can be closely matched to the cooling requirements of the engine.
Click here to read the full article on the Hydraulics & Pneumatics web site.
By now, we are all very familiar with many benefits that come virtually free when using a hydraulic fan cooling system — managed engine loading, lower fuel consumption, less fan noise, lower maintenance costs and fewer trips to the repair depot — the value proposition list goes on and the ROI is a dead certainty, not to mention the feel good factor of an environmental plus with every installation.
About five years ago, Central Ohio Transit Authority’s (COTA) vehicle maintenance department at McKinley Avenue, Columbus, had overheating system issues on an in-service rear-engined passenger bus caused by the under performing cooling system. Michael Suchecki, the heavy repair supervisor, called Ed Spahr from Sunsource Hydraulic Service & Repair in Hillard, Ohio, and together they began investigating the problem.
It was determined that even with a standard pressure wash down schedule in place, the side-mounted radiator was getting clogged with road debris and loose dirt, enough of which was sticking to the core, reducing the elements efficiency and useful cooling area. Spahr recognized the symptoms and knew the solution that was needed was an upgrade to a reversible hydraulic fan drive.
Click here to read the full article on the Mass Transit web site.
Are Hydraulic Fan Drives For You?
March 6, 2008 By Gary Gotting is V.P. sales & marketing with High Country Tek, Inc
Hydraulic fan drives have proven to reduce fuel consumption and emissions in countless installations. One size doesn’t fill all, so this summary should help you determine which type of fan drive best suits an application.
Hydraulic fan drives have caught on as the most effective way to cool diesel engines. A diesel’s operating efficiency (fuel consumption) and emissions output are closely related to operating temperature. A diesel consumes the least amount of fuel per horsepower produced within a relatively narrow band of temperatures. Likewise, a diesel puts out the least amount of emissions per horsepower within a similar temperature range. So operating the engine within the narrow range of temperatures where the two overlap derives the most power from a diesel engine while minimizing fuel consumption and emissions.
Traditional, belt-driven fans produce air flow that is dependent upon engine speed, not cooling demand. This means belt-driven fans usually deliver too high or too low an air flow, which not only causes wide fluctuations in engine temperature, but wastes power. Maximum power is lost when the engine (fan) runs at high speed, even though little cooling may be needed. Moreover, an idling engine may need very little air flow, but, again, the fan continues to run at an unnecessarily high speed. Unlike traditional systems, hydraulic fan drives operate with variable speed. This means air flow through the radiator can be closely matched to the cooling requirements of the engine.
Click here to read the full article on the Machine Design web site.
65KW AC Generator Wind Turbine
The Application – Control 65KW wind turbine.
The Challenge – Keep generator load at optimum at all wind speeds.
The Approach - Install a DVC10 Master Controller, DVC21 Digital input expansion module, DVC41 Output expansion module & display.
The Solution – The DVC10, DVC21 and DVC41 were used to control all aspects of the turbine, including yaw control, start, stop, operator interface and most critical generator loading at all wind speeds.
Click here for more information.
Refuse Truck Side Loader
The Application – Position Management of Trash Can Pickup Arm.
The Challenge – Increase productivity, reduce maintenance cost & frequency and reduced noise.
Our client had encountered low operators efficiency due to the lack of training and/or lack of manual dexterity. In addition, high hydraulic component failure rates were encountered due to the arm being raised and lowered at high rates of speed. Engine noise was excessive when the arm was being raised and lowered.
The Approach - The method of control used prior to the introduction of the DVC system was a joystick control by the operator. The problems associated with this method of control were numerous, including operator proficiency in the operation of the joystick. Additionally, there were no safety features to stop the arm if it encountered resistance and the speed with which the operator moved the arm.
The Solution – Install a DVC10 Master Control Module to control arm positioning, bin pickup, dump and return of bin to original position and engine RPM.
Click here for more information.
Tub Grinder
The machine pictured is a 14’ diameter tub grinder. This machine is used to grind refuse (typically from a demolition site or the site of a natural disaster). The machine is shown in the transport position; the tub lays down when in operation.
The Application – Total Equipment Control.
The Challenge – Coordination and control of Equipment Subsystems.
The tub grinder manufacturer was having significant problems with control of many subsystems in the equipment. The most critical was the clutch system that spins up the tub and de-clutches if the load becomes too great. In addition to the critical clutch problem the OEM wanted to synchronize the output conveyor with the amount of refuse coming out of the tub and monitor all subsystems in the equipment for safety reasons.
The Solution – Install a DVC10 Master Model, DVC21 Input Expansion Module and DVC41 Output Expansion Module. In this application the DVC10, DVC21 and DVC41 system is doing total equipment control:
- Monitor and control the startup cycle (ensure the tub spins up slowly and at a constant rate of speed)
- Monitor all safety interlocks (tub speed, engine speed, conveyor speed, etc)
- Monitor and control tub speed (monitor load and adjust speed or shut down)
- Monitor and control hammer speed and safety interlocks
- Synchronize conveyor speed with output requirements of the tub and monitor conveyor safety interlocks
- Monitor and control the shutdown cycle (ensure the tub spins down at a slow constant rate
Click here for more information.
The Application – Track, Hammer and Conveyor Control.
The Challenge – Increase Productivity, Reduce Equipment Down Time.
The Solution – Install a DVC10 Master Model, DVC21 Input Expansion Module and DVC41 Output Expansion Module. In this application the DVC10, DVC21 and DVC41 system is doing total equipment control:
- The DVC System Provides Track Control, Forward/Reverse, Speed and Direction
- The DVC System Provides Hammer Control, Horsepower Limiting and Load Control
- The DVC System Provides On/Off and Speed Control of the Input, Output and Cross Conveyors
Click here for more information.
The Application – Remote Control of Equipment in Hazardous Environments.
This application of the tractor was for avalanche and slide control in the states of Washington and Alaska. This tractor must be capable of performing complex cleanup tasks without the operator in the cab. The control system must control:
- Startup and shutdown
- Engine speed
- Ground speed
- Direction
- Steering
- Bucket operations
The Challenge – Total Remote Control of Heavy Equipment.
The Solution – Install a DVC10 Master Control Module.
- The DVC10 controls the accelerator, bucket raise and lower, bucket dump (both automatic and manual modes) and forward/reverse movement of the equipment
- The DVC10 was also interfaced to a wireless remote control unit
Click here for more information.