Torotrak PLC Low cost mechanical bus KERS
January 05 2016 - 2:00AM
RNS Non-Regulatory
TIDMTRK
Torotrak PLC
05 January 2016
5 January 2016
Torotrak plc
("Torotrak" or the "Company")
Low Cost Mechanical Bus KERS en route to production in mid
2016
Torotrak, a leading developer and supplier of emissions
reduction and fuel efficiency technology for vehicles, and
Wrightbus confirm the completion of the in-service trial of a
Wrightbus StreetLite midi bus fitted with Torotrak's Flybrid
mechanical kinetic energy recovery system (KERS). The trial was
made possible by, and conducted with, Arriva, one of the largest
bus operators in the UK.
The trial was conducted on a standard bus route in Gillingham,
Kent from March 2015. It successfully demonstrated the performance
of the Flybrid KERS under real-world operating conditions including
the capture, storage and release of energy from the brakes and the
drivability of the system. The learnings from the trial have
already proven invaluable in selecting the operating strategy for
the volume production system, which will be a second generation
design.
Already undergoing detailed testing on rigs and in a new Euro VI
StreetLite bus, this new KERS design is intended to further improve
bus fuel efficiency and reduces the KERS weight and cost, helping
to improve the bus operator payback. The new design has reduced
parts count and system weight by 30% and 80kg respectively and
incorporates a simpler 2x2x2 clutched flywheel transmission system
reducing 'coast down' losses and improving efficiency during torque
transfer.
In collaboration with its global Tier 1 manufacturing partner,
Torotrak is on track to commence production of bus KERS systems
from mid 2016 onwards. Tier 2 suppliers across the UK and other
parts of the EU have been nominated and the manufacture of
production tooling is currently underway.
Adam Robson, Torotrak Group CEO, said: "This is a very exciting
time for the Group with the bus KERS project that started in 2012
going into commercial production from the middle of this year. I am
delighted with the progress we have made and we look forward to
delivering our first systems to Wrightbus during Q3 2016."
Brian Maybin, Wrightbus Engineering Director, said: "After the
invaluable in-service trials with Arriva, Wrights and Torotrak have
confirmed that the next generation of flywheel is now under
extensive durability testing, and after successful fuel trials,
will be put into service trials from May 2016. Production vehicles
will be able to be delivered into service late in 2016."
Ian Tarran, Engineering Director at Arriva UK Bus commented: "As
one of the largest bus operators in the UK with over 5,900 buses,
improving the efficiency of our bus fleet and reducing emissions is
important to us and our customers. Having collaborated with
Torotrak and Wrightbus on the flywheel project since 2012 we are
looking forward to installing Flybrid KERS across our bus fleet
from Q3 2016 onwards."
Flybrid KERS:
The Flybrid KERS for buses is a highly efficient and robust
hybrid technology, ideal for the long service life and repeated
stop-start duty cycle of public service buses. Using common
materials and manufacturing methods, and removing the requirement
for replacement batteries during service life the flywheel-based
technology can offer exceptional value and an opportunity for
widespread hybridisation. The KERS captures the kinetic energy that
is normally wasted when the bus is braking and stores it in a steel
and carbon fibre flywheel weighing 8.5kg and spinning at up to
30,000 rpm. The energy stored in the flywheel is then delivered
back to the wheels reducing the energy that is required from the
engine to accelerate the bus and so reducing the fuel consumption
of the vehicle. The process of capturing, storing and releasing
energy back to the wheels is fully automated, giving a high quality
driving experience. The Flybrid KERS technology was developed in
Formula 1 and has been applied in a variety of vehicle applications
including motorsport, passenger road cars and excavators.
For more information, please visit www.torotrak.com or
contact:
Torotrak plc
Adam Robson, Chief Executive / Rex Vevers, Finance
Director
Tel: +44 1772 900931
Tavistock (Financial PR)
Simon Hudson / Lulu Bridges / James Collins
Tel: +44 20 7920 3150
About Torotrak:
Torotrak (LSE: TRK) is an innovator and supplier of low carbon
vehicle technologies, focussing on mechanical solutions that
increase efficiency and reduce CO(2) emissions in vehicles. These
include the V-Charge variable-drive supercharger, a range of
Torotrak gearless traction drive transmissions, and the Flybrid
energy recovery system, which uses a mechanically-driven flywheel
to capture kinetic energy during braking and efficiently return it
to the wheels. The company's engineering team works with proven,
global tier one technology partners to provide a validated route
from prototypes to production. Customers include major vehicle
manufacturers and their suppliers in the light duty, heavy duty and
off-highway sectors as well as leading motorsport teams.
www.torotrak.com
About Wrightbus:
Wright Group manufactures buses for many niche market segments
including midi, middleweight, full size city bus, school bus,
double deck, and Bus Rapid Transit vehicles utilising both diesel
and hybrid electric drivelines. Notable milestones include the
launch of the world's first hybrid-electric double deck at London's
City Hall in 2006 and the development of the ground breaking
StreetCar RTV, a unique combination of both Bus Rapid Transit and
hybrid electric technologies; fifty of these vehicles now in
operation in Las Vegas! Today, every fourth bus sold in the United
Kingdom on a PSV chassis is made in Ballymena. Wrights Group is
still a family owned and managed business, with nearly 70 years'
experience in passenger transit solutions. While remaining a family
company in every respect, and proudly independent, Wright buses
blend traditional values with innovative designs and technological
excellence. This winning combination has laid a foundation upon
which the company has grown from strength to strength, to the
extent that the Group now employs more than 2000 people.
About Arriva:
Arriva operates 19,500 buses across 14 European countries,
covering everything from taking passengers to school and work, to
the airport and even on sightseeing tours. Arriva's low-floor,
environmentally-friendly vehicles are making bus travel more
accessible to more people every day. Arriva bus services span local
and commercial routes, sightseeing tours, airports, schools and
chartered journeys. Having started out in the UK back in 1980,
Arriva began its journey in the mainland Europe bus market with the
first acquisition in Denmark in 1997. Arriva's largest bus market
remains the UK, with a fleet of 5,900 vehicles providing services
for customers in London, the rest of England and in Wales. In
London, Arriva runs nearly 20 per cent of the bus services and
covers over 60 million miles, providing 400 million passenger
journeys in the capital every year.
-ends-
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