Eaton to Develop Predictive Battery Management Technology for Hybrid Vehicles.

Diversified industrial manufacturer Eaton Corporation is strengthening its commitment to hybrid vehicle technology by developing a cost-effective power control system to reduce the size of the system battery without a loss of battery life or vehicle performance. The fuel-efficient application is intended to optimize the operation of hybrid electric vehicles, from passenger cars to commercial vehicles.

The $2.8 million project is funded jointly between Eaton and a grant from the Department of Energy’s Advanced Research Projects Agency – Energy (ARPA-E). The goal is to reduce the size of the battery by 50 percent and improve the total performance of the system and its charge rate while maintaining fuel economy and overall vehicle performance.

The development project will be led by Eaton’s Innovation Center team in Southfield, Mich., who will work with a team from the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL). Eaton’s engineers and scientists will leverage the company’s expertise in intelligent power management systems and hybrid technology with the NREL’s expertise in battery modeling and prognostics.

In addition to hybrid vehicle applications, Eaton sees opportunities to extend this technology into other areas where hybrid power management requires extended battery life, including community infrastructure, data centers, manufacturing and industrial.

Eaton’s Vehicle Group – part of Eaton’s Industrial Sector -- is supporting customers globally to safely, reliably and efficiently manage vehicle power through the design, manufacture and marketing of a comprehensive line of reliable, high-efficiency powertrain systems and components for use in the commercial vehicle and automotive industries. With 54 manufacturing, technical and engineering centers throughout the world, Eaton’s Vehicle Group is focused on supplying technologies that improve fuel economy, reduce emissions, save energy and enhance the performance of its customers’ vehicles. (8/27/2012)

Links.

Eaton

Disclaimer, Forward-Looking or Safe Harbor Statement on original press release: No