Vanner, Inc., in a partnership with GM-Allison Hybrid, is launching the HBA™ on production buses designed with the Allison EP Hybrid System. Chris Collet, product sales manager, GM-Allison Hybrid said, Allison began working with Vanner in 2005 on smart ways to electrify vehicles electrical systems with the GM-Allison EP Hybrid System. Vanner and GM-Allison Hybrid have been doing extensive engineering testing on a DC-DC converter that eliminates belt driven alternators on buses.
Our engineers have been testing the complete system on dynamometers, our engineering hybrid vehicles and at Death Valley. There has not been a single service interruption with the Vanner DC-DC Converter. The superior energy efficiency, voltage cleanliness and cost effectiveness will be impressive for transit agencies and OEMs.
The Vanner HBA™ converts DC power from the output of a high-voltage motor to supply 24V power to the electrical accessories. Hybrid systems designed with the Vanner HBA™ supply power for electrical accessories with a solid-state device, not a mechanical one. Solid-state technology is a more efficient and stable DC power source than traditional mechanical solutions and it is less susceptible to temperature changes.
Powering accessory loads with the Vanner HBA™ are 25 percent to 30 percent more efficient than with traditional alternators. Additional cost savings are realized on the production of new buses when specifying the Vanner HBA™ high-maintenance, belt-driven components can be removed from the bus, including the alternator, V-belts, voltage regulator, pulleys, belt tensioner, and hydraulic oil lines.
Air ducts required to cool alternators in high-temperature, under-hood environments can also be eliminated, further reducing the cost of a new bus. Future benefits of electrification include up to 50 percent increased engine cooling fan efficiency, further improving fuel economy, and reducing exhaust emissions and maintenance costs. There is also a significant safety bonus to removing mechanical devices that can potentially cause thermal issues.
Designed with Vanner’s patented power conversion technology, and J-1939 CAN Bus communication, the HBA™ can be combined with Vanner’s Vann-Bus® Battery Equalizer with internal MBBM® battery monitoring to create a closed loop system for hybrids that manages the high-voltage and low-voltage batteries as one cohesive system.
“The combination of the Vanner HBA™ and Vann-Bus® Battery Equalizer provides the next level of power management for the hybrid bus, said Bruce Beegle, Vanner’s vice president of sales and marketing. Bus OEMs benefit from the ease of integration into their existing Allison EP Hybrid Systems and transit authorities benefit from the increased low-voltage battery life and prognostic maintenance information available to reduce maintenance costs and improve overall system reliability. The J-1939 CAN-Bus communication provides the capability to communicate with on-board telemetry systems to broadcast real-time notification of critical information from the electrical system.”
Bus manufacturers, in an effort to boost their value proposition, are eager to support power conversion solutions that improve fuel economy and reduce emissions. Gillig has partnered with Vanner and Allison to be the first OEM to offer this cutting-edge technology on production buses starting in January 2011. Gillig will be unveiling the Vanner HBA™ system for the first time on a COTA hybrid bus at the APTA Bus Display on May 3, 2010 in Cleveland, Ohio.