Published on: Feb.10, 2011
Hilliard, Ohio — Vanner, Inc. received the Green Award at the annual TechColumbus Innovation Awards last week. The Innovation Awards recognize and celebrate the outstanding achievements of central Ohio technology organizations and business leaders.
The Vanner engineering team for the Hybrid Beltless Alternator™ (HBA™), led by CTO Alec Cook, was honored for developing the HBA™ which replaces the traditional alternator and improves the efficiency of the power for hybrid buses. Fleets can save thousands of dollars with the HBA™ by reducing downtime, eliminating alternator maintenance and replacements costs, and by improving the reliability of transit buses.
The Vanner HBA™ also improves fuel economy and reduces exhaust emissions, saving transit fleets hundreds of gallons of fuel and the associated emissions over the life of the bus–ultimately lowering America’s energy dependence.
The Ohio State University and Vanner, Inc. have been working with industry partners to accelerate green technology related to the electric and hybrid vehicle industry in Ohio. The university’s Center for Automotive Research (CAR) secured state approval for the first $500,000 of a $3 million Ohio Third Frontier Grant designed to help develop market-viable commercial electric and hybrid vehicles, including buses and trucks that represent a potential growth rate of 17.1% annually.
Vanner, Inc. and other Ohio companies are collaborating with CAR and will use the new CAR testing facilities to research, develop and demonstrate new hybrid electric vehicle technologies. Advancement of this technology is projected to create more than 900 new jobs over the next five years.
Vanner started engine electrification several years ago, with a grant from the Third Frontier and a partnership with Navistar, when it developed the next generation of alternator-based inverters that provided AC power with the vehicle idling or moving down the road. Although revolutionary, the power was limited by the output of the alternator. With the increasing acceptance of hybrid specialty vehicles, full electrification is now achievable.
Vanner is accelerating vehicle electrification for hybrid commercial vehicles by developing the next generation high voltage DC to DC converters and high voltage DC to AC inverters to allow exported power to run the less efficient and less reliable belt-driven loads. These Vanner innovations will ultimately allow the vehicles to tie into the grid and use the grid-tie technology for battery recharge, and for vehicle heat up and cool down — all without emissions.
Vanner has been a leader in engineering excellence and power conversion for commercial vehicles since 1977. Vanner consistently designs and delivers patented high quality, economical and environmentally responsible products. Hybrid engineering advancements are moving the truck and bus industry into the future by providing sophisticated systems that address critical power concerns. Vanner’s hybrid innovations are transforming how we work, live and travel.
Experience Power…Experience Vanner!
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