The Department of Energy (DOE) has announced the funding of two new cost-shared projects:

• Purdue University (West Lafayette, Indiana) will receive $1.5 million to research a new architecture for fluid power systems in off-road vehicles that significantly reduces power losses and lower energy consumption by 70%.
• University of Minnesota (Minneapolis, Minnesota) will receive $1.4 million to research a variable displacement motor for the off-highway market that reduces fuel consumption by 30% while increasing power density.

The department is also supporting $2 million in early-stage research on mobile fluid-power systems. Argonne National Laboratory (ANL), Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL), and Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL) are developing high performance fluid additives and coatings to improve efficiency, durability, and environmental compatibility of off-road hydraulic fluids and components.

This is part of the Energy Efficiency Research and Development for Fluid-Power Systems in Off-Road Vehicles Program. The program is administered by the Vehicle Technologies Office (VTO) in the Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy.

This level of government support for fluid power research is long overdue and critical to the ongoing health of the fluid power industry. These successes would not have been possible without concerted effort by the CCEFP and our industry supporters.  If you are interested in learning more about CCEFP’s initiatives to promote fluid power technology within the U.S. Department of Energy and other federal agencies, please contact Director Kim Stelson and/or Industrial Relations Director Mike Gust.