Professor Thomas Wu and his research team from the College of Engineering & Computer Science and researchers from MagLev Energy Inc. (MEI) invented the motor\/generator technology and accompanying electronics that power an all-electric Auxiliary Power Unit (APU). <\/p>\n
The unique design enables the device, appropriately called Silent Night\u2122, to operate without generating harmful emissions like fossil-fuel powered APUs. <\/p>\n
Jon Harms, Maglev president and CEO, noted the participation of truck manufacturer Peterbilt Motors and Walmart in testing the prototype. Peterbilt conducted the testing at its Advanced Concepts Technical Center on a truck loaned by Walmart. Peterbilt found the device performed far better than existing APUs and described it in a letter of support as being “on path to potentially produce the most efficient battery-based (APU) systems in the industry.”<\/p>\n
No-idle regulations in many jurisdictions throughout the country require commercial drivers to shut off their engines for meals, deliveries and mandatory rest stops. MEI\u2019s electric APU powers air conditioning, lights, television, computers, and other \u201chotel\u201d amenities overnight and other times when the truck engine is off.<\/p>\n
Current models are estimated to save a trucker between $45 and $48 per day, and up to $15,000 annually, Harms said. The savings become even more significant for owners of large fleets and when combined with a high-efficiency alternator that the company is also developing. <\/p>\n
\u201cThis unique technology runs cool, is quiet and yields extraordinary horsepower per pound,\u201d said UCF\u2019s Wu.<\/p>\n
The device is still in the prototype stage and MEI officials expect to sell the product in limited quantities by the end of the year and to begin full production by mid-2015. Pricing is expected to be competitive with conventional APUs. <\/p>\n
The work was funded by MEI and the Florida High Tech Corridor Council Matching Grants Research Program.
\nSilent Night\u2122 uses highly efficient lithium ion batteries together with a proprietary high-efficiency motor design to cycle through an industry-leading 10 hours of air conditioning (at 10,000 BTU\u2019s) or heat, said Jon Harms. In addition, the APU can also power up to 2,500 watts of power simultaneously \u2013 enough for lights and a small television or computer and other amenities.
\n\u201cWe wanted to give the user a full night of power,\u201d said Harms.<\/p>\n
The system recharges when the truck is operating.<\/p>\n
The industry has previously relied on diesel or other fossil fuel powered units. In the face of increasing costs and ever-stricter fossil fuel emission regulations, those units pose problems including high fuel and maintenance costs.<\/p>\n
Harms said the Silent Night\u2122 APU is able to operate at about 60 percent of the cost of fossil fueled APUs. The Silent Night\u2122 prototypes are bolt-on replacements to existing diesel APUs.<\/p>\n
MagLev and UCF are further developing the technology for other clean-energy applications.
\nFor more information on MagLev: http:\/\/maglev-energy.com\/<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Professor Thomas Wu and his research team from the College of Engineering & Computer Science and researchers from MagLev Energy Inc. (MEI) invented the motor\/generator technology and accompanying electronics that power an all-electric Auxiliary Power Unit (APU). The unique design enables the device, appropriately called Silent Night\u2122, to operate without generating harmful emissions like fossil-fuel powered APUs. Jon Harms, Maglev…","protected":false},"author":151,"featured_media":60325,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"template-twocol.php","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"lazy_load_responsive_images_disabled":false,"footnotes":"","_links_to":"","_links_to_target":"","_wp_rev_ctl_limit":""},"categories":[4,5,6,23,24],"tags":[],"tu_author":[],"class_list":["post-60323","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-business","category-colleges","category-community","category-research","category-science-technology"],"yoast_head":"\n