Test System optimizes ERS in hybrid-electric vehicles.
Press Release Summary:
Designed to help automotive companies introduce and optimize Energy Recovery Systems in hybrid-electric vehicles, ERS Test Solution spans performance range from Formula One racing to high-volume commercial passenger vehicles. System incorporates computer-generated vehicle and physical test stations for up to 3 ERS components, enabling simulation of fully integrated vehicle. It is capable of testing components that rotate at angular velocities up to 120,000 rpm and absorb/generate up to 150 kW.
Original Press Release:
New MTS Test Solution Accelerates Deployment of Energy Recovery Technology in Hybrid-Electric Vehicle Systems
EDEN PRAIRIE, Minn. -- MTS Systems Corporation (NASDAQ: MTSC), a leading global supplier of high-performance test systems and position sensors, today announced the availability of the MTS 'ERS Test Solution', designed to help automotive companies introduce and optimize Energy Recovery Systems (ERS) in their hybrid-electric vehicles. This unique test system spans the performance range from Formula One racing to high-volume commercial passenger vehicles, bringing reduced development cycle times and realistic operating conditions to these hybrid vehicle systems. ERS technologies are the heart of next generation hybrid-electric vehicles, recovering the energy produced by braking and exhaust gas. Recovered energy is converted to electric power that can be stored or used immediately to boost vehicle power and fuel efficiency.
Successfully integrating ERS technologies into a vehicle platform requires considerable development and complex testing. Leveraging its experience in designing and manufacturing ERS components for Formula 1 racing teams, MTS has developed an accurate and repeatable means of performing such tests, greatly accelerating the process of ERS integration for any given vehicle.
"With the MTS solution, engineers now have a reliable way to address the challenges inherent in ERS technology development, and to accelerate its deployment into real-world vehicle environments," said Dr. Rich Baker, Senior Vice President of MTS Test. "Developers can accurately evaluate how different ERS operating strategies affect vehicle performance and efficiency, giving them valuable insight into how to best capture, store and return energy back to the drive train."
The MTS ERS test solution incorporates a computer-generated vehicle and physical test stations for up to three ERS components, enabling the accurate simulation of a fully integrated vehicle. It is capable of testing components that rotate at angular velocities of up to 120,000 RPM and absorb/generate up to 150 kW.
"Reducing fossil fuel consumption, while maintaining high performance, is one of the foremost challenges of our time, and there is tremendous potential for energy recovery technology to boost the fuel efficiency of vehicles with internal combustion engines," said Dr. Jeffrey Graves, MTS President and CEO. "When manufacturers of passenger cars, commercial trucks and even aircraft engines decide to incorporate ERS into their designs, the MTS ERS test solution will be a critical tool for helping them make the most of it."
About MTS Systems Corporation
MTS Systems Corporation is a leading global supplier of high-performance test systems and position sensors. The Company's testing hardware and software solutions help customers accelerate and improve their design, development, and manufacturing processes and are used for determining the mechanical behavior of materials, products, and structures. MTS' high-performance position sensors provide controls for a variety of industrial and vehicular applications. MTS had 2,147 employees and revenue of $542 million for the fiscal year ended September 29, 2012. Additional information on MTS can be found on the worldwide web at http://www.mts.com.
