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Three currently available hydromechanical transmissions have been considered, all targeted at the off-highway market. For the purposes of this paper, these are designated Types “A”, “B” and “C”. Each unit has discreet qualities and types of application, and further differences will be highlighted. To provide a reference, a conventional six speed power-shift transmission has also been included, with a down-stream range change unit, held in “Hi” range; designated type “X”. The problem Ricardo have addressed in this paper is how to compare and contrast the qualities of these units for a potential user, who may not be familiar with off-high-way applications. The example considered in this study is a mobile rough-terrain crane manufacturer, contemplating a 25 tonne machine with a 193 kW engine and an on-highway max. speed of 75 kph.

The Advanced Vehicle Concepts Team (AVCT) at the University of Idaho (UI) modified a 2002 Ford Explorer to meet the objectives of the 2002 FutureTruck competition. The challenge was to improve fuel economy, decrease emissions, perform work safely, provide a high quality education, increase public awareness, and project a positive image. AVCT used a business-oriented, multi-disciplinary approach to address the general objectives. For the performance objectives, the team used a combination of simulations, experiments, and modeling. The resulting configuration is a low voltage, mild parallel hybrid incorporating a 4.0-liter, V6 Ford engine and a direct current, electric motor. The first prototype resulted in a 22% increase in fuel economy and a substantial reduction in greenhouse gas emissions except for hydrocarbons. An engine sensor malfunction was the suspected cause of increased hydrocarbon emissions.