Perkins is collaborating with Equipmake and Loughborough University’s Mechanical, Electrical and Manufacturing Engineering School to develop and produce an advanced multi-fuel ‘drop-in’ hybrid integrated power unit.
The advanced integrated power units will help off-highway OEMs — both large scale and those with limited resources — offer alternative options to diesel.
The power unit will be able to directly replace its diesel equivalent in terms of power density and response, enabling a wide range of off-highway industrial OEMs, regardless of their size or the application they manufacture, to accelerate their transition to low-carbon or zero carbon fuels such as hydrogen, methanol, bioethanol and other eFuels and harness electrification. The design will support several fuel types with the initial demonstration utilizing hydrogen.
“We are pleased to have secured this opportunity to accelerate the development of advanced off-highway power system solutions,” said David Goldspink, Perkins Vice President and General Manager. “This project will explore, innovate and lead the way to solving some of the key challenges facing the off-highway industry’s energy transition and support the transition towards reduced carbon in this key sector.”
Backed by £11.14 million in funding from the UK government, Project Coeus will develop a 7-litre Perkins 1200 Series industrial power unit with hybrid-electric components and advanced controls to enable operation on hydrogen fuel.
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The 45 to 250 kW hybrid powertrain system will be configured with factory-installed ECM sensors, radiators, cooling packs, filtration, control systems and aftertreatment hardware in a complete, integrated package that minimizes OEM development timelines and reduces engineering and assembly costs.
Launching this month, the three and a half-year project will be led by Perkins’ global engineering headquarters in Peterborough, UK, with Equipmake providing epowertrain technology and Loughborough University supporting through advanced engine analytics and emissions control.
Project Coeus will see the design, development and manufacture of a multi-fuel ‘drop-in’ hybrid powertrain, which directly replaces existing diesel solutions in off-highway machines and will support the UK and global off-highway industries to deliver reduced greenhouse gas emissions.
Energy transition options
In addition to the advanced hydrogen hybrid integrated power unit, Perkins is driving numerous initiatives to help customers manage the energy transition to a lower-carbon future. These include 48-, 300- and 600-volt lithium-ion battery solutions with modular designs and factory-installed telematics that Perkins is developing to optimize performance and packaging in numerous next-generation off-highway applications.
As well, Perkins is developing a full range of engines that, without modification, can use a wide range of lower-carbon intensity drop-in fuels such as hydrotreated vegetable oil (HVO) and biodiesel. It’s initiatives also include highly configurable integrated, end-to-end diesel-electric hybrid powertrains, suitable for a wide range of off-highway applications.
