„OptiELF“ – New Research Project About Energy Efficiency Optimization

FLUIDON GmbH, the competence partner for software and service in simulation of mechatronic systems, especially in the area of fluid power application, today announced that the company, in cooperation with the Faculty of Automotive Systems and Production of Cologne University of Applied Sciences, received the approval for subsidies for the research project OptiELF („Optimierung der Energieeffizienz bei der Leistungsübertragung in Fahrzeughydrauliksystemen“). The research project will start in October this year and will be supported by the Federal Ministry of Economics and Technology (BMWi). The three year fund is coming from the innovation program for medium-sized businesses (ZIM-KOOP).

Goal of the project is the optimization of hydraulic power transmission efficiency, using a system
approach including all components while retaining the overall acoustic/dynamic quality. To do so, the
partners will have to work out and apply an innovative development method during the project. Thanks
to a new combination of component measurement and simulation, the output and input impedance of
pump and actuator can be considered while the hose system is designed.

With the to be developed method, different hose configurations will be investigated by simulation in a
short time, leading to a much faster and less extensive definition of the optimal setup for the according
use case. Since the design of the hydraulic hoses can be simplified with this method and because
there might be complementary second level measures for sound insulation that can be left out, the
projects is expected to also lead to reduced over all system costs as a side effect.

“Energy efficiency and related fuel savings are part of the ongoing climate discussion in the
automotive industry, because they both directly lead to a reduced CO2 emission“, said Prof. Dr.-Ing.
Klaus Becker, Head of the Laboratory for Vehicle Vibration and Acoustic at the Faculty of Automotive
Systems and Production of the Cologne University of Applied Sciences. “In addition to means for the
improvement of the combustion process or the aerodynamics also commonly used hydraulic systems
in vehicles offer an effectual energy efficiency potential“.

“We are looking forward to working on the research project OptiELF in cooperation with Cologne
University“, said Dr. Heiko Baum, managing director, FLUIDON GmbH. “The new method that will be
developed can be adopted for the automotive industry, the development of mobile equipment as well
as of commercial vehicles and everywhere, where hydraulic systems with pump and actuators linked
by flexible hoses are used due to acoustic reasons“.

The executing organization of the BMWi supported project is the AiF Projekt GmbH. The innovation
program with its sponsorship modules is a technology and industry sector open support program for
small and medium sized companies and cooperating research institutes.