What is a Remote Hybrid Helper?
Introduction
A fully loaded semi truck or trailer throws out large amount of exhaust while moving up a slope. The dark black smoke is the result of the engine utilizing more amount of fuel, resulting in excess usage and wastage of fuel. However, if the same truck is going down a slope very less amount of energy is used with even lesser exhaust.
Remote Hybrid Helper is a device that helps such semi trucks to move up the hill using less energy and oozing out less smoke. Based on Regenerative braking system, remote hybrid helpers help semi trucks to work as hybrid vehicles, thus helping them to save large amount of energy and also increase engine efficiency.
The Concept behind Remote Hybrid Helpers
Generally used for hilly areas, Remote Hybrid Helpers consists of a conventional semi trailer attached with an additional remote helper body at the rear of the trailer. When the trailer is going down-hill, the regenerative braking system of Remote Hybrid Helper stores energy in a bank of batteries. The stored energy can be used when the trailer is moving uphill or needs additional acceleration. This increases the overall efficiency of the engine and also reduces carbon emission. The Remote Hybrid Helpers is also a great device for using the energy lost in braking to run a trailer in controlled emission areas.
Working
The working of the remote hybrid helper is similar to that of a hybrid car. A conventional trailer consists of a chassis wherein the containers are mounted after unloading them from ships. In a Remote hybrid helper, the chassis is attached to a generator-motor assembly that uses regenerative braking system for storing wasted energy. When moving down the hill, the regenerative system generates energy and stores it in a bank of batteries located in the remote body.This stored energy can be used to accelerate the trailer up the hill or as an additional power to propel the trailer. Moreover, no modification is needed in the main trailer for fixing the remote hybrid helper.
The main advantage remote hybrid helper system is that the remote hybrid helper vehicle can be instantly removed from one trailer and fixed on the other. This means that if one trailer has just brought a hybrid helper downhill, it can be easily decoupled from that vehicle and used for pushing a vehicle moving uphill. Thus it can be used as a medium for exchanging energy between trailers. Moreover, the trailers will also save energy by not carrying the hybrid helper when it’s of no use by decoupling the remote body. The hybrid helper can also be charged from a utility port for providing smoke free propulsion to a vehicle in controlled emission areas.
Thus remote hybrid helper acts as a great medium for increasing the efficiency of heavy loaded semi trucks by not only providing them with an alternate back up of energy but also by reducing their exhaust drastically.
