EDEN PRAIRIE, Minn. … Diversified industrial manufacturer Eaton Corporation today announced that its hydraulic Power-On-Demand technology installed on a new front-loading refuse truck has demonstrated significant fuel savings in side-by-side tests conducted by the City of Fayetteville, Ark.  The Eaton Power-On-Demand system on the Eco-Force Titan front loading refuse truck built by Wayne Engineering of Cedar Falls, Iowa, utilizes Eaton pumps, manifolds, valves, hoses and other products to save fuel and reduce noise.

Dennis Pratt, City of Fayetteville fleet manager, said the test was run “comparing our previous six months’ Tuesday and Wednesday routes in terms of gallons of fuel used. The demo truck, with the same driver and the same routes, showed us a reduction of four gallons used per day.”

“Fayetteville’s results were very close to the 3.5 to 4.0 gallons per day fuel savings the Eaton engineering team calculated for the Power-On-Demand system based on the difference in energy consumption between it and a conventional system,” said Eaton Systems Engineer Phil Dybing.

Eaton Power-On-Demand technology replaces a traditional constant displacement gear pump with a tandem variable displacement piston pump. By using the tandem pump, the system can deliver sufficient flow to operate truck lift, dump, and packing functions regardless of engine speed.

“The Wayne Eco-Force Titan uses a tandem Eaton 420 piston-type pump to generate 40 gallons (151 liters) per minute of flow at engine idle,” Dybing said. “That is enough to lift the can at the same cycle rate at engine idle while the traditional system needs to the engine run at high RPM.  By running at idle, the operator does not need to shift out of neutral and engage the brake to lift the can, further increasing productivity.

“During the packing operation a competitive gear-type pump would begin to cavitate at speeds above 1,500 rpm, so the hydraulic system needs to be turned off and part of the pump flow must be re-routed to pump inlet.  The result is the packer panel stops movement slowing the cycle time. The Power-On-Demand system is simply changes stroke to maintain a constant flow rate of 40 gpm, allowing the panel to maintain steady movement at any rpm.

“The truck not only uses less fuel to accomplish the same amount of work, but it also uses less time because the POD system allows the driver to pack the load while the truck is moving regardless of engine speed. The traditional system couldn’t do that.”

Eaton’s engineering team worked closely with Wayne Engineering to integrate Power-On-Demand technology into the new Eco-Force Titan front loader. The all-Eaton hydraulic system utilizes Eaton Weatherhead® hoses and fittings to minimize leakage while maximizing service life, several Eaton manifolds utilizing screw in cartridge valve technology, and Eaton electro-hydraulic load sense CMX160 valves

“Anyone can build a truck body. Eaton helped us create one with a better brain and circulatory system, and we now have the most intelligent machine on the market,” said Scott Kanne, Wayne Engineering vice president of sales and marketing.

After the testing, the City of Fayetteville has purchased new Wayne Eco-Force Titan front-loading refuse trucks for use on commercial routes from a local Wayne dealer.

“I would recommend anyone to try the same testing to see if the benefit would be the same in their situation,” Pratt added.

Eaton’s Hydraulics business is a worldwide leader in the design, manufacture and marketing of a comprehensive line of reliable, high-efficiency hydraulic systems and components for use in mobile and stationary applications. Mobile and stationary markets include agriculture, alternative energy, construction, forestry, manufacturing, material handling, mining, oil and gas, processing, transportation and utility equipment. Eaton’s Hydraulics Group provides customer-driven solutions under product names such as Aeroquip®, Boston®, Char-Lynn®, Eaton®, Hydrokraft®, Hydrowa®, Hydro-Line®, Integrated Hydraulics®, Synflex®, Vickers®, Walterscheid™, and Weatherhead®. For more information, visit www.eaton.com/hydraulics.

Eaton Corporation is a diversified power management company with more than 100 years of experience providing energy-efficient solutions that help our customers effectively manage electrical, hydraulic and mechanical power. With 2011 sales of $16.0 billion, Eaton is a global technology leader in electrical components and systems for power quality, distribution and control; hydraulics components, systems and services for industrial and mobile equipment; aerospace fuel, hydraulics and pneumatic systems for commercial and military use; and truck and automotive drivetrain and powertrain systems for performance, fuel economy and safety. Eaton has approximately 73,000 employees and sells products to customers in more than 150 countries. For more information, visit www.eaton.com.