As transit agencies around the world gradually make the transition to electrified vehicles, some companies are finding ingenious ways to try to improve fossil fuel systems in legacy vehicles. Power conversion specialist Vanner has unveiled a new single-belt electrical system which is designed to decouple electrically-powered vehicle accessories from a diesel or CNG engine. The company claims its new Independence system “provides the majority of the benefits of hybrid and battery-powered buses without the upfront costs and expensive hybrid battery replacement.”

Independence is meant to be used in fossil-fueled buses and coaches to power accessories such as AC, power steering, electric doors and air compressors. Since the system is not dependent on engine speed, it is supposed to improve fuel economy and reduce emissions, maintenance cost, noise and vibration.

The system is powered by a belt-driven 45 kW permanent magnet generator which produces 230 VAC and 28 VDC power to run the vehicle’s various accessories. The system also includes Vanner’s Model Based Battery Monitoring (MBBM), which can dynamic charge the vehicle’s batteries.

Source: Vanner