Regenerative Energy Design

Deploying a new system using regenerative energy can have very significant impact on the total cost of ownership. AltaStream has developed a transmission test bed solution that achieves over 80% energy regeneration. Normally, when testing transmissions, the input shaft requires a specified amount of energy during the duration of the test. (ie 600 HP for 1 hour). To load the output shaft of the transmission, the typical solution has been to use hydraulic clutches that transform the load energy into heat, which is then dissipated utilizing chillers or radiators. AltaStream’s regenerative solution captures the output shaft energy electrically, and then feeds it back to the input drive shaft, with a net energy saving of 83%. Whereas a 600 HP test stand traditionally requires almost 500 kW of energy, we can now achieve the same test capability utilizing only 80 kW of energy.

Our solution provides very precise control of the load torque and allows the customer to configure the specific load profile that they need to test. With full graphical display, alarms and safety features, datalogging, and custom report generation, the control solution meets a wide range of customer requirements. Features include in-situ calibration capability for the torque sender, state-of-the-art networked drives, and industrial reliability of an Allen Bradley PLC.