Energy mix for ELFA applications
In addition to the electrical components, a hybrid drive generally comprises a power source - such as an internal combustion engine or a fuel cell - and an energy storage device such as a battery or an ultra capacitor. Using the ELFA traction system, vehicle manufacturers can address all of their requirements regarding the energy mix.
Hybrid drive with internal combustion engine
With this hybrid drive, the power comes from a generator, which is driven by an internal combustion engine. Energy storage devices are used to recover the braking energy. The power of the energy storage device, e.g. battery or ultra capacitor is combined with the traction motor and generator power. Innovative converter technology and intelligent energy management permit the fuel consumption and emissions to be significantly reduced. The attractiveness of the vehicle is further increased due to the fact that noise is reduced and the comfort level improved. An automated start-stop function for the internal combustion engine permits battery operation with no associated emissions - e.g. for sensitive inner-city areas.
Hybrid drive with fuel cell
With this hybrid drive, the energy is generated from a fuel cell. Energy storage devices are used to recover the braking energy. The power of the energy storage device (e.g. battery or ultra capacitor) is combined with the traction motor and the fuel cell power. Innovative converter technology and intelligent energy management allow the fuel consumption to be significantly reduced. The attractiveness of the vehicle is further increased by a significantly lower noise level and improved levels of comfort.
Battery drive
For the battery drive, the energy is provided from just a battery. Modern high-energy batteries have a high power density; whereby it is especially important to note that the kinetic energy of the vehicle can be fed back into the batteries when braking. In conjunction with the innovative ELFA drive and converter technology – coupled with an efficient concept for the auxiliaries, daily range targets for vehicles can be achieved without any intermediate charging. The battery drive has no emissions and also provides a very high degree of comfort as a result of the low noise levels.