Volvo may develop an amazing electro-hydraulic system, and the future landscape may change

Volvo Construction Equipment teams from Sweden and South Korea have been quietly working with Finnish company Norrhydro on an electro-hydraulic system that promises to significantly reduce energy losses and improve the fuel efficiency of excavators.

 Hydraulic Accumulators (shown at the rear of the excavator) capture and store hydraulic power for later use, thereby improving performance and reducing fuel consumption

 In a similar way to a common rail fuel system, all the working functions of the excavator are connected to the hydraulic accumulators via a common pressure rail and two or more pressure lines.These accumulators recover kinetic energy and peak power that would normally be lost in a traditional system.For cylinder-driven work, "smart actuators" convert the hydraulic power into variable force and speed.The energy recovery through the system also improves the performance and efficiency of the machine's swing functions.

 All of this energy efficiency translates into smaller engines and cooling systems doing the same work as larger systems, ultimately leading to more work done with less fuel and fewer greenhouse gases.Furthermore, with increased available power, cycle times can be shortened, for example when loading trucks, which helps improve overall work efficiency and brings cost benefits to contractors. Volvo is currently conducting field customer trials that are expected to accelerate the system's introduction on Volvo Construction Equipment's large excavator platforms for an upcoming rollout. The new electro-hydraulic system is part of Volvo's electric vehicle program, which aims to improve fuel efficiency and achieve the company's ultimate goal of net zero emission operations.