Hydraulic Launch Assist

The HLA system recycles energy by converting kinetic energy into potential energy during deceleration via hydraulics, storing the energy at high pressure in an accumulator filled with nitrogen gas. The energy is then returned to the vehicle during subsequent acceleration thereby reducing the amount of work done by the internal combustion engine. This system provides considerable increase in vehicle productivity while reducing fuel consumption in stop-and-go use profiles like refuse vehicles and other heavy duty vehicles.[2]

The HLA system is called a parallel hydraulic hybrid. In parallel systems the original vehicle drive-line remains, allowing the vehicle to operate normally when the HLA system is disengaged. When the HLA is engaged, energy is captured during deceleration and released during acceleration, in contrast to series hydraulic hybrid systems which replace the entire traditional drive-line to provide power transmission in addition to regenerative braking.

Hydraulic hybrids are said to be power dense, while electric hybrids are energy dense. This means that electric hybrids, while able to deliver large amounts of energy over long periods of time are limited by the rate at which the chemical energy in the batteries is converted to mechanical energy and vice versa. This is largely governed by reaction rates in the battery and current ratings of associated components. Hydraulic hybrids on the other hand are capable of transferring energy at a much higher rate, but are limited by the amount of energy that can be stored. For this reason, hydraulic hybrids lend themselves well to stop-and-go applications and heavy vehicles.