Scientists from South Ural State University have developed a unique solution for improving the reliability of vehicles used in extreme conditions. The new backup drive allows vehicles to continue moving even if the main engine is damaged. This technology could become indispensable for the military and special forces, increasing the effectiveness of combat missions and protecting the lives of crews.
The idea for the development appeared spontaneously when one of the authors of the project was watching a report on the work of a maintenance battalion.
“The report was on repairs to damaged vehicles, and the officer said that a lot of equipment has to be pulled from the front lines and repaired in the rear,” shares Head of the SUSU Department of Cars and Car-caring Service Aleksandr Rulevskiy. “This is indeed a problem. And I began to think that a vehicle should be equipped with some kind of backup drive, so that it could travel at least 5-10 kilometres in case of an engine failure. This is enough to transport the vehicle to a safe location and perform the necessary repairs.”
The authors of the project emphasized the importance of a backup drive, especially for all-wheel drive vehicles used by the military and special forces units. The main problem is the location of a standard engine in the front of the vehicle, which makes it very vulnerable. Even minor damage to the radiator can lead to engine overheating and complete failure.
The new system is a hybrid drive comprising an electric motor connected to the transfer case via a fluid coupling. The electric motor operates independently of the main engine and is activated only when the latter is stopped, allowing the vehicle to move at short distances. The fluid coupling ensures a smooth transition between operating modes, smoothing out any dynamic loads that arise and thereby preventing possible damage to the transmission. Furthermore, using conventional car batteries as an energy storage device significantly simplifies the operation and maintenance of the system.
“The new backup drive has a number of significant advantages,” says Aleksandr Rulevskiy. “The main thing here is its simplicity. The reversible electric motor and fluid coupling can be implemented as a unique “hybrid module”. This “hybrid module” can be installed directly on a vehicle during operation, without the need to modify the factory design. Secondly, its functional reliability. We specifically use an “archaic” fluid coupling, rather than any kind of electronically controlled friction clutch. We believe that the use of a fluid coupling ensures stable operation of the drive even under extreme conditions. Furthermore, our system imparts a number of new properties to a conventional vehicle, for example, enabling short-term silent driving with minimal heat emission. What is also important is that our backup drive is of one-fits-all type and can be used on various vehicle models.”
The developers note that the new system is designed primarily for extreme and emergency situations, but it could also be useful in everyday use.
A patent for the development has already been obtained. To test the functionality of the drive, a prototype was built and installed in a standard passenger car. Road tests demonstrated the viability of the proposed backup hybrid drive system. The developers plan to continue their research and improve the system. Possible areas for further development include configuration issues and development of new transfer case options.