NSF Awards Levant Power Grant to Develop a Hybrid Truck GenShock(TM)
The National Science Foundation (NSF) Announces a $150,000 Phase I SBIR Award to Support the Development of Regenerative Shock Absorbers for Class-8 Hybrid Trucks
Senator John F. Kerry (D-MA) announced this month NSF awards for 18 Massachusetts companies and universities, including a $150,000 Phase I SBIR contract for Levant Power, a Cambridge-based company developing energy-harvesting suspension technology for the automotive industry. The SBIR program will be used to develop a hydraulic regenerative suspension and charge system for hybrid Class-8 trucks. The system will recover wasted suspension energy and use it to improve hybrid truck fuel economy, operating range, and to power on-board systems.
In a recent interview with the New York Times, NSF program director Juan Figueroa said that the economic impact of GenShock could be immediate if owners of truck fleets installed the system. "Driving in the city," he said, "they could save a tremendous amount of energy and fuel."
The grant aims at refining GenShock technology for hybrid drivetrain applications on commercial trucks. The development effort will build upon existing GenShock technology designed for non-hybrid applications spanning military, transit bus, and industrial platforms. The program is scheduled to take place between July 1 and December 31, 2010.
"Our technology is going to be the centerpiece of the 'regenerative vehicle'," said Zack Anderson, Levant Power COO. "Currently, the majority of hybrid vehicles harvest only one source of lost energy -- braking, but there are many untapped waste sources on modern vehicles." The GenShock power processing system is capable of regulating and extracting energy from a multitude of energy harvesting devices, including regenerative shock absorbers, for improved fuel economy.
About Levant Power Corporation
Levant Power is the world leader in suspension energy harvesting. The company is developing and commercializing breakthrough suspension energy recovery technology, GenShock™, and has demonstrated simultaneous semi-active ride control and on-board electrical generation. Founded out of MIT by a team of engineers in 2008, the company is growing rapidly and is now working with leading domestic and international manufacturers to tailor GenShock for defense, trucking, transit buses, rail, passenger vehicles, industrial and marine applications.
GenShock produces continuous electrical energy to vehicles, improving fuel economy by 1-6% while improving handling and ride comfort.
