Performance

Hydrapulse® Technology

Superior Performance with Electro-Hydraulics

Nothing talks about the performance of a product more than numbers. When we look at the performance of anything, we need to compare or benchmark it against something else. Usually we benchmark something against the best in class or the best in a particular category. These metrics will tell us how we stack up against the competition.

But it gets a little tricky when we try to compare products in the fluid power industry. There are endless variations of pumps, valves, systems, designs, motors and on and on. And to make it more complicated, the Hydrapulse is a brand new way to do a hydraulic system. It’s literally in a category all by itself. We are calling this category an EHPU or an electro-hydraulic power unit since it is a complete power unit all in one. The Hydrapulse is more than a pump, or a motor, it’s so much more.

So let’s start bench-marking our technology against some metrics that are well known in fluid power.

Power Density

Power density is a simple way to start to describe just how awesome the Hydrapulse truly is. Power density is simply how much power you have in a given volume.

While there are many factors that determine the power density, the approximate ranges of hydraulic power units are shown in the illustration.

The combustion driven hydraulic power unit is the most power dense conventional type of system with over 7 horsepower per cubic foot of space (180 kW / cubic meter). This is compared to a typical induction motor driven HPU, which comes in at only about 2 horsepower per cubic foot (50 kW / cubic meter).

The Hydrapulse EHPU on the other hand comes in at up to 15 horsepower per cubic foot of space (385 kW / cubic meter) or over 7x times more power dense than the best induction motor HPU!

We also looked at the specific power (or power to weight ratio) for the same types of hydraulic power units for any motor heads out there who live and breathe this ratio metric!

Power density comparison of HPU technologies
Power density comparison of HPU technologies

Efficiency

Efficiency is a great all around metric to compare against and it is becoming more and more the focus of capital equipment purchases across the globe.

Hydraulic systems are not known for their stellar efficiency but the Hydrapulse technology is changing that quickly.

It is also important to note that efficiency is only important if you can afford to put in a system. Many technologies have come and gone that were extremely efficient but were just too darn expensive to achieve any market penetration. The Hydrapulse not only brings extreme efficiency to fluid power but also at a cost per kW that cannot be beat.

Comparison of the efficiency and cost of hydraulic power systems
Comparison of the efficiency and cost of hydraulic power systems

Higher Voltage = Power Density

Our hydraulic pumps with HVIL (High Voltage Interlock Loop) connectors and our hydraulic pumps with low voltage connectors pack a lot of power into a small space. By utilizing RADSOK technology, we can provide high power in a small space to decrease our footprint and increase our customers choices.

Hydraulic Pumps with HVIL
Hydrapulse EHPU and EHSU electro-hydraulic steering and power units