Improving Fuel Efficiency, Productivity and Reducing GHG Emissions of Off-Highway Equipment Through the Use of Energy-Efficient Hydraulic Fluids

摘要

A study published by the US EPA in 2009 indicated that the construction industry is one of the top 5 industries most responsible for industrial, non-transportation, greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. And in a review of construction equipment, the excavator category accounts for nearly 57% of all GHG emissions. It has been recently estimated that improving the fuel efficiency and productivity of excavators through the use of energy-efficient hydraulic fluids, could reduce their GHG emissions by up to 20%. This paper will discuss how the global resource efficiency megatrend is impacting the demand for more energy efficient construction equipment, which, in turn, is driving hydraulic fluid performance trends. It will discuss the arguments for using fluid technology as a basis for efficiency improvement. It will then provide an overview of the current literature on the topic and examine the reasons for developing an efficiency test method for an excavator, which in principle, can be applied to any piece of heavy equipment. It will describe the test design and results from the initial trials, and conclude with the significant contribution that shear-stable high Viscosity Index (VI) hydraulic fluids can make in terms of both economic and environmental measures.