Speaking a hybrid language: thermal management specialist EMP finds growing opportunity in hybrid vehicle markets

As the interest and applications for medium- and heavy-duty hybrid vehicles has grown, there has been no shortage of suppliers looking to adapt what they do to gain a foothold in that intriguing niche. For some manufacturers, it's not a simple evolution. But for others, hybrid technology is already so close to what they do already as to make it a very short and obvious step.

One such company is Engineered Machined Products Inc. EMP is a significant supplier of engine water pumps to the diesel and high performance gasoline engine markets. The Escanaba, Mich., company has been on the cutting edge of engine thermal management concepts and has developed a range of computer-controlled electric fan and blower systems, electric thermostats and valves, electric air pumps and complete cooling modulesIt really has been," said David Allen, EMP's vice president of product development. "And I think it's because we know how to speak a lot of the language that the hybrid people are starting to speak--controllers, motors and what's the signal look like? We're even helping some generator manufacturers develop systems more compatible with what their hybrid customers are going to need one day.

"The only time it ever presents a unique challenge is when the hybrid generator manufacturer throws out some off the wall voltage that we have to deal with. But if it's a typical hybrid configuration where they run a nice clean dc bus at whatever voltage--it might be 300 V, it might be 24 V, it might be 42 V--it's great because that's one piece of the puzzle we then don't have to worry about--where are we going to get a little extra power from?

"We've been on over 40 different hybrids of various types so far. We've done some demonstrators and now have some production contracts in hybrids coming out in '08. So we're in a good position in that market."

Highlighting that position has been the launch of a series of what the company calls "diesel grade" components and modules specifically targeted toward OEMs manufacturing medium- and heavy-duty hybrid vehicles. Included in this range is EMP's Advanced Electric Cooling Systems (AECS) that are designed to offer electric engine cooling and secondary cooling for charge air, oil, transmission, EGR and HVAC systems.

By combining all thermal management components into a drop-in module that is controlled by sophisticated algorithms, a significant improvement in fuel economy and packaging can be realized. EMP has had a good deal of experience with the technology, which it has manufactured for the high performance engine market through its Stewart division.