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Charleston Air Force team tests first hybrid fuel truck
By Shelia Watson
Contributing Writer
The 437th Logistics Readiness Squadron Fuels Flight, located at the Charleston Air Force Base, is testing the Air Force’s first R-11 hybrid electric refueling truck.
The truck is the first prototype in a development between the Advanced Power Technology Office at Robins AFB, Ga., and the Mack-Volvo Corp. to incorporate hybrid electric technology for military and commercial use. The truck was delivered to Robins AFB and went through preliminary inspection and testing at that base before being transferred to Charleston AFB last fall.
The vehicle, which is nearly identical to the standard R-11 refueling truck, has a 6,000-gallon aviation fuel tank and operates with a diesel engine and an electric motor attached to a battery pack to optimize fuel efficiency.
“This is the first refueler being used by the Air Force, and it will be the only one in testing at this time,” said Tech. Sgt. Joseph Landreth with the 437th Logistics Readiness Squadron. “Robins Air Force Base will be tracking its fuel economy. We need to use it as much as possible to get a direct comparison between it and the regular R-11 trucks (to determine efficiency and fuel savings).”
The truck was constructed “from the ground up” rather than taking a standard R-11 truck and refitting it, Landreth said.
“It has a Mack chassis and engine, and there were six or seven other companies doing electronics and other systems,” he said. “Several companies came together to make it.”
With diesel-hybrid electric vehicles, the electric motor assists the diesel in launching the vehicle and regenerates energy during braking. The energy is stored as electrical energy in the battery pack and is used in place of diesel fuel.
The anticipated advantages include better fuel economy, reduced emissions and noise, longer engine and brake system service intervals, and lower overall operating costs.
“As far as this particular vehicle goes, the Air Force gave it to the contractors (to develop) because it would be hardest in the inventory to make into a hybrid because there are a lot of safety requirements,” said Landreth.
The technology used in the truck is expected to eventually be transferred to other vehicles. Assuming all goes well with the testing on the R-11, Landreth said other vehicles will benefit from the technology, including refuse trucks and buses, which operate in a frequent start-and-stop fashion.
Landreth noted that the Charleston AFB was selected as the test site because of its reputation for innovation.
“Charleston has taken on a lot of spearheaded ideas—new ideas, new initiatives,” he said.
Already the vehicle has earned its place in the history books. Its first mission was refueling Air Force One when President Bush visited Charleston in October.
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