AFS Trinity Power Corp, Inc.
Company typePrivate
IndustryAutomotive
Founded1991
HeadquartersMedina, Washington, USA
Key people
Edward Furia (Chairman, C.E.O.)

Joel Levinthal (President, C.O.O.)
Laurie Westdahl (Corporate Secretary & Director)
Peter N. Rogers (C.F.O. & Director)
Timothy C. Kent (Director & Advisor on Public Communications)
Donald Bender (C.T.O.)
Dr. Edward S. Zorzi (Vice President Aerospace Operations)
Philip K. Snyder (Chief Systems Engineer)
Atul Deshmane (Automotive Systems Engineer)

John V. Coyner (Director of Composite Rotor Programs)
ProductsExtreme Hybrid Drive Train
Websiteafstrinity.com

AFS Trinity Power Corporation is an American corporation headquartered in Medina, WA with an engineering center in Livermore, CA that develops technology for plug-in hybrids.[1] The company has developed PHEV technology that actively combines batteries with ultracapacitors.[2] The company asserts that the combination of high-power ultracapacitors, which prefer to discharge and recharge quickly, and high-energy lithium-ion batteries, which prefer to discharge and recharge slowly, makes for a system with both long-life and high energy-density storage.[3]

Prototype

AFS Trinity's plug-in hybrid prototype at Altamont Pass near their Engineering Center in Livermore, CA.

AFS Trinity claims that this "Extreme Hybrid" technology makes it possible for plug-in hybrid electric vehicles to achieve the equivalent of 150 miles per US gallon (1.6 L/100 km; 180 mpg‑imp), travel 40 miles (64 km) per charge in all-electric mode and use gasoline for additional range (limited by gasoline tank size) in hybrid mode.[3] The company also reports that its prototype "XH-150S" modified Saturn Vue SUVs demonstrated 11.6 second 0-60 performance in electric-only mode and 6.9 second 0-60 performance in full hybrid mode, which would be comparable to a Porsche Cayenne.[4]

History

AFS Trinity was formed on December 5, 2000, through the combination of two predecessor companies, American Flywheel Systems, Inc. (AFS), incorporated in 1991, and Trinity Flywheel Power (Trinity) which was incorporated in 1993.[5] Since 1991, AFS Trinity has conducted programs with private and government organizations including DARPA, NASA, the U.S. Navy, U.S. Army, U.S. DOT, California Energy Commission, Oak Ridge National Laboratories, Lawrence Livermore National Labs, Honeywell, Lockheed, and Ricardo plc.[6]

On January 24, 2006, AFS Trinity and Ricardo signed a Technology Partnership Agreement for Ricardo to help integrate AFS Trinity's Extreme Hybrid drive train technology into passenger cars and SUVs.[7] On January 27, 2008, the company unveiled two modified Saturn Vue SUVs (called XH-150 SUV) at the North American International Auto Show in Detroit.[8]

On January 26, 2010, AFS Trinity demonstrated its prototypes for Delaware officials including Governor Jack Markell, suggesting that Delaware's idled factories and workforce could potentially mass-produce the vehicle.[9]

Technology

3D Cutaway of "Extreme Hybrid" Drive Train Technology as implemented in the XH-150 Plug-in Hybrid Prototype.

The powertrain using two forms of energy storage is disclosed in US patent application 11/519,350.[10]

The application describes a family of architectures where a battery is used in conjunction with a second energy storage device which may be an ultracapacitor, a flywheel, or a second battery. The purpose of the second energy storage device is to protect the battery from high current during high power operation.

References

  1. ^ Wald, Matthew L. (2008-11-18). "Company With Hybrid Battery Solution to Seek Billions From Energy Department". Green Blog. Retrieved 2023-11-04.
  2. ^ "Extreme Hybrid Showcases Green Technology - CBS Evening News". CBS News. 2008-01-12. Archived from the original on 17 November 2010. Retrieved 2010-11-27.
  3. ^ a b "EV WORLD: AFS Trinity Perfects Plug-in Hybrid Saturn Vue". Archived from the original on 2010-01-06. Retrieved 2010-03-22. EV World, AFS Trinity Perfects Plug-in Hybrid Saturn Vue, January 13, 2008
  4. ^ "A Hybrid Technology That Can Pay for Itself". Businessweek.com. 2008-01-15. Archived from the original on 2011-09-13. Retrieved 2010-11-27.
  5. ^ http://newpowerprospects.com/company_AFS_Trinity.aspx[permanent dead link]
  6. ^ "AFS Trinity Power | Plug-In Hybrid Electric Cars (PHEV) and Extreme Hybrid Drivetrain Technology. A revolution in Fast Energy Storage featuring the XH-150 Prototype SUV". Afstrinity.com. 2010-07-26. Archived from the original on 19 November 2010. Retrieved 2010-11-27.
  7. ^ "AFS Trinity and Ricardo to Develop Plug-In Extreme Hybrid[tm] Car". Www.Evworld.Com. Archived from the original on 2011-11-23. Retrieved 2010-11-27.
  8. ^ "AFS Trinity Power | Plug-In Hybrid Electric Cars (PHEV) and Extreme Hybrid Drivetrain Technology". Afstrinity.com. 2008-01-13. Archived from the original on 19 November 2010. Retrieved 2010-11-27.
  9. ^ "AFS Trinity shows off its hybrid electric vehicle to Delaware officials | Philly | 01/27/2010". Philly. 2010-01-27. Retrieved 2010-11-27.
  10. ^ "Method and Apparatus for Power Electronics and Control of Plug-In Hybrid Propulsion with Fast Energy Storage". 2006-09-12. Retrieved 2010-11-27.

External links

Automotive industry in the United States
Category