Putting theory into practice
ETH and Carrosserie HESS began working together in 2009. At that time, HESS was experimenting with a diesel hybrid bus, but the energy savings they were achieving were lower than they had hoped for. So when ETH came up with the idea of developing a new energy management system for the bus project as part of a doctoral position, the HESS project coordinators jumped at the chance. The doctorate was funded by the Swiss Commission for Technology and Innovation CTI and the Swiss Federal Office of Energy.
There was still quite a way to go before the first bus with ETH software rolled off the HESS production line. From the research side, the project was a resounding success that produced some major fuel savings – but by the time the doctoral thesis was finished, the balance of customer demand had shifted from diesel hybrid buses to electric buses. This brought home the challenges that arise in any partnership between academia and the private sector, with the slow mill of ETH’s scientifically rigorous approach on the one hand, and Carrosserie HESS’s exposure to market dynamics on the other. “What we need is not necessarily a system that is theoretically perfect, but one that works in practice and complies with all the regulations,” says Widmer. “And obviously it has to eventually make us some money!”
A project with a future
“SwissTrolley plus” is a follow-up project involving the
latest electric bus from HESS – and both partners have learned from experience. Once again, a doctoral student at ETH is developing a software program for efficient energy management. But what’s new is that this project brings on board a second research institute in the form of Bern University of Applied Sciences, as well as its first public transport operator in the form of Verkehrsbetriebe Zürich (VBZ). As a result, the ETH researchers can analyse the software in real-world conditions practically on their doorstep, thanks to the pilot bus that VBZ added to its Zurich fleet some 12 months ago.
ight now, the smart Zurich
pilot bus is the only one of its kind – but not for long. This autumn, three more bi-articulated buses based on the same technology will start operating on local routes. And back at Carrosserie HESS Widmer is confident that other public transport operators will soon follow suit: “A few of them have already expressed interest”.
This second joint doctoral project comes to an end next year, but there’s a good chance the cooperation between ETH and HESS will continue in the future. The longer their collaboration lasts, the more issues they find that can best be solved by working together. “Software could potentially help out not just with the driving, but also save energy
used for heating and air conditioning,” says Widmer.
ETH Professor Onder agrees without hesitation: “That’s definitely an interesting and relevant area for researchers to look into.”
