ITT [ITT] is offering up a new alternator to provide electrical power on Army tactical vehicles, touting a system the company says acts more like a generator because it does not rely on the engine throttle to produce energy.
ITT for the first time is displaying its CRUX Generator at the three-day Association of the United States Army exposition that began recently.
Doug Ramsey, ITT’s business area lead for integrated power systems, said current alternators produce maximum ranges of 400 to 600 amps, depending on the model, and only when the vehicle’s driver is “red-lining the engine.”
On occasions when the tactical vehicle is idling or traveling at low speeds on patrol, the conventional alternator’s output is slowed, making it more difficult to power command, control, communications, computers, intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (C4ISR) systems.
CRUX, which stands for Create, Regulate, Utilize and Export, can generate 1,000 amps at all times, regardless of the speed the vehicle is traveling or revolutions per minute (rpms), Ramsey said. The company views CRUX as a breakthrough in alternator technology.
Instead of relying on rpms, CRUX uses an “ultra-high density field” to generate maximum output when the engine is idling and employs a regulator to ensure there is an even flow of electricity, he said.
“What we’re trying to do is get enough originally generated power under the hood,” Ramsey said.
As C4ISR missions expand, vehicles will need an increased power source, he said. The company demonstrated the technology for the Army and Marine Corps over the summer in a thermal environment similar to that of current operations, Ramsey said.
CRUX attaches to the engine in the same manner as conventional alternators and could be easily installed with some modifications to the pulleys the guide engine belts, he said. It is slightly smaller than the current alternators, he said.
ITT is looking to provide CRUX to Army and Marine Corps tactical vehicle manufacturers who win recapitalization contracts or for block upgrades to the existing fleet, Ramsey said.