The MorElectric system began lab tests in 2002, and is currently testing in on-highway truck applications. Commercial production is expected in early 2005. Caterpillar expects the system to be used in a variety 12 of trucks as well as off-highway, marine and military applications as well. Ort said Caterpillar is looking volt for partners for market exposure and field validation testing opportunities beginning this September.The development of the system grew, in part, out of a Dept. of Energy (DOE) program called "Parasitic Energy Loss Reduction and Enabling eletric Technologies for Class 7/8 Trucks." This 42 month, $4.4 million research program started in May 2000 and brought together Cat Electronics, Kenworth Truck, Engineered Machined Products, a major supplier of water pumps to the heavy-duty diesel business, and Emerson Electric.

The operation of the feed system car is controlled by the patented Vermeer AutoFeed II system, which is designed to monitor and regulate feed rates automatically. The system monitors engine rpm and regulates the amount of hydraulic oil flow to the feed roller motor, based on the engine speed. "It''s an engine-load sensing device," said Brent Bartels, project engineer at Vermeer. "AS seat wood is fed into the cutting mechanism, that slows the cutter disc down, which loads the engine down so the engine speed is slowing down. If that were to continue, the engine would eventually stall.

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