A fire fighting vehicle includes a chassis, a front axle, a rear axle, an engine, an energy storage device, an electromechanical transmission, a vehicle subsystem, and a power divider. The electromechanical transmission is (i) coupled to at least one of the front axle or the rear axle and (ii) electrically coupled to the energy storage device. The power divider is positioned between the engine, the vehicle subsystem, and the electromechanical transmission. The power divider includes a first interface coupled to the engine, a second interface coupled to the vehicle subsystem, and a third interface coupled to the electromechanical transmission. The power divider is configured to facilitate (i) selectively coupling the engine to the vehicle subsystem and (ii) selectively coupling the engine to the electromechanical transmission.

A fire fighting vehicle includes a front axle, a rear axle, an engine, an energy storage device, an electromechanical transmission, a fluid tank configured to store a fluid, a pump configured to provide the fluid from the fluid tank to a fluid outlet, and a power divider positioned between the engine, the pump, and the electromechanical transmission. The power divider includes a first interface coupled to the engine, a second interface coupled to the pump, and a third interface coupled to the electromechanical transmission. The electromechanical transmission is (i) selectively mechanically coupled to the engine by the power divider and (ii) electrically coupled to the energy storage device to facilitate driving at least one of the front axle or the rear axle. The pump is selectively mechanically coupled to the engine by the power divider to facilitate pumping the fluid to the fluid outlet.

A fire fighting vehicle includes a chassis, tractive elements coupled to the chassis, a pump coupled to the chassis, a discharge fluidly coupled to the pump, an accessory module coupled to the chassis, and an electric motor coupled to the chassis, the pump, and the accessory module. The accessory module is configured to receive mechanical energy and provide at least one of electrical energy or fluid energy. The electric motor is configured to drive (a) the pump to provide fluid to the discharge such that the fluid is expelled from the discharge and (b) the accessory module to provide the at least one of electrical energy or fluid energy.

A fire fighting vehicle includes a powertrain including an engine, a battery pack, and an electromechanical transmission; a power divider; and a controller. The power divider is positioned between the engine, the pump, and the electromechanical transmission. The controller is configured to monitor a state-of-charge of the battery pack and operate the engine, the power divider, and the electromechanical transmission such that the state-of-charge is maintained above a minimum state-of-charge threshold that is sufficient to facilitate (i) accelerating the fire fighting vehicle to a driving speed of at least 50 miles-per-hour in an acceleration time and (ii) maintaining or exceeding the driving speed for a period of time. An aggregate of the acceleration time and the period of time is at least three minutes.

A fire fighting vehicle includes a powertrain, an accessory drive, and a controller. The powertrain includes an engine, an energy storage device, and an electromechanical transmission (i) electrically coupled to the energy storage device and (ii) selectively mechanically coupled to the engine. The electromechanical transmission is configured to (a) selectively drive a front axle and/or a rear axle and (b) selectively generate energy for storage in the energy storage device as stored energy. The accessory drive is positioned to receive a mechanical input from the engine and the electromechanical transmission. The controller is configured to selectively operate the powertrain in (i) a standby mode by operating the electromechanical transmission using the stored energy to drive the accessory drive with the engine off and (ii) a rollout mode by operating the electromechanical transmission using the stored energy to drive the front axle and/or the rear axle with the engine off.

A computer-controlled motorized pump system is provided. A generator is mechanically connected to a power takeoff. A first controller receives AC power from the generator and converts the AC power to DC power and provides DC power to a computing system that has one or more processors and one or more computer-readable hardware storage media and a user interface. A second controller is directly coupled to the first controller and provides AC power to a motor. The motor is mechanically connected to a pump, and the motor is in communication with, or controlled by, the computing system.

A fire fighting vehicle includes a front axle, a rear axle, an engine, an energy storage device, an electromechanical transmission, a fluid tank configured to store a fluid, a pump configured to provide the fluid from the fluid tank to a fluid outlet, and a power divider positioned between the engine, the pump, and the electromechanical transmission. The power divider includes a first interface coupled to the engine, a second interface coupled to the pump, and a third interface coupled to the electromechanical transmission. The electromechanical transmission is (i) selectively mechanically coupled to the engine by the power divider and (ii) electrically coupled to the energy storage device to facilitate driving at least one of the front axle or the rear axle. The pump is selectively mechanically coupled to the engine by the power divider to facilitate pumping the fluid to the fluid outlet.

A fire fighting vehicle includes a powertrain, an accessory drive, and a controller. The powertrain includes an engine, an energy storage device, and an electromechanical transmission (i) electrically coupled to the energy storage device and (ii) selectively mechanically coupled to the engine. The electromechanical transmission is configured to (a) selectively drive a front axle and/or a rear axle and (b) selectively generate energy for storage in the energy storage device as stored energy. The accessory drive is positioned to receive a mechanical input from the engine and the electromechanical transmission. The controller is configured to selectively operate the powertrain in (i) a standby mode by operating the electromechanical transmission using the stored energy to drive the accessory drive with the engine off and (ii) a rollout mode by operating the electromechanical transmission using the stored energy to drive the front axle and/or the rear axle with the engine off.

This abstract is based on an alternate, improvement control method, to assist the drivers who have had, or recently discovered they have hand or finger disabilities and can no longer use our easy grab ball control disc, because it is too difficult for them to pull against some of the low-end spreader models that use very heavy springs to keep the tow-behind spreader center-column-handle-lever in place, each time the slide gate porthole chute is repositioned.

This alternate control method consists of two (2) improved modified control discs, that incorporates (fulcrum pivot mechanics) to be used in the event the operator's hand has arthritis, carpel tunnel, difficulty in closing fingers, fist, or other hand deficiencies, which makes them unable to pull and use our original twine line grab ball control disc, against the heavy force of those springs installed by the manufacturer.

These two (2) improved fulcrum-pivot-design controls will make it very easy for the driver to still open and close the slide gate porthole chute from the d river's seat, because they use (fulcrum physics) less force to move a heavier load.

A computer-controlled motorized pump system is provided. A generator is mechanically connected to a power takeoff. A first controller receives AC power from the generator and converts the AC power to DC power and provides DC power to a computing system that has one or more processors and one or more computer-readable hardware storage media and a user interface. A second controller is directly coupled to the first controller and provides AC power to a motor. The motor is mechanically connected to a pump, and the motor is in communication with, or controlled by, the computing system.