Challenges and possibilities of the integration of electric drives in mobile machinery

This paper provides an overview of the challenges and possibilities of the integration of electric drives into diesel-hydraulic excavators. Due to the drivers of emission reduction, the use of renewable energies and more energy efficient systems, a global push leads to the integration of electric drives in excavators. In mobile machinery such as excavators, new possibilities and challenges of the adaptation of the drive train and energy storage arise. Rotational actuators can be powered by direct electric drives to avoid losses of the hydraulic system. Adapted hydraulic system topologies enable recuperation and reduce throttling losses in hydraulic systems. Variable and overall higher electric motor speeds reduce the size of the electric and hydraulic components and enable operation in more efficient operating points. To evaluate possible changes to the traditional hydraulic excavator systems, a simulation model is built and the proposed adaptations are implemented. The paper concludes with the evaluation of the proposed system changes and an outlook for further possibilities of hydraulic system adaptions in relation to the electric drive

Mast Cells Expedite Control of Pulmonary Murine Cytomegalovirus Infection by Enhancing the Recruitment of Protective CD8 T Cells to the Lungs

<div><p>The lungs are a noted predilection site of acute, latent, and reactivated cytomegalovirus (CMV) infections. Interstitial pneumonia is the most dreaded manifestation of CMV disease in the immunocompromised host, whereas in the immunocompetent host lung-infiltrating CD8 T cells confine the infection in nodular inflammatory foci and prevent viral pathology. By using murine CMV infection as a model, we provide evidence for a critical role of mast cells (MC) in the recruitment of protective CD8 T cells to the lungs. Systemic infection triggered degranulation selectively in infected MC. The viral activation of MC was associated with a wave of CC chemokine ligand 5 (CCL5) in the serum of C57BL/6 mice that was MC-derived as verified by infection of MC-deficient <i>Kit^W-sh/W-sh</i> “sash” mutants. In these mutants, CD8 T cells were recruited less efficiently to the lungs, correlating with enhanced viral replication and delayed virus clearance. A causative role for MC was verified by MC reconstitution of “sash” mice restoring both, efficient CD8 T-cell recruitment and infection control. These results reveal a novel crosstalk axis between innate and adaptive immune defense against CMV, and identify MC as a hitherto unconsidered player in the immune surveillance at a relevant site of CMV disease.</p></div