Ford and Georgia Tech partner on “Green Eco School Bus”

The wheels on this bus go 'round and 'round using recycled biofuel. It's called the "Green Eco School Bus" and it was yellow when Atlanta Public Schools (APS) donated the bus for the project.

Ford Motor Company Fund and the Georgia Institute of Technology are partnering on the nation’s first conversion of a traditional school bus to a hydraulic hybrid vehicle that runs on recycled biofuel, aka used cooking oil that is processed into biodiesel, a renewable energy source.

Conducted by Georgia Tech, the project is financed by a $50,000 Ford College Community Challenge Grant, one of five given annually for a student-led project that matches university resources with an urgent community need related to sustainability. This project focuses on converting existing school buses into hydraulic hybrids, which could lower greenhouse emissions and reduce transportation costs for schools.

Michael Leamy, Georgia Tech assistant professor of mechanical engineering, and his students have designed and developed the hydraulic hybrid system for the 16-passenger school bus, and its installation is nearly complete.

“Together with Georgia Tech and Atlanta Public Schools, we are taking innovation from the classroom to the community,” said Jim Vella, president, Ford Motor Company Fund and Community Services. “This is a noteworthy example of the types of programs we are bringing to Atlanta as part of our new Operation Goodwill partnership with local Ford and Lincoln dealers with the goal of expanding our engagement with this community.”

Students at Mary Lin Elementary School are painting “the Green Eco School Bus” green and organizing a drive to collect used cooking oil. The project includes a cost-benefit analysis of a large-scale conversion of a school bus fleet to hydraulic hybrid powertrains designed to recover lost braking energy. Leamy said, “We expect our research will lead to cleaner, more efficient school buses that will help school districts like APS significantly reduce fuel costs and greenhouse gas emissions.”

Atlanta Public School officials are using the project to educate the next generation about green energy. ”Our students are eager to learn about new ways to care for the environment,” said Brian Mitchell, principal, Mary Lin Elementary. “The Green Eco School Bus turns a theoretical concept into a fun and exciting reality that stimulates their learning.”