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Master’s in Hydraulic Hybrids and Energy Recovery Engineering

Online master's programme of 1,900 hours in hydraulic hybrid and energy recovery engineering. 12 modules covering accumulators, reversible pump-motor units, traction hybrids, digital hydraulics, energy management and Directive 2014/68/EU, with an assigned technical tutor.

Duration1900 h
ModeOnline
LanguageEnglish
Start datesSet by the faculty
AwardSEIUM Institute diploma
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Learning outcomes

What you will be able to do

01

Quantify the recoverable energy in mobile machines.

02

Size accumulators and pump-motor units.

03

Design hydraulic hybrid architectures.

04

Implement regenerative circuits in work functions.

05

Develop energy management strategies.

06

Apply pressure equipment and safety regulations.

07

Assess the profitability of energy recovery systems.

Profile

Who it's for

  • Hydraulic systems engineers moving into hybrid and energy recovery architectures.
  • Energy recovery engineers working on mobile machinery.
  • Hybrid system control engineers developing energy management strategies.
  • 1D simulation engineers modelling hydraulic and electro-hydraulic systems.
  • Machinery product engineers improving the efficiency of construction equipment.
  • Researchers in digital hydraulics.
  • Engineering or science graduates looking to enter the construction machinery sector.
Standards & tools

What you'll work with

  • Directive 2014/68/EU (pressure equipment)
  • UNE-EN ISO 4413 (hydraulic fluid power)
  • UNE-EN ISO 13849-1 (safety of control systems)
  • Regulation (EU) 2023/1230 (machinery)
  • ISO 1219-1 (hydraulic graphical symbols)
  • UNE-EN 14359 (hydropneumatic accumulators)
  • Simcenter Amesim
  • MATLAB/Simulink
  • Hopsan
  • Automation Studio
Syllabus

12 modules · 1900 h

  1. 1.1Braking, boom lowering and superstructure swing
  2. 1.2Quantification of recoverable energy
  3. 1.3Representative duty cycles
  4. 1.4Losses in conventional circuits
  5. 1.5Savings potential per machine
  6. 1.6Industrial reference cases
  7. 1.7Storage technologies
  8. 1.8Profitability of recovery
  9. 1.9Selection criteria
  10. 1.10Case study: recoverable energy in an excavator
  1. 2.1Bladder, piston and diaphragm accumulators
  2. 2.2Thermodynamics of the precharge gas
  3. 2.3Accumulator sizing
  4. 2.4Choice of precharge pressure
  5. 2.5Thermal losses in the gas
  6. 2.6Elastomeric foams to reduce losses
  7. 2.7Accumulator safety
  8. 2.8Pressure equipment
  9. 2.9Mandatory periodic inspections
  10. 2.10Laboratory: charging curve of an accumulator
  1. 3.1Axial piston pump-motors
  2. 3.2Variable displacement and its control
  3. 3.3Volumetric and mechanical efficiency
  4. 3.4Displacement control
  5. 3.5Four-quadrant operation
  6. 3.6Digital hydraulic machines
  7. 3.7Hydraulic noise of the units
  8. 3.8Unit selection
  9. 3.9Suppliers of reversible units
  10. 3.10Practical exercise: efficiency map
  1. 4.1Series and parallel architectures
  2. 4.2Hydraulic launch assist
  3. 4.3Refuse collection trucks
  4. 4.4Design of series hybrids
  5. 4.5Design of parallel hybrids
  6. 4.6Charging and discharging strategies
  7. 4.7Comparison with electric hybrids
  8. 4.8Commercial experience with hydraulic hybrids
  9. 4.9Simulation of urban cycles
  10. 4.10Case study: hydraulic hybrid for a refuse truck
  1. 5.1Boom lowering
  2. 5.2Swing braking
  3. 5.3Hydraulic boom counterbalancing
  4. 5.4Three-chamber cylinders
  5. 5.5Regenerative cylinder circuits
  6. 5.6Regeneration valves
  7. 5.7Recovery control
  8. 5.8Examples in commercial excavators
  9. 5.9Efficiency achieved in tests
  10. 5.10Practical exercise: regenerative boom circuit
  1. 6.1Principles of digital hydraulics
  2. 6.2Digital piston pumps
  3. 6.3Displacement control
  4. 6.4Fast-switching valves
  5. 6.5Valveless drives
  6. 6.6Energy advantages of digital hydraulics
  7. 6.7Control and noise challenges
  8. 6.8Lines of research
  9. 6.9Simulation of digital systems
  10. 6.10Laboratory: displacement control
  1. 7.1Electric motors with pumps
  2. 7.2Accumulators combined with batteries
  3. 7.3Supercapacitors in hybrid systems
  4. 7.4Self-contained electro-hydraulic actuators
  5. 7.5Machine integration
  6. 7.6Combined electrical and hydraulic control
  7. 7.7Comparison of solutions
  8. 7.8Application cases
  9. 7.9Costs of electro-hydraulic systems
  10. 7.10Case study: self-contained electro-hydraulic actuator
  1. 8.1Rule-based strategies
  2. 8.2Equivalent consumption minimisation
  3. 8.3Dynamic programming as a benchmark
  4. 8.4Model predictive control
  5. 8.5Duty cycle prediction
  6. 8.6Hydraulic state of charge
  7. 8.7Controller implementation
  8. 8.8Strategy calibration
  9. 8.9Strategy validation
  10. 8.10Practical exercise: ECMS strategy in Simulink
  1. 9.10D and 1D models
  2. 9.2Simulation in Amesim
  3. 9.3Simulation in Simulink
  4. 9.4Validation with data
  5. 9.5Test cycles
  6. 9.6Sensitivity analysis
  7. 9.7Parameter optimisation
  8. 9.8Hydraulic and mechanical co-simulation
  9. 9.9Hardware-in-the-loop testing of the controller
  10. 9.10Laboratory: hybrid excavator model
  1. 10.1Pressure Equipment Directive
  2. 10.2Requirements of ISO 4413
  3. 10.3Functional safety of the system
  4. 10.4Safe discharge of accumulators
  5. 10.5Inspection and maintenance
  6. 10.6Risk analysis
  7. 10.7Work procedures
  8. 10.8Staff training
  9. 10.9Machinery Regulation
  10. 10.10Case study: risks of an accumulator
  1. 11.1Bench testing
  2. 11.2Field testing
  3. 11.3Measurement of savings
  4. 11.4Total cost of ownership
  5. 11.5Payback period
  6. 11.6Additional maintenance of the system
  7. 11.7Reliability of hydraulic components
  8. 11.8Potential market for the technology
  9. 11.9Commercial arguments for customers
  10. 11.10Case study: return on investment of a hydraulic hybrid
  1. 12.1Selection of machine and cycle
  2. 12.2Energy analysis of the cycle
  3. 12.3Recovery architecture
  4. 12.4Component sizing
  5. 12.5Control strategy
  6. 12.6Simulation of the proposed system
  7. 12.7Safety analysis
  8. 12.8Economic evaluation of the solution
  9. 12.9Master's Thesis report
  10. 12.10Master's Thesis: defence before a panel
Methodology, software & labs

How you'll learn

100% online training on the SEIUM campus, with downloadable material, recorded classes and an assigned technical tutor. No fixed timetables: you progress at your own pace within each intake, so the programme fits around your job.

Each module combines theory, guided reading of the original standard and applied exercises. The working software is Simcenter Amesim, MATLAB/Simulink, Hopsan and Automation Studio, in free, academic or evaluation versions. Testing is studied through real procedures: bench testing of accumulators, simulation of hybrid excavators and field measurement of energy savings. Assessment is continuous by module plus the final Master's Thesis.

Standards covered: Directive 2014/68/EU, UNE-EN ISO 4413, UNE-EN ISO 13849-1, Regulation (EU) 2023/1230, ISO 1219-1, UNE-EN 14359.

Assigned technical tutor:every module ends with a deliverable that your tutor marks individually.
Standards-based learning:guided reading of Directive 2014/68/EU, UNE-EN ISO 4413 and UNE-EN ISO 13849-1 applied to real cases, not as a theoretical annex.
Industry software:Simcenter Amesim, MATLAB/Simulink, Hopsan and Automation Studio, in free, academic or evaluation versions.
Master's Thesis with defence:The design of an energy recovery system for a real machine and duty cycle, defended before a panel.
Flexible format:100% online, no fixed timetables, compatible with full-time work.
Capstone project

Build it end to end

Your final project follows the real engineering workflow, step by step, reviewed by your tutor.

Cycle energy analysis
Select a machine and duty cycle and quantify the energy that can be recovered.
Recovery architecture
Define the recovery architecture and size accumulators and pump-motor units.
Energy management strategy
Develop and calibrate the control strategy, such as ECMS in Simulink.
System simulation and safety
Simulate the proposed system and analyse accumulator and machine safety risks.
Master's Thesis
Economic evaluation and full report of the energy recovery solution, defended before a panel.
Career opportunities

Where this takes you

Hydraulic Systems EngineerEnergy Recovery EngineerHybrid Systems Control Engineer1D Simulation EngineerMachinery Product EngineerDigital Hydraulics Researcher
Admissions & scholarships

Requirements

  • A university degree in engineering, science or architecture, or equivalent demonstrable professional experience.
  • An internet connection and a computer capable of running the programme software.
  • English sufficient to read technical standards.

Ready to start?

Send your application today. Our admissions team replies within 72 hours with your study plan and funding options.

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FAQ

Frequently asked questions

The programme totals 1,900 hours over 12–14 months. You set your own pace within each intake, and your tutor helps you plan the workload around your job.

You work with Simcenter Amesim, MATLAB/Simulink, Hopsan and Automation Studio, using free, academic or evaluation versions. Your tutor indicates the free alternative wherever one exists.

A SEIUM Institute diploma, awarded on passing the continuous assessment and the Master's Thesis. It is SEIUM's own qualification, not an official state degree; its recognition depends on the programme completed and the regulations of each country.

Yes. Modules passed in a course or postgraduate diploma in the same area are recognised in the higher programme. Ask about the recognition policy when you enrol.

A university degree in engineering, science or architecture (or equivalent professional experience), a computer able to run the programme software, and English sufficient to read technical standards.

Start dates are set by SEIUM's faculty for each intake. Our admissions team will confirm the next available date when you apply.

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