Patent ID: 8596404

Claim:
A method for commissioning a hybrid vehicle comprising: providing a vehicle having: a chassis; a first power source disposed on the chassis, the first power source including a prime mover and a transmission, wherein the prime mover is selectively engaged to a driveline of the vehicle; a second power source disposed on the chassis, the second power source including a pump/motor assembly, the pump/motor assembly including a pump/motor unit having a variable swash plate and a servo actuator, a fluid reservoir in fluid communication with the pump/motor assembly, and an energy storage unit in fluid communication with the pump/motor assembly; determining a neutral position of the pump/motor assembly, wherein the neutral position corresponds to an average of the recorded signals, the neutral position determination step includes: actuating the pump/motor unit from pumping mode to motoring mode; monitoring a signal from a neutral pressure sensor that is in fluid communication with the pump/motor unit; recording the signal from the neutral pressure sensor when the signal crosses a threshold value; actuating the pump/motor unit from motoring mode to pumping mode; monitoring the signal from the neutral pressure sensor; and recording the signal when the signal crosses the threshold value, wherein the pump/motor assembly of the second power source is coupled to the prime mover of the first power source during pumping mode of the pump/motor assembly; and purging gas from the second power source by routing fluid from the energy storage unit to the fluid reservoir.