Motor Authority - blog Tag: Technical

For years, engineers have avoided heat in cars to protect components from overheating. Now, this goal is being turned on its head as automakers attempt to harness previously wasted energy for practical purposes such as improving fuel consumption and reducing CO2 emissions.

Even a highly efficient engine can only convert about one-third of the energy contained in fuel to actually propel a car. Two-thirds is lost as waste heat via the car’s exhaust and radiator, according to BMW.

To capture some of this lost energy, BMW is working on a number of promising projects that make use of heat normally lost. The first idea may banish cold...

For years, engineers have avoided heat in cars to protect components from overheating. Now, this goal is being turned on its head as automakers attempt to harness previously wasted energy for practical purposes such as improving fuel consumption and reducing CO2 emissions. Even a highly efficient engine can only convert about one-third of the energy contained in fuel to actually propel a car. Two-thirds is lost as waste heat via the car’s exhaust and radiator, according to BMW. To capture some of this lost energy, BMW is working on a number of promising projects that make use of heat normally lost. The first idea may banish cold starts forever to reduce emissions. The second approach can convert the heat from a car’s exhaust into electricity and the third idea uses waste heat to heat the interior of a car. BMW engineers are working all-out on largely avoiding cold start conditions by fully encapsulating engines. Improved heat insulation of engines would prevent them from cooling down quickly and retain as much residual heat as possible for the next start. In addition to the air flaps already on some production models, a prototype has already been developed that is completely surrounded by fully clad walls and panels using proven materials that are normally used in the car’s underfloor for insulation. Thanks to this approach, the engine cools down much slower after being switched off and still has a temperature of approximately 40 degrees Celsius after 12 hours. Each degree Celsius above the ambient temperature reduces fuel consumption by 0.2%. The next phase of BMW’s heat recovery technology is the generation of electrical power from wasted exhaust gases, which the automaker claims can cut fuel consumption by up to 2%. We’ve already seen this in principle with BMW’s thermoelectric generator, which was presented last year. BMW is now presenting the next level of development in the form of an integrated component in the exhaust gas recirculation cooler. With the latest development, up to 250 W of energy are produced under typical driving conditions--equal to about half the on-board electricity consumption in a 5-Series sedan. The device relies on a thermoelectric semi-conductor element that generates electrical voltage. The bigger the difference in temperature, the higher the voltage generated. Exhaust gas temperatures, which are usually between 300 and 900 degrees Celsius, are on the hot side of the generator, and engine coolant is used for the cold side. Whilst still a prototype, the current solution gives engineers more information on the operating principles as well as obstacles yet to be overcome. According to BMW, between 3 and 8% of the total fuel consumed by modern cars is due to the rising number of electricity-dependent features, so there are potentially big savings to be made. Finally, BMW is also working on an exhaust gas heat exchanger. With gasoline engines, it would be very effective in warming up the drivetrain more quickly to the right temperature, avoiding friction in, say, the gearbox. Such an exchanger conveys heat, or thermal energy, from one flow to another, in this case the heat of the exhaust gas to the oil in the automatic transmission, with additional heat being pumped in consistently from the start. Diesel engines are now so efficient that the excess heat generated by the engine is usually insufficient to heat the interior of the car alone. It has become quite normal to fit cars with an additional electric heater, which increase fuel consumption. To avoid this extra fuel consumption, hot exhaust emissions may be used by means of a heat exchanger close to the catalytic converter to provide an additional source of heat for the interior. Such a system may avoid the need for electrical heating modules which consume additional fuel. Further down the track, we should be seeing more advanced features such as the aforementioned heat-energy recovery systems, as well as variable frontal aerodynamics, increase use of regenerative brakes, and even a satellite-aided traffic management system. This latter feature is designed to help improve efficiency by anticipating when acceleration or braking will be necessary, and smoothing out the transitions between the two, resulting in better fuel economy. [BMW] Read More

Existing hybrid technology uses electrical energy stored in a battery to power an electric motor connected to an internal combustion engine, but there are other ways of harnessing electrical energy to help save fuel. Engineers in the UK have developed a new system where electrical energy can be used to drive a supercharger and boost performance.

Conventional superchargers are powered by a belt connected to an engine. As more power is dialed up, the supercharger draws more and more power away from the engine and in turn burns more fuel.

Last year, British firm Controlled Power Technologies (CPT) revealed an electric supercharging system...

Existing hybrid technology uses electrical energy stored in a battery to power an electric motor connected to an internal combustion engine, but there are other ways of harnessing electrical energy to help save fuel. Engineers in the UK have developed a new system where electrical energy can be used to drive a supercharger and boost performance. Conventional superchargers are powered by a belt connected to an engine. As more power is dialed up, the supercharger draws more and more power away from the engine and in turn burns more fuel. Last year, British firm Controlled Power Technologies (CPT) revealed an electric supercharging system developed for small fuel-efficient engines that does away with the belt system. Dubbed the Variable Torque Enhancement System (VTES), the system is ready for mass production and can be applied to all types of gasoline and diesel engines--including those already turbocharged. CPT recently teamed up with German powertrain developer AVL List GmbH (AVL) and together the companies have unveiled a gasoline engine with the same CO2 emissions as a similarly powered diesel. The particular engine was a 2.0-liter four-cylinder gasoline unit with direct-injection technology and 197 horsepower and 295 pound-feet of torque available. When fitted in a Volkswagen Passat, the electrically-supercharged engine produces CO2 emissions of 159g/km. The regular 167 horsepower 2.0-liter TDI diesel Passat on the other hand emits 165g/km, while the 197 horsepower 2.0-liter TFSI gasoline version emits 194g/km. CPT has also signed a deal with Switched Reluctance Drives Limited to start developing OEM units for sale later this year but so far no automakers have announced plans to use the electric supercharger. The fully developed and production-ready device could prove timely in helping automakers meet governmental directives to cut average CO2 emissions and fuel economy levels for new cars in coming years. Read More

With the automotive world striving for smaller, more efficient engines in a bid to be seen as environmentally-conscious and attract customers, scientists and engineers are coming out of the woodwork with new combustion engines, electric powertrains and other systems that they tout as the future of automotive technology - just this month we already saw EcoMotors' opposed-piston opposed-cylinders project that promised to revolutionize engine design.

Now, an engineering firm by the name of Ilmor has announced its own new redesign of the internal-combustion engine, with claims that efficiency gains of between 5% and 20% can be had. What makes... With the automotive world striving for smaller, more efficient engines in a bid to be seen as environmentally-conscious and attract customers, scientists and engineers are coming out of the woodwork with new combustion engines, electric powertrains and other systems that they tout as the future of automotive technology - just this month we already saw EcoMotors' opposed-piston opposed-cylinders project that promised to revolutionize engine design. Now, an engineering firm by the name of Ilmor has announced its own new redesign of the internal-combustion engine, with claims that efficiency gains of between 5% and 20% can be had. What makes us actually sit up and take notice of Ilmor's claims is the company's history, having built Formula 1-winning engines for Mercedes-Benz and working with a number of Indy car teams for over a decade to build engines - not exactly amateurs, then. The new, more efficient engine Ilmor is proposing promises to deliver the fuel economy that current diesel engines can achieve, without the associated emissions problems the oil-burners typically offer. Designed for road cars, rather than its usual work with racing applications, the Ilmor-designed 5-stroke gasoline engine is a diminutive 700cc three-cylinder unit that still manages to develop 130 horsepower and 122 pound-feet of torque. According to Ilmor, the 5-stroke concept engine utilizes two high-pressure fired cylinders operating on a conventional 4-stroke cycle that alternately exhaust into a central low-pressure expansion cylinder, whereupon the burnt gases perform further work. The low-pressure cylinder decouples the expansion and compression processes and enables the optimum expansion ratio to be selected independently of the compression ratio. The end result is that the engine runs an overall expansion ratio approaching that of a diesel engine – in the region of 14.5:1. The engine is also more compact, and unlike other new technologies does not require any new manufacturing techniques. The engine is just a concept for now, with further development expected to take place. Eventually, the company hopes to achieve a power density figure of 150 horsepower per liter of displacement. Read More

It seems that the current spate of environmental consciousness encircling the globe has spawned a number of entrepreneurs wanting to cash in on the need to go greener - including legitimate operations like Tesla and its electric cars, as well as some more dodgy operations such as the proponents of hydrogen boosting. The latest company to be promoting clean technology is EcoMotors International, a group that has plans to introduce a five-seater car capable of achieving 100mpg by next year - and with claims like that we may be tempted to throw them into the same lump as the hydrogen boosters, save for the fact that the man behind the company... It seems that the current spate of environmental consciousness encircling the globe has spawned a number of entrepreneurs wanting to cash in on the need to go greener - including legitimate operations like Tesla and its electric cars, as well as some more dodgy operations such as the proponents of hydrogen boosting. The latest company to be promoting clean technology is EcoMotors International, a group that has plans to introduce a five-seater car capable of achieving 100mpg by next year - and with claims like that we may be tempted to throw them into the same lump as the hydrogen boosters, save for the fact that the man behind the company has some very impressive credentials. EcoMotors is run by Professor Peter Hofbauer, who worked for Volkswagen Group for two decades developing VW and Audi diesel engines. Now, the Professor has come up with a new engine design that retains the basic principles of internal combustion, but vastly improves the power density. Power density refers to a combination of factors such as weight, size, material costs, friction, fuel efficiency, emissions and heat rejection, and by improving one or all of these attributes we can improve the power density of an engine. According to Hofbauer, a new opposed-piston opposed-cylinder (OPOC) engine design that he has come up with is 30% lighter, one-quarter the size and achieves 50% better fuel economy compared to today's state-of-the-art conventional turbo-diesel engines. Of course, such a bold claim will invite skepticism, and Hofbauer explains how the engine works on the EcoMotors website (www.ecomotors.com). Apparently, the engine operates on the twin-cycle principle, generating one power stroke per crank revolution per cylinder. It comprises two opposing cylinders per module, with a crankshaft between them, and each cylinder has two pistons moving in opposite directions. This innovative design configuration eliminates the cylinder-head and valve-train components of conventional engines, offering an efficient, compact and simple core engine structure. The result is an engine family that is claimed to be lighter, more efficient and economical, with lower exhaust emissions compared with conventional designs. Hofbauer has also developed an electronically controlled turbocharger that he claims effectively eliminates turbo lag because the electric motor provides much faster turbine response, and also provides boost when there is low energy from the exhaust flow. Whether or not the claims are plausible remains to be tested by independent bodies, but if Hofbauer's engine design lives up to the hype then it will be interesting to see how this technology could contribute to future cars. Read More

If a company going by the name of IFR Automotive rings a bell, it may just be because of its recently unveiled Aspid Sports Car, which combined an enclosed cockpit and composite materials with a classic Lotus Seven-style semi-open-wheeled layout. Now, the Spanish company says it is in the midst of developing a new technology for high-end sports cars that could give drivers the ability to finely tune almost every aspect of vehicle management without having to get their tool kits out - including the suspension settings, steering, ECU and throttle.

What IFR is referring to is not the sort of thing we've seen on BMW's M5, where a number of... If a company going by the name of IFR Automotive rings a bell, it may just be because of its recently unveiled Aspid Sports Car, which combined an enclosed cockpit and composite materials with a classic Lotus Seven-style semi-open-wheeled layout. Now, the Spanish company says it is in the midst of developing a new technology for high-end sports cars that could give drivers the ability to finely tune almost every aspect of vehicle management without having to get their tool kits out - including the suspension settings, steering, ECU and throttle. What IFR is referring to is not the sort of thing we've seen on BMW's M5, where a number of settings such as 'Comfort', 'Sport', or 'Track' are given. Instead, drivers will be able to exactly adjust each setting to the precise degree they require. IFR is hoping that if the technology proves viable, drivers will be able to sit in their cars and adjust suspension settings or throttle mapping via a touch screen. Speaking with Autocar, IFR head honcho Ignacio Fernandez Rodriguez explained that the technology could be used to perfectly fine tune a vehicle for a certain track, such as the Nurburgring, and then have those settings saved without ever having to use tools to adjust the suspension or be satisfied with a programmed setting. Obviously the technology is not intended for the everyday driver, but IFR claims that a number of auto manufacturers have expressed interest in the system for their more high-end, high-performance models. Currently, the system is still in development, along with some other technologies, but should it prove useful then we may just see it in the next sports car from IFR, and possibly even other manufacturers.Aspid Sports Car official photos Read More

Nissan today announced the development of a Dual Injector system designed to improve fuel efficiency in small-displacement petrol engines. The new fuel delivery system, the first of its kind in the world (for mass produced cars), uses an injector for each port rather than one per cylinder – speeding up fuel vaporization, reducing the amount of unburned fuel and reducing hydrocarbon emissions.

While most current petrol engines utilize one injector per cylinder (sending fuel to two intake ports), the new Nissan Dual Injector system doubles the number of injectors per cylinder. This reduces the diameter of the fuel droplets by about... Nissan today announced the development of a Dual Injector system designed to improve fuel efficiency in small-displacement petrol engines. The new fuel delivery system, the first of its kind in the world (for mass produced cars), uses an injector for each port rather than one per cylinder – speeding up fuel vaporization, reducing the amount of unburned fuel and reducing hydrocarbon emissions. While most current petrol engines utilize one injector per cylinder (sending fuel to two intake ports), the new Nissan Dual Injector system doubles the number of injectors per cylinder. This reduces the diameter of the fuel droplets by about 60%, resulting in smoother, more stable combustion. The system also adds continuous valve timing control on the exhaust side to conventional intake-side control, improving heat efficiency, reducing pumping losses and raising fuel efficiency by up to 4% in sync with the dual injectors. While similar in theory to direct-injection systems, which also inject fuel directly into cylinders, such direct injection systems are difficult to use on small-displacement engines because they require a high-pressure pump that complicates system design, making component layout less cost-efficient. In contrast, the Nissan Dual Injector system is lighter and structurally simpler because it sends fuel at normal pressures, reducing cost by about 60% compared to direct-injection engines of similar displacement. The system also requires half the amount of rare metals in the catalytic converter compared with a standard engine, helping to further reduce costs. The first production application will appear early next year but so far no actual models have been confirmed. Read More