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In recent years, the urgent need to fully exploit the fuel economy potential of the Electrified Vehicles (xEVs) through the optimal design of their Energy Management System (EMS) have led to an increasing interest in Machine Learning (ML) techniques. Among them, Reinforcement Learning (RL) seems to be one of the most promising approaches thanks to its peculiar structure, in which an agent is able to learn the optimal control strategy through the feedback received by a direct interaction with the environment. Therefore, in this study, a new Soft Actor-Critic agent (SAC), which exploits a stochastic policy, was implemented on a digital twin of a state-of-the-art diesel Plug-in Hybrid Electric Vehicle (PHEV) available on the European market. The SAC agent was trained to enhance the fuel economy of the PHEV while guaranteeing its battery charge sustainability.

In pursuing sustainable automotive technologies, exploring alternative fuels for hybrid vehicles is crucial in reducing environmental impact and aligning with global carbon emission reduction goals. This work compares methanol and naphtha as potential suitable alternative fuels for running in a battery-driven light-duty hybrid vehicle by comparing their performance with the diesel baseline engine. This work employs a 0-D vehicle simulation model within the GT-Power suite to replicate vehicle dynamics under the Worldwide Harmonized Light Vehicles Test Cycle (WLTC). The vehicle choice enables the assessment of a delivery application scenario using distinct payload capacities: 0%, 25%, 50%, and 100%. The model is fed with engine maps derived from previous experimental work conducted in the same engine, in which a full calibration was obtained that ensures the engine's operability in a wide region of rotational speed and loads.

This work aims at investigating the optimal configuration of an internal combustion engine fueled with bio-ethanol for improving its brake power and efficiency as well as for reducing the NOx emissions, in stationary applications. A turbocharged spark ignition engine characterized by a single-point injection was preliminarily considered; subsequently, a direct injection configuration was investigated. For both cases, a 1-D numerical model was developed to compare the injection configurations under stoichiometric conditions and different spark timings. The analysis shows that the direct injection guarantees: a limited improvement of brake power and efficiency when the same spark timing is adopted, while NOx emissions increases by 20%; an increase of 6% in brake power and 2 percentage points in brake thermal efficiency by adopting the knock limited spark advance, but an almost double NOx emissions increase.

Nowadays, the push for more ecological low-carbon propulsion systems is high in all mobility sectors, including the recreational or light-commercial boating, where propulsion is usually provided by internal combustion engines derived from road applications. In this work, the effects of replacing conventional fossil-derived B7 diesel with Hydrotreated Vegetable Oil (HVO) were experimentally investigated in a modern Medium-Duty Engine, using the advanced biofuel as drop-in and testing according to the ISO 8178 marine standard. The compounded results showed significant benefits in terms of NOx, Soot, mass fuel consumption and WTW CO2 thanks to the inner properties of the aromatic-free, hydrogen-rich renewable fuel, with no impact on the engine power and minimal deterioration of the volumetric fuel economy.

Request your invitation to the North American Propulsion Conference (NAIPC) composed of senior-level propulsion executives in the automotive industry.

Registration for the Government/Industry Meeting will be open on September 1, 2023. Please check back soon.

Registration for the Government/Industry Meeting

The Government/Industry Meeting technical program is designed to provide an open forum to discuss the critical impacts that legislation has on vehicle design from R&D to customer acceptance.

NAIPC reflects modern developments in alternative, electrified propulsion systems, high tech gasoline, diesel ICEs, hydrogen fuel cells, battery electric systems, variable transmissions.

The Government/Industry Meeting technical program is designed to provide an open forum to discuss the critical impacts that legislation has on vehicle design from R&D to customer acceptance.

Annual conference government policy, regulatory makers, automotive industry neutral forum discuss US government regulation, technology, customer acceptance future vehicle design. industry event safety, emission control, fuel efficiency, automated vehicles.

Registration for the Government/Industry Meeting will be open on September 1, 2023. Please check back soon.

Annual conference government policy, regulatory makers, automotive industry neutral forum discuss US government regulation, technology, customer acceptance future vehicle design. industry event safety, emission control, fuel efficiency, automated vehicles.

Latest and greatest news for the 2024 Government/Industry Meeting .

The Government/Industry Meeting technical program is designed to provide an open forum to discuss the critical impacts that legislation has on vehicle design from R&D to customer acceptance.

Request your invitation to the North American Propulsion Conference (NAIPC) composed of senior-level propulsion executives in the automotive industry.

The Government/Industry Meeting technical program is designed to provide an open forum to discuss the critical impacts that legislation has on vehicle design from R&D to customer acceptance.

Annual conference government policy, regulatory makers, automotive industry neutral forum discuss US government regulation, technology, customer acceptance future vehicle design. industry event safety, emission control, fuel efficiency, automated vehicles.