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A CNG bi-fuel version of the Chevrolet Cavalier has been developed as an OEM (Original Equipment Manufacturer) vehicle. The fuel management system is an automatically switching bi-fuel system which is able to control fuel flow rate, spark timing, EGR, and perform OBD-II (On-Board Diagnostics II). The system consists of a CNG fuel tank, fuel filter, electric and manual fuel shutoff valves, high and low pressure regulators, gas mass sensor, mixture control valve, gas distribution system, CNG fuel gauge, OEM exhaust gas oxygen sensor, digital engine control unit (ECU), OEM powertrain control module (PCM) and unique wiring harness. This paper discusses the components, operation, and calibration of the CNG bi-fuel management system. A computer engine simulation model able to predict engine performance, fuel economy, and exhaust emissions, was used to assist spark, fuel, and EGR table mapping.

The desire to reduce NOx at low ambient temperatures drives the use of heating methods to make DEF available by thawing the solution in the tank. Methods to validate modelling used to design hardware options require testing to gauge the accuracy of the prediction. Using a climatic chassis dynamometer (CCD) to demonstrate the guidance procedure set by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is expensive and time consuming. A method of utilizing a flow controlled cooling supply combined with a standard cold chamber is described as a precursor to running the demonstration in the CCD. Testing multiple quantities of design iterations produced unexpected variation in the results. The sources of the variation and modifications taken to minimize them are discussed and presented. Test to test control of coolant flow, coolant temperature, and specific chamber temperature inconsistencies were found to be critically important to a successful effort.