Search Results

To realize the required reductions in vehicle CO2 emissions pursued both voluntarily by the ACEA and possible legislatively by the EC, there is a move to increase the specific power output and thus efficiency of the automotive diesel engine. To this end there is a move towards engine downsizing and the adoption of significantly higher boost levels from air handling systems fitted to the engine. This task is complex and can often result in multiple configurations and iterations of prototype air handling hardware before performance criteria are met. The work detailed in this paper describes the modeling of high boost engine configurations using cycle simulation and a black box engine approach, the interactions between boost pressures; compression ratio and valve timing and duration have been investigated and will be described. Response surface models for engine performance have been developed such that rapid optimization of the engine air charge handling systems can be performed.

Range Extended Electric Vehicles (REEVs) are gaining popularity due to their simplicity, reduced emissions and fuel consumption when compared to parallel or series/parallel hybrid vehicles. The range extender internal combustion engine (ICE) can be optimised to a number of steady state points which offers significant improvement in overall exhaust emissions. One of the key challenges in such vehicles is to reduce the overall powertrain costs, and OEMs providing REEVs such as the BMW i3 have included the range extender as an optional extra due to increasing costs on the overall vehicle price. This paper discusses the development of a low cost Auxiliary Power Unit (APU) of c.25 kW for a range extender application utilising a 624 cc two cylinder automotive gasoline engine. Changes to the base engine are limited to those required for range extender development purposes and include prototype control system, electronic throttle, redesigned manifolds and calibration on European grade fuel.