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Mild hybridisation, using a 48 V system architecture, offers fuel consumption benefits approaching those achieved using high-voltage systems at a much lower cost. To maximise the benefits from a 48 V mild-hybrid system, it is desirable to recuperate during deceleration events at as high a power level as possible, whilst at the same time having a relatively compact and low cost system. This paper examines the particular requirements of the battery pack for such a mild-hybrid application and discusses the trade-offs between battery power capabilities and possible fuel consumption benefits. The technical challenges and solutions to design a 48 V mild-hybrid battery pack are presented with special attention to cell selection and the thermal management of the whole pack. The resulting battery has been designed to achieve a continuous-power capability of more than 10 kW and a peak-power rating of up to 20 kW.

The HyPACE (Hybrid Petrol Advanced Combustion Engine) project is a part UK government funded research project established to develop a high thermal efficiency petrol engine that is optimized for hybrid vehicle applications. The project combines the capabilities of a number of partners (Jaguar Land Rover, BorgWarner, MAHLE Powertrain, Johnson Matthey, Cambustion and Oxford University) with the target of achieving a 10% vehicle fuel consumption reduction, whilst still achieving a 90 to 100 kW/liter power rating through the novel application of a combination of new technologies. The baseline engine for the project was Jaguar Land Rover’s new Ingenium 4-cylinder petrol engine which includes an advanced continuously variable intake valve actuation mechanism. A concept study has been undertaken and detailed combustion Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) models have been developed to enable the optimization of the combustion system layout of the engine.

This paper investigates the energy efficiency and emissions benefits possible with connected and autonomous vehicles (CAVs). Such benefits could be instrumental in decarbonising the transport sector. The impact of CAV technology on operation, usage and specification of vehicles for optimised energy efficiency is considered. Energy consumption reductions of 55% – 66% are identified for a fully autonomous road transport system versus the present. 46% is possible for a CAV on today’s roads. Smoothing effects and reduced stoppage in the drive cycle achieve a 31% reduction in travel time if speed limits are not reduced. CAV powertrain optimised for different scenarios requires just 10 kW – 40 kW maximum power whilst the vehicle mass is reduced by up to 40% relative to current cars. Urban-optimised powertrain, with only 10 kW – 15 kW maximum power, allows energy consumption reductions of over 71%.

Gasoline engine downsizing is already established as a technology for reducing vehicle CO2 emissions. Further benefits are possible through more aggressive downsizing, however, the tradeoff between the CO2 reduction achieved and vehicle drivability limits the level of engine downsizing currently adopted by vehicle manufacturers. This paper will present the latest results achieved from a very heavily downsized engine, and resulting demonstrator vehicle, featuring eSupercharging in combination with a conventional turbocharger. The original 1.2 litre, 3-cylinder, MAHLE downsizing engine has been re-configured to enable a specific power output in excess of 160 kW/litre. Of key importance is a cost effective, efficient and flexible boosting system.

Gasoline engine downsizing is already established as a proven technology to reduce automotive fleet CO2 emissions by as much as 25 %. Further benefits are possible through more aggressive downsizing, however, the trade-off between the CO2 reduction achieved and vehicle drive-ability limits the level of engine downsizing currently adopted. This paper presents results showing the benefits of adding an eSupercharger to a very heavily downsized engine. Measurements are presented from a 1.2 litre, 3-cylinder, engine fitted with an eSupercharger in addition to a conventional turbocharger. The original MAHLE downsizing engine has been re-configured to enable a specific power output that exceeds 160 kW/litre. Of key importance is a cost effective, efficient and flexible boosting system.

Present automobile development is keenly focused on measures to reduce the CO2 output of vehicles. Plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs) enable grid electricity, which is clean in tail-pipe emissions terms, to be utilised whilst the on-board electrical storage has sufficient charge. MAHLE Powertrain and Protean have jointly developed a plug-in hybrid demonstrator vehicle based on a C-segment passenger car. The vehicle features Protean’s compact direct drive in-wheel motors with integrated inverters on the rear axle and retains the standard gasoline engine, and manual transmission, on the front axle. To support this one-off prototype, a flexible vehicle control unit has been developed, which is easily re-configurable and adaptable to any hybrid vehicle architecture.

In 2012 MAHLE Powertrain developed a range-extended electric vehicle (REEV) demonstrator, based on a series hybrid configuration, and uses a battery to store electrical energy from the grid. Once the battery state of charge (SOC) is depleted a gasoline engine (range extender) is activated to provide the energy required to propel the vehicle. As part of the continuing development of this vehicle, MAHLE Powertrain has developed control software which can intelligently manage the use of the battery energy through the combined use of GPS and road topographical data. Advanced knowledge of the route prior to the start of a journey enables the software to calculate the SOC throughout the journey and pre-determine the optimum operating strategy for the range extender to enable best charging efficiency and minimize NVH. The software can also operate without a pre-determined route being selected.

MAHLE Powertrain has built a range-extended electric vehicle demonstrator, with a series hybrid configuration. The vehicle is intended to operate predominantly purely electrically. Once the battery state of charge is depleted a gasoline engine (range extender) is activated to provide the energy required to propel the vehicle. As part of the continuing development of this vehicle, MAHLE Powertrain has recorded data during real world driving, with the aim of further investigating the actual usage a range-extended electric vehicle under non-laboratory test conditions. The vehicle is instrumented with a data acquisition system which records physical parameters, for example coolant temperatures, as well as CAN-based data from the engine and vehicle management systems.

Current focus on techniques to reduce the tailpipe CO₂ emissions of road vehicles is increasing the interest in hybrid and electric vehicle technologies. Pure electric vehicles require bulky, heavy, and expensive battery packs to enable an acceptable drive-able range to be achieved. Extended-range electric vehicles (E-REV) partly overcome the limitations of current battery technology by having a "range extender" unit, which consists of an onboard fuel converter that converts a liquid fuel, such as gasoline, into electrical energy whilst the vehicle is driving. This enables the traction battery storage capacity to be reduced, whilst still maintaining an acceptable vehicle driving range. In a previous paper the power requirement of a range extender for a typical C segment passenger car was investigated using drive-cycle modeling over real-world cycles. This paper presents the detailed design of the range extender engine.

Current focus on techniques to reduce the tailpipe carbon dioxide (CO₂) emissions of road vehicles is increasing the interest in hybrid and electric vehicle technologies. Pure electric vehicles require bulky, heavy, and expensive battery packs to enable an acceptable drivable range to be achieved. Extended-range electric vehicles (E-REVs) partly overcome the limitations of current battery technology by having an onboard fuel converter that converts a liquid fuel, such as gasoline, into electrical energy whilst the vehicle is driving. Thus enabling the traction battery storage capacity to be reduced, whilst still maintaining an acceptable vehicle range. This paper presents results from a drive style analysis toolset that enable US and EU fleet vehicle drive data to be categorized and compared. Key metrics, such as idle frequency, idle duration, vehicle speed, and vehicle acceleration are analyzed.