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Currently, two consolidated aftertreatment technologies are available for the reduction of NOx emissions from diesel engines: Urea SCR (Selective Catalytic Reduction) systems and LNT (Lean NOx Trap) systems. Urea SCR technology, which has been widely used for many years at stationary sources, is becoming nowadays an attractive alternative also for light-duty diesel applications. However, SCR systems are much more effective in NOx reduction efficiency at high load operating conditions than light load condition, characterized by lower exhaust gas temperatures.

A dual piston Variable Compression Ratio (VCR) engine has been newly developed. This compact VCR system uses the inertia force and hydraulic pressure accompanying the reciprocating motion of the piston to raise and lower the outer piston and switches the compression ratio in two stages. For the torque characteristic enhancement and the knocking prevention when the compression ratio is being switched, it is necessary to carry out engine controls based on accurate compression ratio judgment. In order to accurately judge compression ratio switching timing, a control system employing the Hidden Markov Model (HMM) was used to analyze vibration generated during the compression ratio switching. Also, in order to realize smooth torque characteristics, an ignition timing control system that separately controls each cylinder and simultaneously performs knocking control was constructed.

Exhaust and evaporative emissions systems have been developed to match the characteristics and usage of the Toyota THS II plug-in hybrid electric vehicle (PHEV). Based on the commercially available Prius, the Toyota PHEV features an additional external charging function, which allows it to be driven as an electric vehicle (EV) in urban areas, and as an hybrid electric vehicle (HEV) in high-speed/high-load and long-distance driving situations. To reduce exhaust emissions, the conventional catalyst warm up control has been enhanced to achieve emissions performance that satisfies California's Super Ultra Low Emissions Vehicle (SULEV) standards in every state of battery charge. In addition, a heat insulating fuel vapor containment system (FVS) has been developed using a plastic fuel tank based on the assumption that such a system can reduce the diffusion of vapor inside the fuel tank and the release of fuel vapor in to the atmosphere to the maximum possible extent.

Diesel engines with relatively good fuel economy are known as an effective means of reducing CO₂ emissions. It is expected that diesel engines will continue to expand as efforts to slow global warming are intensified. Diesel particulate and NOx reduction system (DPNR), which was first developed in 2003 for introduction in the Japanese and European markets, shows high purification performance which can meet more stringent regulations in the future. However, it is poisoned by sulfur components in exhaust gas derived from fuel and lubricant. We then developed the sulfur trap DPNR with a sulfur trap catalyst that traps sulfur components in the exhaust gas. High purification performance could be achieved with a small amount of platinum group metal (PGM) due to prevention of sulfur poisoning and thermal deterioration.

The emission regulations for diesel engines are continually becoming stricter to reduce pollution and conserve energy. To meet these increasingly stringent regulations, a new exhaust after-treatment device is needed. Recently, the authors proposed the simultaneous electrochemical reduction (ECR) system for diesel particulate matter (PM) and NOx. In this method, a gas-permeable electrochemical cell with a porous solid oxide electrolyte is used for PM filtering on the anode. Alkaline earth metal is coated on the cathode for NOx storage. Application of voltage to both electrodes enables the simultaneous reduction of PM and NOx by the forced flow of oxygen ions from the cathode to the anode (oxygen pumping). In this study, the basic characteristics of the ECR system were investigated, and a disk-shaped electrochemical cell was evaluated.

In the automobile industries, weight reduction has been investigated to improve fuel efficiency together with reduction of CO2 emission. In such circumstance, it becomes necessity to make an electric power steering (EPS) more compact and lightweight. In this study, we aimed to have a smaller and lighter EPS gear size by focusing on an impact load caused at steering end. In order to increase the shock absorption energy without increase of stopper bush size, we propose new theory of impact energy absorption by not only spring function but also friction, and a new stopper bush was designed on the basis of the theory. The profile of the new stopper bush is cylinder form with wedge-shaped grooves, and when the new stopper bush is compressed by the end of rack and the gear housing at steering end, it enables to expand the external diameter and produce friction. In this study, we considered the durability in the proposed profile.

The advantages of gasoline direct-injection are intake air cooling due to fuel vaporization which reduces knocking, additional degrees of freedom in designing a stratified injection mixture, and capability for retarded ignition timing which shortens catalyst light-off time. Stratified mixture combustion designs often require complicated piston shapes which disturb the fluid flow in the cylinder, leading to power reduction, especially in turbocharged gasoline direct-injection engines. Our research replaced the conventional shell-type shallow cavity piston with a dog dish-type curved piston that includes a small lip to facilitate stratification and minimize flow disturbance. As a result, stable stratified combustion and increased power were both achieved.

In the early stages of aerodynamic development of commercial vehicles, the aerodynamic concept is balanced with the design concept using CFD. Since this development determines the aerodynamic potential of the vehicle, CFD with high accuracy is needed. To improve its accuracy, spatial resolution of CFD should be based on flow phenomenon. For this purpose, to compare aerodynamic force, pressure profile and velocity vector map derived from CFD with experimental data is important, but there are some difficulties to obtain pressure profile and velocity vector map for actual vehicles. At the point of pressure measurement for vehicles, installation of pressure taps to the surface of vehicle, i.e., fuel tank and battery, is a problem. A new measurement method developed in this study enables measurement of surface pressure of any desired points. Also, the flexibility of its shape and measuring point makes the installation a lot easier than the conventional pressure measurement method.

This paper deals with friction under wet condition in the disk brake system of automobiles. In our previous study, the variation of friction coefficient μ was observed under wet condition. And it was experimentally found that μ becomes high when wear debris contains little moisture. Based on the result, in this paper, we propose a hypothesis that agglomerates composed of the wet wear debris induce the μ variation as the agglomerates are jammed in the gaps between the friction surfaces of a brake pad and a disk rotor. For supporting the hypothesis, firstly, we measure the friction property of the wet wear debris, and confirm that the capillary force under the pendular state is a factor contributing to the μ variation. After that, we simulate the wear debris behavior with or without the capillary force using the particle-based simulation. We prepare the simulation model for the friction surfaces which contribute to the friction force through the wear debris.

Bioethanol is being used as an alternative fuel throughout the world based on considerations of reduction of CO2 emissions and sustainability. It is widely known that ethanol has an advantage of high anti-knock quality. In order to use the ethanol in ethanol-blended gasoline to control knocking, the research discussed in this paper sought to develop a fuel separation system that would separate ethanol-blended gasoline into a high-octane-number fuel (high-ethanol-concentration fuel) and a low-octane-number fuel (low-ethanol-concentration fuel) in the vehicle. The research developed a small fuel separation system, and employed a layout in which the system was fitted in the fuel tank based on considerations of reducing the effect on cabin space and maintaining safety in the event of a collision. The total volume of the components fitted in the fuel tank is 6.6 liters.

The effects of an increasing boost pressure, a high EGR rate and a high injection pressure on exhaust emissions from an HSDI (High Speed Direct Injection) diesel engine were examined. The mechanisms were then investigated with both in-cylinder observations and 3DCFD coupled with ϕT-map analysis. Under a high-load condition, increasing the charging efficiency combined with a high injection pressure and a high EGR rate is an effective way to reduce NOx and soot simultaneously, which realized an ultra low NOx of 16ppm at 1.7MPa of IMEP (Indicated Mean Effective Pressure). The flame temperature with low NOx and low soot emissions is decreased by 260K from that with conventional emissions. Also, the distribution of the fuel-air mixture plot on a ϕT-map is moved away from the NOx and soot formation peninsula, compared to the conventional emissions case.

This paper presents a new substrate for Lean NOx Traps (LNT) which enables high NOx conversion efficiency, even after long-term aging, when using alkali metals as the NOx adsorber. When a conventional metal honeycomb is used as the LNT substrate, the chromium in the metal substrate migrates into the washcoat and reacts with the alkali metals after thermal aging. In order to help prevent this migration, we have developed a new substrate where a fine -alumina barrier is precipitated to the surface of the metal substrate. The new substrate is highly capable of preventing migration of chromium into the washcoat and greatly enhances the NOx conversion. The durability of the new substrate and emission test using a test vehicle are also examined.

In this study, we combined a diesel engine with the Toyota Hybrid System (THS). Utilizing the functions of the THS, reducing engine friction, lowering the compression ratio, and adopting a low pressure loop exhaust gas recirculation system (LPL-EGR) were examined to achieve both low fuel consumption and low nitrogen oxides (NOx) emissions over a wide operating range. After applying this system to a test vehicle it was verified that the fuel economy greatly surpassed that of a conventional diesel engine vehicle and that NOx emissions could be reduced below the value specified in the Euro 6 regulations without DeNOx catalysts.

A study of the effects of changes in gasoline composition is one area to explore in our effort to reduce tailpipe emissions from vehicles. However, affects on vehicle performances should also be considered from the perspective of practical useage. In this paper, the influence of gasoline composition (aromatics),volatility, and MTBE blending on engine outlet and tailpipe emissions are discussed,in particular,forcusing on distillation properties which have a close relationship to driveability. Under stable driving conditios and without a catalitic converter, the effects of gasoline volatility is small, while aromatics in gasoline affect exhaust HC and NOx emissions. MTBE has a leaning effect on the engine intake air/fuel mixture. During a transient driving cycle, a high gasoline 50% distillation temperature causes poor driveability, as a result, HC emissions increase.

A new automatic transmission, engineered from concept for “intelligent” and “anti-aging” (long life), has been designed and developed for TOYOTA's luxury passenger car, LEXUS LS400. This system, which has resulted in silky-smooth shift quality without changes in the long term, is composed of a transmission computer that interacts with engine computer, a number of sensors, an electronically controlled hydraulic unit with linear solenoid valves and assorted devices. As new control logic being developed with the aid of computer simulation to achieve distinction, the hydraulic and engine controls are combined in this system. There is a “feedback control”, where the clutch pressure is controlled according to the rate of acceleration and compensated for dispersion to applied pressure, engine torque and/or the coefficient of dynamic friction of clutches, and at the same time engine torque is reduced by retarding ignition timing.

It has been reported that the middle range of gasoline distillation temperatures strongly affects vehicle driveability and exhaust hydrocarbon (HC) emissions, and that MTBE(CH3-O-C4H9)- blended gasoline causes poor driveability during warm-up. The present paper is concerned with the results of subsequent detailed research on gasoline characteristics, exhaust emissions and driveability. In this paper, first it is demonstrated by using four models of passenger cars having different types of exhaust gas treatment system that decreased 50% distillation temperature (T50) reduces exhaust HC emission. This result indicates lowering T50 in the market will contribute to improving air quality. Secondly gasoline behavior in the intake manifold is investigated by using an engine on the dynamometer in order to clarify the mechanisms of HC emission increase and poor engine response which are caused by high T50.

The performance of Gasoline Direct Injection (GDI) engines is governed by multiple physical processes such as the internal nozzle flow and the mixing of the liquid stream with the gaseous ambient environment. A detailed knowledge of these processes even for complex injectors is very important for improving the design and performance of combustion engines all the way to pollutant formation and emissions. However, many processes are still not completely understood, which is partly caused by their restricted experimental accessibility. Thus, high-fidelity simulations can be helpful to obtain further understanding of GDI injectors. In this work, advanced simulation and experimental methods are combined in order to study the spray characteristics of two different 3-hole GDI injectors.

The field of diesel combustion research is producing numerous reports on studies of premixed combustion, which promises simultaneous reduction of both NOx and soot, in order to meet increasingly stringent regulations on harmful emissions from automobiles. However, although premixed combustion can simultaneously reduce both NOx and soot, certain issues have been pointed out, including the fact that it emits greater quantities of unburned HC and CO gases and the fact that it limits the operating range. Furthermore, this combustion method sets the ignition delay longer with the aim of promoting the mixing of fuel and air. This raises issues with the product due to the combustion instability and sensitivity to the uneven fuel properties that are found on the market, the capability of the engine response under transient conditions, the deterioration in combustion noise, and so on.

Recently, the use of ethanol blended fuel is growing worldwide. Therefore, there is increasing needs for addressing issues relating to ethanol blended fuel use in gasoline engine fuel supply systems. In this paper, we focused on one of such issues, which is the reduced life of a multi-layered fuel filter used at inlet side of a fuel pump when it is used with ethanol blended fuel. In this study, we clarified that ethanol blended fuel tends to disperse dust particles contained in fuel to a greater extent than gasoline, and that it has a mechanism to accelerate clogging by concentrating the clogging only on the finest layer of the multi-layered filter. Also, in the process of clarifying this principle, we confirmed that dust particles dispersed by ethanol are coagulated when passing through the filter layers.

An unprecedented phenomenon that achieves high NOx conversion was found over an NSR catalyst. This phenomenon occurs when continuous short cycle injections of hydrocarbons (HCs) are supplied at a predetermined concentration in lean conditions. Furthermore, this phenomenon has a wider range of applicability for different catalyst temperatures (up to 800 degrees Celsius) and SVs, and for extending thermal and sulfur durability than a conventional NOx storage and reduction system. This paper analyzes the reaction mechanism and concludes it to be highly active HC-deNOx by intermediates generated from adsorbed NOx over the base catalysts and HCs partially oxidized by oscillated HC injection. Subsequently, a high performance deNOx system named Di-Air (diesel NOx aftertreatment by adsorbed intermediate reductants) was demonstrated that applies this concept to high speed driving cycles.