Browse Topic: Climate change mitigation

Items (102)

Development of Low Viscosity Fuel Economy Engine Oil for Commercial Vehicles

2024-26-004001/16/2024

Sustainability today has evolved from being just a niche engagement to an absolute necessity. The reduction of carbon emissions from aspects of human activity has become a critical enabler to mitigate the impact of climate change. The Transportation industry is a significant contributor to such emissions while at the same time a critical part of the global economy. As powertrains have undergone significant changes to reduce emissions through hardware changes, now an effective and efficient engine oil is amongst the most convenient and cost-effective ways of reducing a vehicle’s carbon emissions. Development of lubricants towards this must address many challenges of today’s world. Modern Commercial Vehicle engines operate at higher temperatures than before, promoting both oxidation and nitration of the lubricant. At the same time, higher levels of fuel economy require usage of lower viscosity engine oils, which must then be formulated in a manner that protects the engine and maintains

Tyagarajan, Sethuramalingam, Singh, Samsher, Bondre, Sushil, Madan, Lalit, Lim, Pei Yi, Pollington, Mark

Performance Analysis of Integrated Battery and Traction Motor Cooling Systems for Two-Wheeler Electric Vehicles Applications

2022-28-041311/09/2022

The automotive industry is a huge industry as millions of vehicles are running on the road & it's growing at a rapid rate. The emission from these vehicles are harmful in nature & are bigger concerns for the human being as its increasing day by day at an alarming rate. The emissions are causing various global problems such as global warming, green house effects, air pollutions etc. due to the use of fossil fuels in abundance. This drives to think for alternative solutions, which are eco-friendly & having less or no emissions. The electric vehicles (EVs) are the most reliable solution as it is having high performance & efficiency without emissions. EVs are most suitable option to reduce global warming & greenhouse effects etc. The evolution of EVs has fueled the two-wheeler EVs industry to flourish at a fast pace. Li-ion battery & traction motor is the most important components in two-wheeler EVs. Li-ion batteries are compact, light-weight, fast-chargeable, having low self-discharge

Suman, Saurabh, Kushwah, Yogendra Singh

The Challenges of Vehicle Decarbonization

EPR2022SE104/27/2022

A narrow focus on electrification and elimination of tailpipe emissions is unlikely to achieve decarbonization objectives. Renewable power generation is unlikely to keep up with increased demand for electricity. A focus on tailpipe emissions ignores the significant particulate pollution that “zero emission” vehicles still cause. It is therefore vital that energy efficiency is improved. Active travel is the key to green economic growth, clean cities, and unlocking the energy saving potential of public transport.{"bold":"The Challenges of Vehicle Decarbonization","content":"reviews the urgent need to prioritize active travel infrastructure, create compelling mass-market cycling options, and switch to hybrid powertrains and catenary electrification\n for long-haul heavy trucks. The report also warns of the potential increase in miles travelled with the advent of personal automated vehicles as well as the pitfalls of fossil-fuel derived hydrogen power."}{"uri":[{"xlink:href":"https

Muelaner, Jody Emlyn

Visualization of the pre-chamber combustion and main-chamber jets of a narrow throat pre-chamber

2022-01-056603/29/2022

Pre-chamber combustion (PCC) has emerged in the last year as a potential solution to mitigate the global warming problem due to its improvement in engine efficiency with low emissions. Research about the combustion process inside the pre-chamber is still representing a challenge in the field. The high pressure and temperatures, the geometrical restrictions, and the quickness of the combustion are factors that limited the detailed study of this process. Some fundamental studies on constant, at low, and medium working pressures have shown the complexity of the process and the influence of high pressures on the turbulence levels. In this study, the combustion process inside a pre-chamber was optically captured under real engine conditions and linked with the jet emergence inside the main-chamber. A novel optical pre-chamber assembly was designed and tested on an optical engine, having combustion only in the pre-chamber volume, with CH4 as fuel. A separate measurement was carried out using

Echeverri Marquez, Manuel, Sharma, Priybrat, Hlaing, Ponnya, Magnotti, Gaetano, Johansson, Bengt, Turner, James

Impact of the Powertrain Sizing on Cradle-to-Grave Emissions and Fuel Cell Degradation in a FCV with a Range-Extender Architecture

2022-01-083003/29/2022

With the rising interest in hydrogen fuel cell vehicles (FCV) to reduce the global warming impact of the automotive sector, the industry and car manufacturers are shifting towards producing H2-based or electricity-based vehicles. Plug-in passenger FCVs with a range-extender architecture (FCREx), could be a more versatile with a lower total cost of ownership (TCO) alternative to other FCV configurations, given the current H2 cost. In this investigation, a validated fuel cell (FC) stack model was integrated into a complete FCREx model to study the potential of this architecture in terms of H2 consumption and cradle-to-grave GHG and NOx emissions. First, the FC stack model was calibrated using experimental data. Then, a FC system model including the balance of plant (BoP) was developed and adjusted to the stack specifications. The BoP air management strategy was optimized to ensure maximum performance in steady conditions. From steady-state data, a mean values model of the FC system was

Desantes, Jose, Novella, Ricardo, Pla, Benjamin, Lopez-Juarez, Marcos

Investigation of an Engine Concept for CNG-OME Dual Fuel Operation Using External and Internal EGR

2022-32-006701/09/2022

Requirements to future internal combustion engines (ICEs) regarding sustainability and efficiency are continuing to rise while on the other hand, pollutant emission regulations are continuously tightened. Dual-fuel combustion (DFC) of diesel and natural gas is an approach to reduce soot emissions while still profiting from the high efficiency of the diesel combustion process. Using natural gas as the main fuel also helps to reduce carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions due to the favorable C/H-ratio of methane (CH4) as its primary constituent. To reduce both pollutant and greenhouse gas emissions further, diesel can be replaced by an e-fuel. The use of C1-oxygenates – such as polyoxymethylene dimethyl ether (POMDME or “OME”) – as pilot fuel promises to reduce both soot and nitrogen oxide (NOx) emissions. For the present investigation, a 4.5l tractor diesel engine has been converted to a biogas-OME dual-fuel engine. A fully variable valve train has been integrated into the cylinder head. A

Jost, Ann-Kathrin, Günthner, Michael, Müller, Florian, Weigel, Alexander

Evolution of the Additive Technology for Top Tier Lubricating Oils : the Use of Calixarene Detergents for Fuel Economy Improvement

2021-01-121209/21/2021

In view of CO2 reduction, aimed to mitigate global warming, Fuel Economy (FE) is gaining a primary role in new specifications for engine lubricating oils. Not only oil rheological properties and friction reducer additives, but also many other components of the formulation, such as basestocks, viscosity modifier and additive package, are involved in improving FE performances. Tribological tests were carried out to investigate the effect of detergent additives: in particular, both Eni proprietary 400 TBN and 150 TBN Calcium calixarene-based detergents, were evaluated in MTM tribotest where a lower friction coefficient curve in boundary regime was achieved in comparison to traditional detergents. Also in SRV tribo tests the good effect of calixarenes was proven. A preliminary engine test evaluation on Sequence VIE provided a further confirmation of the good behavior of calixarene-based detergents jointly with an amino-type friction reducer: a FE result with a pass margin of 30% against

Lattuada, Marco, Manni, Massimo

Paving the way to improved truck fuel efficiency

20TOFHP08_0708/01/2020

Reducing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and improving fuel efficiency are much-sought-after goals in the commercial-vehicle industry. Various methods have been proposed to achieve these objectives - often centered around advanced technology on the truck itself - but researchers at Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) focused their attention to what's beneath the vehicle: the road surface. The weight of heavy-duty trucks and buses causes a slight deflection in the road surface that leads to efficiency loss. A recent study by MIT postdoc Hessam Azarijafari, research scientist Jeremy Gregory, and principal research scientist in the Materials Research Laboratory Randolph Kirchain, theorizes that changes in road resurfacing practices could alleviate that inefficiency and potentially eliminate a half-percent of the total GHG emissions from the transportation sector in the process.

Shuttleworth, Jennifer

Unsettled Technology Domains for Pathways to Automotive Decarbonization

07/22/2020

Replacing fossil-fueled vehicles with battery-electric ones is a risky strategy. It is likely to be limited by the supply of metals critical to battery and solar cell production, and the investment required in decarbonized electricity. Using hydrogen to store renewable energy would greatly reduce efficiency, further increasing the investment required to decarbonize the electricity supply. The lowest technical risk and most economical pathway to decarbonization is reducing private car use. Shorter journeys would be made by walking and cycling – also known as “active travel” – with public transport used for most longer journeys.Realizing this cultural change in transport behavior will first require comprehensive networks for safe and enjoyable active travel, which separate walking and cycling. All locations should connect to either a fully segregated cycleway or traffic calmed roadways with a maximum speed of 30 kph. Active travel investment can save money due to improved public health

Muelaner, Jody Emlyn

Hydrogen Fuel Cell Buses: Modelling and Analysing Suitability from an Operational and Environmental Perspective

2020-01-117204/14/2020

In response to the need to decrease greenhouse gas emissions, the current trend in the transport sector is a greater focus on alternative powertrains. More recent air quality concerns have seen controlled zero emission zones within urban areas. As a result, there is growing interest in hydrogen fuel cell electric buses (FCEBs) as a zero local emission vehicle with superior range, operational flexibility and refuelling time than other clean alternatives e.g. battery electric buses (BEBs). This paper details the performance and suitability analysis of a proposed Wrightbus FCEB, using a quasistatic backwards-facing Simulink powertrain model. The model is validated against existing prototype vehicle data (Mk1), allowing it to be further leveraged for predictions of an advanced future production vehicle (Mk2) with next generation motors and fuel cell stack. The modelled outputs are used for a comparison of the FCEB performance to an equivalent BEB on industry standard drive cycles, as well

Doyle, Darryl, Harris, Andrew, Chege, Steve, Douglas, Lucinda, Early, Juliana, Best, Robert

Effects of operation temperature on exhaust emissions in a spark ignition system using pre-chamber stratified system

2019-36-013001/13/2020

Atmospheric pollution is the major public health issue in many cities around the world. Internal combustion engines (ICE) and industries are common sources of pollutants that aggravate this situation. Aiming to overcome this problem, increasingly restrictive legislation on combustion pollutant emissions has been formulated and new technologies are being developed to ensure compliance with such restrictions. In this scenario, the lean mixtures appear as a possible alternative, but also bring some inconveniences such as combustion instabilities. Pre-chamber ignition systems (PCIS) enable a more stable combustion process due to high kinetic, thermal and chemical energy of the gases from the pre-chamber (PC), which pass through nozzles and begin the combustion process of the air-fuel mixture contained in the main combustion chamber (MC). However, some challenges still have to be overcome in the development of these systems, one of the main ones being hydrocarbon (HC) emissions. Therefore

Maia Pires, Marcelo Augusto, Roso, Vinícius Rückert, Castilla Alvarez, Carlos Eduardo, Duarte, Vinícius Faria, Alvarenga Santos, Nathália Duarte Souza, Valle, Ramón Molina

Fuel Flexibility Study of a Compression Ignition Engine at High Loads

2019-01-219312/19/2019

Engine experiments were performed on a single-cylinder heavy-duty engine at relatively high loads to investigate the regions where the combustion characteristics are unchanged regardless of the fuel octane number. Primary Reference Fuels (PRFs) and three different commercial fuels with RON values ranging from 0 to 100 were tested in this study. A sweep of net indicated mean effective pressure (IMEPNet) of 5 to 20 bar, absolute intake pressure of 1.5 to 2.8 bar, exhaust gas recirculation (EGR) of 0 to 40%, and fuel injection pressure of 700 to 1400 bar were performed to investigate the combustion characteristics, ignition delay time, combustion duration, efficiency, and emissions. At the highest load point (IMEPNet = 20 bar), all the fuels burn as in conventional diesel combustion. Despite the wide range of octane numbers, all fuels had similar ignition delay time, combustion duration, indicated efficiency, and emissions at 10 to 20 bar IMEPNet. It follows that CI mode is the only

AlRamadan, Abdullah S., Houidi, Moez Ben, Nyrenstedt, Gustav, Johansson, Bengt

Regulated Emissions and Detailed Particle Characterisation for Diesel and RME Biodiesel Fuel Combustion with Varying EGR in a Heavy-Duty Engine

2019-01-229112/19/2019

This study investigates particulate matter (PM) and regulated emissions from renewable rapeseed oil methyl ester (RME) biodiesel in pure and blended forms and contrasts that to conventional diesel fuel. Environmental and health concerns are the major motivation for combustion engines research, especially finding sustainable alternatives to fossil fuels and reducing diesel PM emissions. Fatty acid methyl esters (FAME), including RME, are renewable fuels commonly used from low level blends with diesel to full substitution. They strongly reduce the net carbon dioxide emissions. It is largely unknown how the emissions and characteristics of PM get altered by the combined effect of adding biodiesel to diesel and implementing modern engine concepts that reduce nitrogen oxides (NOx) emissions by exhaust gas recirculation (EGR). Therefore, the exhaust from a single-cylinder Scania D13 heavy-duty (HD) diesel engine fuelled with petroleum-based MK1 diesel, RME, and a 20% RME blend (B20), was

Novakovica, Maja, Shamun, Sam, Malmborg, Vilhelm B., Kling, Kirsten I., Kling, Jens, Vogel, Ulla B., Tunestal, Per, Pagels, Joakim, Tuner, Martin

Dual-Fuel Ethanol-Diesel Technology Applied in Mild and Full Hybrid Powertrains

2019-24-011509/09/2019

The increasingly stringent emissions regulations together with the demand of highly efficient vehicles from the customers, lead to rapid developments of distinct powertrain solutions, especially when the electrification is present in a certain degree. The combination of electric machines with conventional powertrains diversifies the powertrain architectures and brings the opportunity to save energy in greater extents. On the other hand, alternative combustion modes as reactivity controlled compression ignition (RCCI) have shown to provide simultaneous ultra-low NOx and soot emissions with similar or better thermal efficiency than conventional diesel combustion (CDC). In addition, it is necessary to introduce more renewable fuels as ethanol to reduce the total CO2 emitted to the atmosphere, also called well-to-wheel (WTW) emission, in the transport sector. Therefore, the combination of these two growing technologies with the use of ethanol (E85) could be a potential way to achieve clean

Benajes, Jesus, Garcia, Antonio, Monsalve-Serrano, Javier, Martinez, Santiago

Combustion and Emission Characteristics of a Diesel Engine Fuelled with Diesel-LPG Blends

2019-24-003809/09/2019

Recently, it has been worth pointing out the relevance of alternative fuels in the improvement of air quality conditions and in the mitigation of global warming. In order to deal with these demands, in recent studies, it has been considered a great variety of alternative fuels. It goes without saying that the alternative fuels industry needs the best of the efficiency with a moderate layout. From this perspective, Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG) could represent a valid option, although it is not a renewable fuel. In terms of polluting emissions, the LPG can reduce nitrous oxides and smoke concentrations in the air, a capability that has a relevant importance for the modern pollution legislation. LPG is well known as an alternative fuel for Spark Ignition (SI) engines and, more recently, LPG systems have also been introduced in the Compression Ignition (CI) engines in dual-fuel configuration. In this research, LPG-Diesel liquid-blend has been used to power a CI engine in mixed fuel

Marialto, Renato, Sequino, Luigi, Di Blasio, Gabriele, Cardone, Massimo, Beatrice, Carlo, Ianniello, Roberto, Fontana, Gustavo

Life Cycle Analysis to Estimate the CO2-Equivalent Emissions from MAC Operation

J2766_201908 (Current)

08/06/2019

This recommended best practice outlines a method for estimating CO2-equivalent emissions using life cycle analysis.

Interior Climate Control Vehicle OEM Committee

Life Cycle Analysis to Estimate the CO2-Equivalent Emissions from MAC Operation

J2766_201908-TEST-REC (Historical)08/06/2019

This recommended best practice outlines a method for estimating CO2-equivalent emissions using life cycle analysis.

Interior Climate Control Vehicle OEM Committee

Research on Technique for Correction of Running Resistance with Focus on Tire Temperature and Tire Thermal Balance Model

2019-01-062304/02/2019

At present, measurements of running resistance are conducted outdoors as a matter of course. Because of this, the ambient temperature at the time of the measurements has a considerable impact on the measurement data. The research discussed in this paper focused on the temperature characteristic of the tires and developed a new correction technique using a special rolling test apparatus. Specifically, using a tire rolling test apparatus that made it possible to vary the ambient temperature, measurements were conducted while varying the levels of factors other than temperature that affect rolling resistance (load, inflation pressure, and speed). Next, a regression analysis was applied to the data for each factor, and coefficients for a relational expression were derived, making it possible to derive a quadratic equation for the tire rolling resistance correction formula. It was verified that the application of the new correction formula reduced variation in running resistance from 2.7

Hotaka, Takeshi, Sakai, Tomonori, Miura, Hideki

Cold-Start WHTC and WHSC Testing Results on Multi-Cylinder Opposed-Piston Engine Demonstrating Low CO ₂ Emissions while Meeting BS-VI Emissions and Enabling Aftertreatment Downsizing

2019-26-002901/09/2019

Reducing the greenhouse emissions from on-road freight vehicles to meet the climate change mitigation objectives, has become a prime focus of regulatory authorities all over the world. Besides India, the United States, the European Union, Canada, Japan, and China have already established or planned heavy-duty vehicle efficiency regulations addressing CO2 and NOX emissions. In addition, Argentina, Brazil, Mexico, and South Korea are all in various stages of developing policies to improve the efficiency of their commercial vehicle fleets. For CO2 emissions reduction standards, the U.S. mandates 27% reduction by 2027, EU is calling for 15% reduction by 2025, China for 27% by 2019 over 2012 levels, and India is mandating 10%-15% reduction by 2021 for phase 2 of the new standard. There has also been considerable focus on further reduction in NOX emissions from current levels (0.2 g/hp-hr), to the proposed ultra-low NOx standards (0.02 g/hp-hr) in the U.S. for heavy duty engines by 2024

Patil, Samrat, Sahasrabudhe, Abhishek, Youngren, David, Redon, Fabien, Johnson, David, Fromm, Laurence, Headley, John

Development of Drive Cycles and Measurement of Fuel Economies of Light Duty Vehicles in Metro Manila

2018-01-175809/10/2018

The urban drive cycles for five different light duty vehicles (LDV) are developed in this study. The study presents the methodology in the development of the drive cycles in which the speed profile of the specific type of vehicle is surveyed with an on-board instrument. The speed data is processed using a program to execute the methodology in generating candidate drive cycles. The selected drive cycles are then used in the chassis dynamometer laboratory to estimate the fuel economies of each type of light duty vehicle considered. The developed drive cycles for the different types of light duty vehicles, namely (1) private cars, (2) taxis, (3) public utility jeepneys, (4) UV express, and (5) light duty trucks have average speeds of 17.97 kph, 13.57 kph, 10.87 kph, 14.69 kph and 8.43 kph respectively. The measured fuel economies for all the light duty vehicles tested ranges from 3 to 12 km/liter.

Abaya, Ernesto B., Vergel, Karl B., Quiros, Edwin N., Sigua, Ricardo

Super Low Viscosity ATF; AW-2

2018-01-175609/10/2018

Reducing loss torque in automatic transmissions (ATs) is a key factor in improving fuel economy. A promising approach is to reduce the viscosity of the Automatic Transmission Fluid (ATF) so as to minimize churning loss. Aisin AW and JXTG Nippon Oil & Energy Corporation have developed a super low viscosity ATF, called “AW-2”, which has approximately 50% lower kinematic viscosity at 40 °C compared to the conventional ATF “AW-1”. It is generally understood that if the viscosity of an ATF is too low, it can have a negative impact on the fatigue life of components such as gears and bearings, and possibly lead to increased wear or seizure. AW-2 was designed to solve these problems via the application of two key technologies. The first is a high performance base oil with a low traction coefficient, which translates to low viscosity under high pressure conditions. This decreases the shear resistance between sliding surfaces under elastohydrodynamic lubrication (EHL) conditions, which

Masuda, Kohei, Nakao, Hajime, Komatsubara, Hitoshi, Kurosawa, Osamu, Yamada, Katsuhito, Ishikawa, Kazunori, Mori, Atsushi

Analysis of patent deposits and PROCONVE MAR – I in the development sector of agricultural machinery engines

2018-36-027109/03/2018

Agriculture is directly associated with climate change issues and is a major source of Greenhouse Gas (GHG) emissions. Part of the emissions are the result of burning fossil fuels such as coal, natural gas and oil in internal combustion engines of agricultural machinery. In addition, because of negative impacts on air quality, human health and climate change, new strategies are being developed to reduce the impacts of GHG emissions. However, it is noted that there is a lack of information that instigates emissions of non-road equipment, such as emissions from agricultural machinery. Thus, in order to achieve climate policy objectives, new trends in agriculture are being adopted. They set emission standards for GHG reductions by agricultural engine engines. In Brazil, the Program for the Control of Air Pollution by Automotive Vehicles (PROCONVE) is responsible for establishing the legal regulations for admissible emissions for the different categories of motor vehicles. In order to

Silveira, Franco da, Ruppenthal, Janis Elisa, Farias, Marcelo Silveira de, Machado, Filipe Molinar, Costa, Marcela Avelina Bataghin, Amaral, Fernando Gonçalves

Experimental Investigation on CO ₂ Reduction in Exhaust Gases of CI Engine Fuelled with Blend of Cotton Seed Oil Methyl Ester and Diesel

2018-28-003507/09/2018

Global warming and climate change problems resulting from the greenhouse gas emissions, particularly carbon dioxide (CO2), have paved the way for the need of research in minimizing the accumulation of CO2 in the atmosphere. Though various CO2 capture technologies have been proposed for post combustion processes, Carbon dioxide capture and storage (CCS) by the absorbent is a simple and better method for CO2 emission reduction. In the present study experimental investigation has been carried out in a single cylinder, 4-stroke, computerized water-cooled, diesel engine of 5.2 kW rated power, fuelled with diesel, a blend of 20% methyl ester of cotton seed oil and 80% diesel (B20) with and without integration of CCS using wooden charcoal and activated carbon to absorb CO2 from the exhaust gas. The analysis includes the performance and emission characteristics of the engine and the carbon capture potential of CCS. The results revealed a 19% reduction in CO2 emission with charcoal and 32

Gnanasikamani, Balaji, K, Sureshkumar, Marimuthu, Cheralathan

Dual Fuel Methanol and Diesel Direct Injection HD Single Cylinder Engine Tests

2018-01-025904/03/2018

Laws concerning emissions from heavy duty (HD) internal combustion engines are becoming increasingly stringent. New engine technologies are needed to satisfy these new requirements and to reduce fossil fuel dependency. One way to achieve both objectives can be to partially replace fossil fuels with alternatives that are sustainable with respect to emissions of greenhouse gases, particulates and nitrogen oxides (NOx). A suitable candidate is methanol. The aim of the study presented here was to investigate the possible advantages of combusting methanol in a heavy duty Diesel engine. Those are, among others, lower particulate emissions and thereby bypassing the NOx-soot trade-off. Because of methanol’s poor auto-ignition properties, Diesel was used as an igniting sources and both fuels were separately direct injected. Therefore, two separate standard common rail Diesel injection systems were used together with a newly designed cylinder head and adapted injection nozzles. This study serves

Saccullo, Michael, Benham, Timothy, Denbratt, Ingemar

Development of Hydrogen Burners and Vacuum Insulated Furnaces for Zero CO ₂ Emissions

2018-01-065804/03/2018

The prevention of global warming has been a primary concern of the automotive industry for some time. The Toyota Environmental Challenge 2050 describes six individual initiatives to help build a future in which people and vehicles can coexist in harmony. These initiatives aim to eliminate CO2 emissions in vehicle manufacturing by 2050, as well as reduce CO2 emissions while driving. Heating-related processes were identified as being responsible for around 50% of plant CO2 emissions, the most significant single factor. Consequently, as the first step toward achieving zero plant CO2 emissions, the following two technologies were developed with the aim of reducing CO2 emitted in heating processes: (1) a hydrogen burner that generates CO2-free heat and (2) vacuum-insulated furnace walls that enable energy-saving and smart use of heat. These two items were combined into a heat management system with the aim of reducing CO2 emissions by 80%. One issue of hydrogen burners is reducing the

Takahashi, Takaaki, Ueno, Noriyuki, Sakuma, Daisuke

Q&A: Dr. Shannon Yee, Assistant Professor of Heat Transfer, Combustion, and Energy Systems at Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA

TBMG-2833102/01/2018

Using flexible conducting polymers and novel circuitry patterns printed on paper, researchers in Dr. Lee’s laboratory have demonstrated proof-of-concept wearable thermoelectric generators that can harvest energy from body heat to power simple biosensors for measuring heart rate, respiration, or other factors.

Effects of Fuel Laminar Flame Speed Compared to Engine Tumble Ratio, Ignition Energy, and Injection Strategy on Lean and EGR Dilute Spark Ignition Combustion

2017-01-067103/28/2017

Previous studies have shown that fuels with higher laminar flame speed also have increased tolerance to EGR dilution. In this work, the effects of fuel laminar flame speed on both lean and EGR dilute spark ignition combustion stability were examined. Fuels blends of pure components (iso-octane, n-heptane, toluene, ethanol, and methanol) were derived at two levels of laminar flame speed. Each fuel blend was tested in a single-cylinder spark-ignition engine under both lean-out and EGR dilution sweeps until the coefficient of variance of indicated mean effective pressure increased above thresholds of 3% and 5%. The relative importance of fuel laminar flame speed to changes to engine design parameters (spark ignition energy, tumble ratio, and port vs. direct injection) was also assessed. Results showed that fuel laminar flame speed can have as big an effect on lean or EGR dilute engine operation as engine design parameters, with the largest effects seen during EGR dilute operation and when

Wagnon, Scott W., Pitz, William J., Kolodziej, Christopher P., Pamminger, Michael, Sevik, James, Wallner, Thomas

Accumulation Mechanism of Gasoline EGR Deposit

2017-01-080603/28/2017

Exhaust Gas Recirculation (EGR) systems reduce exhaust emissions and improve fuel efficiency. Recently, the number of EGR system installed vehicles has been increasing, especially for gasoline engine systems. One of the major causes of decreasing EGR function is deposit accumulation on a gas passage. The deposit consists mainly of hydrocarbons which are degradation products of fuel, thus the amount of deposit seems to be strongly affected by fuel compositions. Unfortunately there are not as many studies on EGR deposits with gasoline fuel as there are with diesel fuel. In this study, the influence of gasoline fuel compositions, especially aromatics which are major components of EGR gas, on chemical structures of the deposit were investigated. To clarify the accumulation mechanism of EGR deposits, a thermal oxidative degradation test with an autoclave unit and an actual gasoline engine test were employed. Different composition fuels to control the carbon number of the aromatic were

Kikuchi, Genki, Miyagawa, Masashi, Yamamoto, Yoshiaki, Inayoshi, Naruhiko

Development of Chemical Process for Recovering High-quality Rare-earth Oxides from HV Motor Magnets

2017-01-127803/28/2017

In the automobile industry, interest in the prevention of global warming has always been high. The development of eco cars (HV, EV etc.), aimed at reducing CO2 emissions during operation, has been progressing. In the announcement of its "Toyota Environmental Challenge 2050", Toyota declared its commitment to creating a future in which people, cars, and nature coexist in harmony. In this declaration, Toyota committed to reducing CO2 emissions not only during operation but also over the entire life cycle of vehicles, and to using resources effectively based on a 4 R’s approach (refuse, reduce, reuse, and recycle). Although eco cars decrease CO2 emissions during operation, most of them increase CO2 emissions during manufacturing. For example, the rare-earths (Nd, Dy etc.) used in the magnets of driving motors are extracted through processes that produce a significant amount of CO2 emissions. The common process for recycling the rare-earths used in magnets can recover high-purity rare

Isomura, Keisuke

A Comparison of Drop-In Diesel Fuel Blends Containing Heavy Alcohols Considering Both Engine Properties and Global Warming Potentials

2016-01-225410/17/2016

Heavy alcohols can be mixed with fossil diesel to produce blended fuels that can be used in diesel engines. Alcohols can be obtained from fossil resources, but can also be produced more sustainably from renewable raw materials. The use of such biofuels can help to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from the transport sector. This study examines four alcohol/diesel blends each containing one heavy alcohol: n-butanol, iso-butanol, 2-ethyl hexanol and n-octanol. All of the blends where prepared to function as drop-in fuels in existing engines with factory settings. To compensate for the alcohols′ low cetane numbers (CN), a third component with high CN was added to each blend, namely hydrotreated vegetable oil (HVO). The composition of each mixture was selected to give an overall CN equal to that of fossil diesel fuel. The four blends were compared in terms of sustainability, their performance in engine tests using a single-cylinder light duty engine, and their general physicochemical

Munch, Karin, Zhang, Tankai

Advanced Lubrication - Enabling and Protecting Turbocharged, Direct Injection Gasoline Engines for Optimum Efficiency

2016-01-227510/17/2016

There has been a global technology convergence by engine manufacturers as they strive to meet or exceed the ever-increasing fuel economy mandates that are intended to mitigate the trend in global warming associated with CO2 emissions. While turbocharging and direct-injection gasoline technologies are not new, when combined they create the opportunity for substantial increase in power output at lower engine speeds. Higher output at lower engine speeds is inherently more efficient, and this leads engine designers in the direction of overall smaller engines. Lubricants optimized for older engines may not have the expected level of durability with more operating time being spent at higher specific output levels. Additionally, a phenomenon that is called low-speed pre-ignition has become more prevalent with these engines. While more pre-ignition may be expected with highly-boosted engines, an especially destructive version of this has been found to be related to some of the essential

Yang, Kongsheng, Fletcher, Kristin A., Styer, Jeremy P., Lam, William Y., Guinther, Gregory H.

SKF Contributes to Climate Change Mitigation with Friction Optimized Wheel Bearings

2016-01-195909/18/2016

Bearing friction is a direct contribution to vehicle CO2 emissions. The friction is defined as the total resistance to rotation, resulting from the combination of rolling and sliding friction in the contact areas. First, friction reduction was approached from a theoretical standpoint by employing modeling and simulation techniques. Improvements identified in simulation were then used to: create a new set of design rules for the internal geometry of the bearing, introduce a new grease, develop new seals, also with the integration of labyrinth functions and an optimization of the preload range variation. In order to provide a reliable confirmation of the expected achievements, a new friction measurement methodology was also introduced.

Sguotti, Laura, Olivieri, Davide, Bosco, Domenico

Knock Resistance and Fine Particle Emissions for Several Biomass-Derived Oxygenates in a Direct-Injection Spark-Ignition Engine

2016-01-070504/05/2016

Several high octane number oxygenates that could be derived from biomass were blended with gasoline and examined for performance properties and their impact on knock resistance and fine particle emissions in a single cylinder direct-injection spark-ignition engine. The oxygenates included ethanol, isobutanol, anisole, 4-methylanisole, 2-phenylethanol, 2,5-dimethyl furan, and 2,4-xylenol. These were blended into a summertime blendstock for oxygenate blending at levels ranging from 10 to 50 percent by volume. The base gasoline, its blends with p-xylene and p-cymene, and high-octane racing gasoline were tested as controls. Relevant gasoline properties including research octane number (RON), motor octane number, distillation curve, and vapor pressure were measured. Detailed hydrocarbon analysis was used to estimate heat of vaporization and particulate matter index (PMI). Experiments were conducted to measure knock-limited spark advance and particulate matter (PM) emissions. The results

Ratcliff, Matthew A., Burton, Jonathan, Sindler, Petr, Christensen, Earl, Fouts, Lisa, Chupka, Gina M., McCormick, Robert L.

Experimental Study on Performance and Emission of Acetone-Ethanol and Gasoline Blends in a PFI Spark Ignition Engine

2016-01-083304/05/2016

To face the challenges of fossil fuel shortage and air pollution problems, there is growing interest in the potential usage of alternative fuels such as bio-ethanol and bio-butanol in internal combustion engines. The literature shows that the acetone in the Acetone-Butanol-Ethanol (ABE) blends plays an important part in improving the combustion performance and emissions, owing to its higher volatility. In order to study the effects of acetone addition into commercial gasoline, this study focuses on the differences in combustion, performance and emission characteristics of a port-injection spark-ignition engine fueled with pure gasoline (G100), ethanol-containing gasoline (E30) and acetone-ethanol-gasoline blends (AE30 at A:E volumetric ratio of 3:1). The tests were conducted at 1200RPM with the default calibration (for gasoline), at 3 bar and 5 bar BMEP under various equivalence ratios. The combustion characteristics, brake thermal efficiency, brake specific fuel consumption and

Meng, Lei, Li, Yuqiang, Nithyanandan, Karthik, Lee, Timothy, Zeng, Chunnian, Lee, Chia-Fon

Infrastructure Development and its Management for Future Sustainable Mobility

2016-28-025202/01/2016

This article delineates the importance of infrastructure and its related aspects on sustainability of transportation on global and local context. Almost 7% of the GDP in India is spent on transportation and 6% of the CO2 emissions in the world is due to transportation. In countries like India, the road transport has significantly grown over other forms of mobility. This articles introduces different forms of transportations that exists today and the importance of sustainability in transportation sector. Sustainable transportation depends on development of infrastructure to enable smart transport solutions involving intelligent transport system, electric mobility, information management, vehicle health monitoring, advanced traffic management system and driver assistance system in a vehicle. The challenges includes existing transport operations, environmental impact and complexity of existing transport network. Future sustained mobility should gradually move towards alternate energy

Vadiraj, Aravind

NOx Reduction with the HC-SCR System over Cu/Zeolite Based Catalysts

2015-01-201209/01/2015

Diesel engine is one the effective solutions for reducing CO2 and recognized as a leading candidate for mitigating global warming. To comply with increasingly stringent emission standards, all diesel engines require some sort of NOx control systems such as selective catalytic reduction (SCR) systems. The SCR catalyst for reducing NOx from diesel engines is classified into two groups, urea-SCR and HC-SCR catalyst, respectively. Although the urea-SCR catalyst is widely recognized as promising de-NOx technology in respect to the NOx conversion efficiency, it have some outstanding issues such as ammonia slip, urea injection, storage space, freezing and some infrastructures for supplying urea water solutions. In an attempt to overcome the inherent shortcoming of existing urea-SCR catalyst, hydrocarbons have been considered as alternative reducing agents for SCR process, instead of NH3. SCR of NOx with hydrocarbons (HC-SCR) is an attractive way for NOx abatement under lean burn conditions

Lee, Kyungseok, Ogita, Yuya, Sato, Susumu, Kosaka, Hidenori

A Study on Reduction of Heat Loss by Optimizing Combustion Chamber Shape

2015-01-078604/14/2015

A method to improve fuel consumption in diesel engines is to enhance their theoretical thermal efficiency by increasing their compression ratio. However, this results in an increase in heat loss due to the elevation of the concomitant in-cylinder temperature and the expansion of the impingement area between fuel spray and chamber wall. Therefore, reducing heat loss to the chamber wall is important to effectively benefit from a high compression ratio. To meet this challenge, in this study, we optimized the combustion chamber shape using the three-dimensional computational fluid dynamics (CFD) simulation software, CONVERGE. A rationale proposed by the University of Wisconsin-Madison was selected to outline the shape and combined with a multiobjective optimization software, modeFRONTIER. The calculations produced a shallow dishlike combustion chamber comprising a plateau at its center that may reduce heat loss. In this system, a portion of fuel spray remained at the center of the

Arato, Keita, Takashima, Teruyuki

Strategies Toward the Sustainable and Cost-Effective Use of the Platinum Group Metals: An Analysis of Critical Topics Affecting the PGM and Automotive Industries

2014-01-150204/01/2014

Platinum Group Metal (PGM) use is dominated by the automotive industry. The PGM market is sensitive to shifts in the drivers for emission control and the delicate supply-demand balance. Technology shifts in the emission control industry are particularly impactful because of the automotive market's dominance and the consequent ability to significantly affect metal prices. On the supply side, evolving ore ratios of platinum, palladium and rhodium, production ramp-up times, geopolitical factors, and labor relations contribute to a challenging production environment. This is mitigated by a growing above-ground supply from spent autocatalysts. The availability of spent autocatalyst is critical to alleviate the pressure on primary supply and is especially important in light of the hurdles primary PGM producers face. This paper reviews technology developments, legislative drivers, and consumer trends in the automotive industry and their impact on PGM demand. Evolving emission regulations for

King, Erica, Wallace, David, Becker, E. Robert

Evaluation of Emission Characteristics of Blend of Algae Oil Methyl Ester with Diesel in a Medium Capacity Diesel Engine

2014-01-137804/01/2014

Primary energy sources can be divided into non-renewable and renewable. The over-exploration of non-renewable sources for energy availability imposes considerable impacts on the environment. Reducing the use of fossil fuels would significantly reduce the carbon dioxide emissions and other pollutants produced. The future drift for sustainable production of renewable energy is cautiously thoughtful for it has been increasingly understood that first generation biofuels, majorly produced from food crops that are limited in their ability to achieve targets for biofuel production, climate change mitigation and economic growth. These concerns have increased the interest in developing second generation biofuels produced from non-edible feedstock such as microalgae, which potentially offers greatest opportunities in the longer term. Microalgae are considered a very promising feedstock for biodiesel production due to their very high yield and their no competition with food crops. This research

Patel, Jitesh Singh, Kumar, Naveen, Deep, Amar, Sharma, Abhishek, Gupta, Dhruv

Experimental Investigation on Biodiesel from Microalgae as Fuel for Diesel Engines

2014-01-138604/01/2014

Biodiesel from Algae appears as an almost ideal solution to address the problem of decreasing availability of conventional fossil fuels, as well as to reduce the impact in terms of CO2 of internal combustion engines. In comparison to other biodiesels, algae do not compete for the land use with food cultures, and they have an excellent oil yield. Despite the significant amount of technical reports about the production process of algal biodiesel, detailed information about the application to current production engines is almost completely missing. The present paper describes the experimental campaign carried out on a current production 4-cylinder, 4-stroke naturally aspirated Diesel engine, running on standard Diesel oil and on a blend made up of 20% of oil manufactured by transesterification of Microalgae (B20). Performance and emission parameters have been measured over the whole engine operating range. It was found that the use of B20 leads to a very small decrease of full load

Rinaldini, Carlo Alberto, Mattarelli, Enrico, Magri, Michael, Beraldi, Mariaelena

Modeling Internal Combustion Engine with Thermo-Chemical Recuperation of the Waste Heat by Methanol Steam Reforming

2014-01-110104/01/2014

This paper describes a model for the simulation of the joint operation of internal combustion engine (ICE) with methanol reformer when the ICE is fed by the methanol steam reforming (SRM) products and the energy of the exhaust gases is utilized to sustain endothermic SRM reactions. This approach enables ICE feeding by a gaseous fuel with very favorable properties, thus leading to increase in the overall energy efficiency of the vehicle and emissions reduction. Previous modeling attempts were focused either on the performance of ICE fueled with SRM products or on the reforming process simulation and reactor design. It is clear that the engine performance is affected by the composition of the reforming products and the reforming products are affected by the exhaust gas temperature, composition and flow rate. Due to the tight interrelations between the two main parts of the considered ICE-reformer system, it is desirable to create a single model that simulates joint operation of the ICE

Poran, Arnon, Artoul, Moris, Sheintuch, Moshe, Tartakovsky, Leonid

Well-to Wheel Greenhouse Gas Emissions of LNG Used as a Fuel for Long Haul Trucks in a European Scenario

2013-24-011009/08/2013

The EU Commission's “Clean Power for Transport” initiative aims to break the EU's dependence on imported oil whilst promoting the use of alternative fuels to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Among the options considered is the use of liquefied natural gas (LNG) as a substitute for diesel in long haul trucks. It is interesting to ask how the lifecycle greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions of LNG compare with conventional diesel fuel for this application. The LNG available in Europe is mainly imported. This paper considers the “well-to-tank” emissions of LNG from various production routes, including: gas production, treatment and liquefaction, shipping to Europe, terminal, distribution and refuelling operations. “Tank-to-Wheel” emissions are considered for a range of currently-available engine technologies of varying efficiency relative to diesel. If LNG is used in a direct-injection engine having the same efficiency as a diesel engine, the “well-to-wheel” GHG emissions are typically around 19

Kofod, Max, Stephenson, Trevor

Glossary of Terms in Use in Green Innovation and Sustainable Practices in the Automotive Industry

J2965_201306 (Current)06/17/2013

Develop terminology and definitions specifically for the automotive industry that defines greener and more sustainable materials and practices. The document will provide information and context for how and where the terms are used in the auto sector. In some cases, there may be more than one definition provided as some terms have different meanings in different countries.

Green Technology Steering Committee

Life-Cycle Greenhouse Gas and Criteria Air Pollutant Emissions of Electric Vehicles in the United States

2013-01-128304/08/2013

While electric vehicles including plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs) and battery-powered electric vehicles (BEVs) are considered as promising alternative vehicle/fuel systems to significantly reduce petroleum consumption of the transportation sector, it is important to analyze the emission characteristics and to assess the emission reduction potentials of electric vehicles so that their environmental impacts in terms of climate change, air quality, as well as human health effects could be better understood. To fulfill this objective, we explicitly analyzed the emission characteristics of greenhouse gases (GHG) and criteria air pollutants (CAP, representing VOC, CO, NOx, PM₁₀ and PM₂.₅, and SOx,) of the U.S. power sector, a pivotal upstream sector that impacts the life-cycle GHG and CAP emissions associated with electric vehicles. In particular, we established statistically robust probability distribution functions (PDFs) to address the uncertainty and variation in both thermal

Cai, Hao, Wang, Michael, Elgowainy, Amgad, Han, Jeongwoo

BSFC Improvement by Diesel-Rankine Combined Cycle in the High EGR Rate and High Boosted Diesel Engine

2013-01-163804/08/2013

In heavy duty diesel engines, waste heat recovery systems are remarkable means for fuel consumption improvement. In this paper, Diesel-Rankine combined cycle which is combined diesel cycle with Rankine cycle is studied to clarify the quantitative potential of fuel consumption improvement with a high EGR rate and high boosted diesel engine. The high EGR rate and high boosted diesel engine of a single cylinder research engine was used and it reaches brake specific fuel consumption (BSFC) of 193.3 g/kWh at full load (BMEP=2.0MPa). And its exhaust temperature reaches 370 C. The exhaust gas temperature does not exceed 400 C in high boosted diesel engine even at full load operating condition because of a high excess air ratio. On the other hand, exhaust gas quantity is larger due to a high boosting. So, it is estimated that the thermal energy of exhaust gas is enough for recovery in the high boosted diesel engine, although exhaust gas temperature is not so higher than that of an ordinary

Yamaguchi, Takuya, Aoyagi, Yuzo, Osada, Hideaki, Shimada, Kazuaki, Uchida, Noboru

Evaluation of the Greenhouse Effect Gases Emissions of Ethanol Buses

2012-36-054010/02/2012

This work has as its purpose to evaluate the greenhouse effect gases (GHGs) emissions from ethanol-powered buses, which were introduced in the urban transportation system of the city of São Paulo, in 2007, by means of Project BEST - BioEthanol for Sustainable Transport with the goal of promoting ethanol usage in substitution to diesel in public transportation, aiming at the reduction of atmospheric pollution in great urban centers and at the reduction of global warming. The engine is advanced even for the strict European emission standards, because it meets the EURO 5 specifications and the Enhanced Environmental Vehicle (EEV), besides surpassing the limits imposed by the P-7 stage of PROCONVE. Today, ethanol-powered buses became a reality, because the chassis and the engine, then imported, as well as the additive for the ethanol, are already manufactured in Brazil. Starting from the signature, by initiative of the city hall, of a protocol of intent for the purchase of the first 50

Velazquez, Silvia M. S. G., Moreira, Jose Roberto, Apolinario, Sandra M.

Effects of Biodiesel Blends on Emissions of a Diesel Engine Using DPF

2012-01-166609/10/2012

The use of biomass fuels such as biodiesel as an alternative fuel for petroleum diesel in automotive sector is of great importance today, as it reduces global warming. Previous research has pointed out that biodiesel/diesel blends can be used in diesel engines with little or no modification. It is estimated that the differences on the characteristics of diesel engines exhaust emissions are due to the different molecule composition of conventional diesel and biodiesel fuels. The scope of this work was to compare the exhaust gas emissions from the use of mixtures of biodiesel and diesel and their effect on the performance of a passenger car engine. The blends B10, B50 and neat biodiesel, B100, were used in an old technology 1600 cc diesel car, equipped with a retrofit catalytic diesel particulate filter. While the car was running on a chassis dynamometer with wide open throttle and under full engine load, measurements of torque, speed and fuel consumption were taken for three different

Stogiantzikis, Ilias, Gogos, Merkourios, Triandafyllis, John

Emission Reduction Potential with Paraffinic Renewable Diesel by Optimizing Engine Settings or Using Oxygenate

2012-01-159009/10/2012

Over the past decade significant research and development activities have been invested in alternative fuels in order to reduce our dependency on fossil fuel sources and reduce CO₂ and local emissions from traffic. One result of these R&D efforts is paraffinic diesel fuels, which can be used with existing vehicle fleets and infrastructures. Paraffinic diesels also have other benefits compared to conventional diesels, for example, a very high cetane number and the lack of sulfur and aromatic compounds. These characteristics are beneficial in terms of exhaust gas emissions, something which has been demonstrated in numerous studies. The objective of this study was to develop low-emission combustion technologies for paraffinic renewable diesel in a compression ignition engine, and to study the possible benefits of oxygenated paraffinic diesel. Hydrotreated vegetable oil (HVO), which is a commercial example of paraffinic, renewable diesel, was used with and without oxygenate in comparison

Murtonen, Timo, Aakko-Saksa, Paivi, Koponen, Paivi, Lehto, Kalle, Sarjovaara, Teemu, Happonen, Matti, Heikkilä, Juha

Brazil - Proposed Climate Change Mitigation Plan

RS-BNA-JUL_12_0706/21/2012

The Ministry of Environment has issued a proposed climate change mitigation plan for the transportation sector, including measures aimed at reducing their greenhouse gas emissions. The plan sets a goal of total carbon dioxide equivalent (CO2e) emissions from the transportation sector of 246.1 metric tons in 2020. The ministry also has issued a proposed climate change mitigation plan for the mining sector, including plans for the use of alternative-fueled vehicles. Comments are due Aug. 15, 2012.

Carbon Remediation for the Airline Industry via ATF Drop-in Substitution: Strategic and Operational Perspective

2012-01-150902/29/2012

The need to address environmental challenges by aviation industry is apparently obvious. As evidenced within the industry, it takes a three pronged strategy - more efficient aircraft, improving operational efficiencies and development of sustainable biofuels. In terms of actual growth of airline business, the two major drivers are domestic air service expansion within BRIC economies and rapid spread of Low Cost Carrier (LLC) models. Focusing not only on environmental challenges, even sustainable business development and growth of LCC depends critically on ATF substitution by alternative fuels. The inherent need for carbon subsidy and airline-airport partnership towards sustainable substitution with bio-alternatives is discussed in first part of the paper. A framework for such an airline airport win-win partnership is delineated. In the second half of the paper, focus shifts to complexity of operationalisation of blended ATF strategy for airlines as well as manufacturer from a

Varadarajan, Venugopal, Pathak, Maitrayee, Gupta, Ashish

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