The main target of the LONGRUN project is the development of advanced technologies capable of reducing the energy consumption of Heavy-duty vehicles by at least 10% compared to 2018 state-of-the-art vehicles.
In WP4, work is done on natural gas engines: starting from the FPT Cursor13 Euro VI NG spark ignited engine (6 cyl., 338kW-2000 Nm), several improvements were applied to reduce fuel consumption.
To begin with, an e-turbo was added: this device is capable of harvesting thermal energy from the exhaust gas, thus compressing the air at the engine intake but also rotating an alternator to produce electrical energy. You can read more here.
An e-machine was also connected to the engine crankshaft and this device can work as a motor and as a generator, supplying torque to the thermal engine in the first case or producing electrical energy in the second.
Finally, an e-WHR system was installed, recuperating thermal energy from the coolant: this component tool is connected to an electrical generator.
The e-WHR used in the LONGRUN project is a system able to recover thermal energy available in the coolant fluid and is devised and supplied by IFPEN, with the cooperation of Enogia. To read more on the e-WHR click here.
All the above-mentioned components were installed on the engine at the test bench, where also a battery emulator was present: all the new parts were inserted in a common environment which also includes the engine control unit, the test bench automation system, and the battery emulator. Rapid prototype SW was employed to manage the interactions among the parts.
The installation and integration of three sub-systems aimed at energy recovery was performed during the first half of 2023. The task required to act on two fronts: at first, the various components were connected either mechanically (e-turbo and e-machine) or hydraulically (e-WHR), to the engine and the test bench, to ensure the possibility to exchange energy among the engine and the various sub-systems. Then E/E connection was carried out, to allow communication among the components, the rapid-proto control system, the test bench ad, of course, the battery emulator.
Testing with the e-turbo and the e-machine is ongoing, while the e-WHR will be commissioned during the second half of 2023. The results, in terms of energy recovery and fuel consumption reduction, will be determined in a final effort called “Testing and Evaluation of Engine Performance and selected Aftertreatment System with bio-methane”.