Techtrend

Schaeffler Improves Stop/Start for Auto Transmissions

By Tom Murphy
WardsAuto.com, Jun 3, 2011 9:00 AM

TROY, MI – A small percentage of American drivers have become accustomed to stop/start systems by virtue of their placement on hybrid-electric vehicles, which now make up about 2.5% of U.S. light vehicles, according to Ward’s data.

But stop/start systems soon will get a major boost with the arrival of mild hybrids from several auto makers as they adjust their fleets to meet new fuel-economy mandates by 2016.

Some 10 million stop/start systems are expected to be on the road worldwide by 2015, according to some estimates.

Germany’s Schaeffler Group, a leading supplier of torque converters, has a new approach that simplifies integration of stop/start systems in conventional vehicles equipped with automatic transmissions, which are enormously popular in the U.S.

An automatic transmission makes it more difficult to incorporate stop/start because the torque converter between the engine and transmission is always engaged.

But Schaeffler has designed a permanently engaged starter that turns the torque converter into a useful weapon in reducing fuel consumption by allowing stop/start to function seamlessly – and cost-effectively – with automatic transmissions.

The system uses a 1-way clutch between the engine crankshaft and the torque converter’s starter ring gear that allows the mesh between the ring gear and the starter motor pinion to remain constant. Once the engine stops, restarts are immediate, Schaeffler says.

Eliminating slow response at restart and accommodating “change of mind” driving situations were chief objectives as the supplier developed the permanently engaged starter, says Jeff Hemphill, Schaeffler Group USA’s vice president-product development for LuK USA and region director-technical product development.

A conventional automatic mated to a stop/start system will be slow to respond, he says. When a driver is approaching a traffic light that is red, he takes his foot off the gas and the engine prepares to shut down as the vehicle coasts.

When the light turns green and the vehicle is still moving, the driver switches from the brake to the gas, but the engine is still rotating, preparing to shut down.

“If you have just a normal starter, you would have to wait until you get to zero, and then you’d get a few bumps. At zero, the engine can start cranking again,” Hemphill says.

This unsettling pause and abrupt restart drew criticism from consumers when the first hybrids arrived in the 1990s with continuously variable transmissions.

Since then, full hybrids have gotten much better. But integrating stop/start with automatic transmissions using conventional torque converters will create a pause of up to 3 seconds during those “change of mind” driving situations, Hemphill says.

“Can you imagine if you’re a driver at a green traffic light with your foot on the gas waiting for a count of three before something happens?” he says. “That’s not a very acceptable condition.”

Automatic transmissions operate with an oil pump that is driven by the engine. When the engine shuts down, so does the transmission. To avoid that awkward pause with a stop/start system, auto makers have few affordable options.

Schaeffler’s permanently engaged starter, as the name implies, can reconnect while the engine is still rotating and the vehicle is decelerating. The starter can be engaged at any time without the need to synchronize ring gear and pinion speeds prior to engagement.

The restart “happens silently because it’s a friction connection, not a gear-tooth trying to engage,” Hemphill says. “It can quickly re-engage and restart and recrank the engine silently.”

Hemphill is aware of only Toyota using a permanently engaged starter, which is lubricated by engine oil and requires additional seals and a modified engine block.

Schaeffler’s device is dry, which means no oil galleys or seals are necessary and engine-block changes are minor.

Integrating the permanently engaged starter doesn’t require changes to the bell housing or other major structures but needs about 0.19 ins. (5 mm) of extra space, which might require reconfiguring the torque converter.

Hemphill declines to discuss cost of the unit but says stop/start technology needs to be available to auto makers for about $100 per vehicle.

“We can’t guarantee that we’re going to meet that target, but we think we’re on the right road,” he says.

Hemphill considers Schaeffler’s technology “a value proposition” compared with other approaches being pursued or already in the market.

“They have electric-driven pumps or accumulators where you have to do more tear-up of the transmission hydraulics to patch that stuff in, and the devices themselves are fairly expensive,” he says. “I would think it’s much more than $100 per vehicle.”

The permanently engaged starter is well-suited for torque-converter applications, but the basic principle also works with manual transmissions, in which case the device would mount to a flywheel instead of a flex plate with an automatic.

“We’re developing it now for a couple manual applications in Europe, so it has advantages there as well,” Hemphill says. A prototype currently is in development for a diesel engine application, he says.

Stop/start systems are appearing across a wide range of vehicles, including the high-powered BMW M3 and Porsche Cayenne and Panamera and, for the ’12 model year, the Mercedes AMG editions of the CL63, CLS63, E63 and S63.

European auto makers have taken the lead in introducing stop/start systems because the technology can be applied easily to manual transmissions, which are popular in Europe.

With a manual transmission, a stop/start system can reduce fuel consumption between 2% and 5% in city driving, while an automatic transmission with stop/start can boost efficiency between 4% and 8% in the city, Hemphill says.

In Europe and the U.S., about 20% of city driving is spent standing still at stop lights; the percentage is much higher in Japan.

More than 30% of new vehicles in Europe are employing stop/start in 2011, Schaeffler says.

Robert Bosch says it expects that penetration rate to reach 50% by 2013. The supplier expects to double its worldwide sales of stop/start systems from 1.3 million units in 2010 to 2.6 million this year.

In the U.S., the ’12 Buick LaCrosse with eAssist arrives this summer with a conventional 6-speed automatic transmission and a stop/start system augmented by a 115V lithium-ion battery pack to provide additional torque.

With its hybrid-electric component, Hemphill says GM’s eAssist is more capable than Schaeffler’s permanently engaged starter solution, which he considers a more affordable approach aimed at higher volumes.

Ford has announced it will add stop/start technology to all of its North American vehicles equipped with its direct-injection turbocharged EcoBoost engines.

Kia also is introducing stop/start on its Rio subcompact.
tmurphy@wardsauto.com

Original article available here: http://wardsauto.com/ar/schaeffler_improves_auto_110603/

Mazda Reveals Next-Generation ‘SKYACTIV’ Technologies

HIROSHIMA, Japan—Mazda Motor Corporation today announced the launch of its SKYACTIV next-generation technologies — including engines, transmissions, vehicle bodies and chassis — that will begin appearing in Mazda products from 2011. The Mazda Demio (known overseas as the Mazda2) will be the first model to feature SKYACTIV technology and will go on sale in Japan in the first half of 2011. It will be powered by the SKYACTIV-G, Mazda’s next-generation direct injection gasoline engine that achieves significantly improved fuel efficiency thanks to a high compression ratio of 14.0:1*. The Mazda Demio SKYACTIV-G will achieve fuel economy of 30 kilometers per liter† without any assistance from an electric motor.

SKYACTIV is a blanket term for Mazda’s innovative next-generation technologies that are being developed under the company’s long-term vision for technology development, Sustainable Zoom-Zoom. The SKYACTIV name is intended to reflect Mazda’s desire to provide driving pleasure as well as outstanding environmental and safety performance in its vehicles. To achieve this goal, Mazda has implemented an internal Building Block Strategy to be completed by 2015. This ambitious strategy involves the comprehensive optimization of Mazda’s base technologies, which determine the core performance of its vehicles, and the progressive introduction of electric devices such as regenerative braking and a hybrid system. All the technologies that are developed based on the Building Block Strategy will fall under the SKYACTIV umbrella.

Takashi Yamanouchi, Mazda’s Representative Director, Chairman of the Board, President and CEO, said, “Mazda is renewing its entire powertrain and platform lineup at the same time as revolutionizing every manufacturing process from R&D through to mass production. There have been no compromises in addressing conflicting goals. Instead, we have implemented a ‘breakthrough’ approach to technical innovation in all areas that has produced incredible, unexpected results. One of our success stories is the next-generation engine that will first appear in the Mazda Demio which goes on sale in the first half of 2011. Achieving an outstanding 30 kilometers per liter fuel economy, the SKYACTIV Demio will be a fun-to-drive fuel sipper that will satisfy anyone’s desire for driving pleasure. And there will be many more exciting new products coming to the Mazda lineup in the years ahead.”

* Compression ratio and some engine technologies vary depending on fuel type and vehicle specifications

† Measured according to Japan’s 10-15 mode test cycle

Overview of the SKYACTIV technologies

1. SKYACTIV-G
A next-generation highly-efficient direct-injection gasoline engine that achieves the world’s highest gasoline engine compression ratio of 14.0:1 with no abnormal combustion (knocking)

The world’s first gasoline engine for mass production vehicles to achieve a high compression ratio of 14.0:1
Significantly improved engine efficiency thanks to the high compression combustion, resulting in 15 percent increases in fuel efficiency and torque
Improved everyday driving thanks to increased torque at low- to mid-engine speeds
A 4-2-1 exhaust system, cavity pistons, multihole injectors and other innovations enable the high compression ratio

SKYACTIV-G

2. SKYACTIV-D
A next-generation clean diesel engine that will meet global emissions regulations without expensive NOx aftertreatments — urea selective catalytic reduction (SCR) or a Lean NOx Trap (LNT) — thanks to the world’s lowest diesel engine compression ratio of 14.0:1

20 percent better fuel efficiency thanks to the low compression ratio of 14.0:1
A new two-stage turbocharger realizes smooth and linear response from low to high engine speeds, and greatly increases low- and high-end torque (up to the 5,200 rpm rev limit)
Complies with global emissions regulations (Euro6 in Europe, Tier2Bin5 in North America, and the Post New Long-Term Regulations in Japan), without expensive NOx aftertreatment

SKYACTIV-D

3. SKYACTIV-Drive
A next-generation highly efficient automatic transmission that achieves excellent torque transfer efficiency through a wider lock-up range and features the best attributes of all transmission types

Combines all the advantages of conventional automatic transmissions, continuously variable transmissions, and dual clutch transmissions
A dramatically widened lock-up range improves torque transfer efficiency and realizes a direct driving feel that is equivalent to a manual transmission
A 4-to-7 percent improvement in fuel economy compared to the current transmission

SKYACTIV-Drive

4. SKYACTIV-MT
A light and compact next-generation manual transmission with crisp and light shift feel like that of a sports car, optimized for a front-engined front-wheel-drive layout

Short stroke and light shift feel
Significantly reduced size and weight due to a revised structure
More efficient vehicle packaging thanks to its compact size
Improved fuel economy due to reduced internal friction

SKYACTIV-MT

5. SKYACTIV-Body
A next-generation lightweight, highly-rigid body with outstanding crash safety performance and high rigidity for greater driving pleasure

High rigidity and lightness (8 percent lighter, 30 percent more rigid)
Outstanding crash safety performance and lightness
A “straight structure” in which each part of the frame is configured to be as straight as possible. Additionally, a “continuous framework” approach was adopted in which each section functions in a coordinated manner with the other connecting sections
Reduced weight through optimized bonding methods and expanded use of high-tensile steel

SKYACTIV-Body

6. SKYACTIV-Chassis
A next-generation high-performance lightweight chassis that balances precise handling with a comfortable ride feel to realize driving pleasure

Newly developed front strut and rear multilink suspension ensures high rigidity and lightness (The entire chassis is 14 percent lighter than the previous version.)
Mid-speed agility and high-speed stability — enhanced ride quality at all speeds achieved through a revision of the functional allocation of all the suspension and steering components

SKYACTIV-Chassis

Toyota targets 45% thermal efficiency for engines in next-gen hybrids

2011 Toyota Prius

In early April, at the SAE 2011 High Efficiency IC Engines Symposium in Detroit, MI, Toyota’s Koichi Nakata declared that the Japanese automaker is exploring ways to further reduce the fuel consumption of its upcoming hybrid models. According to Nakata, Toyota aims to develop a gasoline engine that operates at more than 45 percent thermal efficiency for use in future hybrid vehicles.

To put that number into perspective, the engine in the first- and second-generation Toyota Prius had a thermal efficiency of approximately 37 percent and the 1.8-liter mill in the third-gen Prius boasts a thermal efficiency of 38 percent.

Toyota is focusing on two concepts to reach its thermal efficiency goal. Concept 1 is a cooled EGR stoichiometric spark-ignited direct-injection engine that features a long stroke design. The long-stroke setup, according to Toyota, reduces heat loss, increases piston speed and creates more chamber turbulence, which improves combustion. Concept 2 is a turbocharged, lean-burning engine that incorporates the same basic design of Concept 1.

So far, Nakata claims that the engine development team has achieved a 42.4 percent thermal efficiency with Concept 1 and 43.7 percent thermal efficiency using the turbocharged, lean-burning Concept 2 design. Does this mean that a turbo’d Prius may be coming soon?

A Candid Admission About Saudi Oil Production

For some months now, it has become increasingly likely that Saudi Arabian oil production is past its peak. The signs were already there for those reading between the lines in the days after the Libyan civil war broke out. At that time, Saudi Arabia stated that it had “already” increased production to 9 million barrels per day and could do no more. If Saudi production was maxed out at 9 million barrels per day then, down from the previous highs of 9.5 mbpd, this indicated that maximum production rates were falling. Incidentally, the Kingdom passed peak net exports in 2005, due to a combination of a production plateau and soaring domestic consumption.

The following article in Reuters, released on April 17, 2011, unless it is some kind of error, confirms without a doubt, that Saudi Arabia has entered a production decline. Indeed, it suggests a decline that may be precipitous. In case you missed this article, you may want to sit down before reading further.

Saudi slashes oil output, says market oversupplied

(Reuters) – Saudi Arabia’s oil minister said on Sunday the kingdom had slashed output by 800,000 barrels per day in March due to oversupply, sending the strongest signal yet that OPEC will not act to quell soaring prices.

Let’s get this straight. Libyan production of light sweet crude is down nearly a million barrels per day beginning in late February and the price of Brent crude has rocketed to $120 per barrel. Saudi oil ministers, however, say the market is “oversupplied.” As a response to the loss of 900,000 bpd of Libyan crude, it has made further cuts of 800,000 bpd for a total net loss of production of 1.7 million bpd. It might be noted that global consumers typically need an additional 200,000 bpd each month due to the growing global economy. Thus, the total net deficit for the month was 1.9 million bpd.

What can you say other than, “Wow!”

As a result of this massive supply shortfall, crude oil and product prices have been rising rapidly. Yet somehow we are to believe that these cuts were made because the market is “oversupplied” with product. The Energy Information Agency has reported petroleum and refined product stockpile draw-downs in the US over the past six weeks averaging some half a million barrels a day. Thus, domestic refiners are drawing down their stocks rather than pushing prices higher and just hoping (perhaps praying as well) that import prices moderate due to some miracle in Libya or a surge in production somewhere in the rest of the world.

Yikes, indeed!

To return to the Reuters’ article:

Consumers have urged the exporters’ group to pump more crude to put a cap on oil, which surged to more than $127 a barrel this month, its highest level in 2 1/2 years amid unrest in North Africa and the Middle East.

Oil Ministers from Kuwait and the United Arab Emirates echoed Saudi Arabia’s Ali al-Naimi’s concerns about oversupply and said rocketing crude prices were out of the hands of OPEC, which next meets in June.

What are we to make of this statement? The market is oversupplied, and yet prices continue higher. “It is out of our hands.” Honestly, I think that is as clear a statement as you will get that every OPEC nation is pumping full-out. Let the cards now fall where they may.

“The market is overbalanced … [overbalanced?] Our production in February was 9.125 million barrels per day (bpd), in March it was 8.292 million bpd. In April we don’t know yet, probably a little higher than March [we hope]. The reason I gave you these numbers is to show you that the market is oversupplied,” Naimi told reporters.

Let me translate for you. “Our output has fallen a million barrels per day in the midst of a supply disruption due to the Libyan war, and prices continue to rocket higher. Either we are ourselves past peak, or we are intentionally engineering a phenomenal price spike to generate astronomical revenue with which to keep the King’s subjects happy so they don’t revolt. To those in the West, please remember that we are, still, your allies.”

Two Saudi-based industry sources told Reuters last week the kingdom had cut output due to poor demand, prompting selling by traders who saw it as a sign of a well-supplied market.

But crude rebounded later in the week on optimism about the state of the U.S. economy.

Again, is it just me, or does the increase in the price of Brent crude steadily from $90 to $125 signal some sort of “poor demand” in the market? The OECD economic numbers are still coming in relatively strong. We are not yet back in recession, and OECD refined product consumption continues to rise.

China just announced industrial production up some 15% year over year and 10% year over year increases crude oil demand. So, where precisely is this “poor demand?” I fear we have truly entered a “Never-Never Land of Post-Peak Oil Spin-Control.”

To continue with the article:

Naimi’s words are the clearest indication yet that OPEC is unconvinced there is a need for more oil despite the civil war that has slashed Libyan output and expectations [that] Japanese demand will rise as it scrambles to rebuild its earthquake-shattered electricity grid.

“These statements underscore the breadth of the security premium currently in (oil) prices. Overall supplies are sufficient,” said John Kilduff of energy hedge fund Again Capital. “As we’ve seen in the past, however, a well-supplied market is not always a barrier to very high prices.”

Somehow, this counts as “news” for Reuters. Thankfully, we have Financial Sense, the Big Picture and the excellent contributors to this site to bring us a rational understanding of what is happening. For “OPEC is unconvinced there is a need for oil,” please insert, “OPEC is helpless to produce more oil because Peak Oil has passed, and indeed Saudi Arabia itself is in decline.” For “supplies are sufficient,” and “a well-supplied market is not always a barrier to very high prices,” please insert, “Yes, the OECD can live off its inventories for a while, but not for that long, so very likely, higher prices are coming.”

The article continues:

Naimi, who has previously spoken of $70 to $80 a barrel as a desirable range for crude, declined to comment on the price.

Uh, what could he possibly say?

Oil prices fell early last week on concern that demand may be eroding under pressure from high prices, but rebounded on Friday following encouraging U.S. economic data.

Nobuo Tanaka, the head of the International Energy Agency, which represents oil importers’ interests, stopped short of saying OPEC needed to boost output, but suggested the group be more flexible in its thinking about supply.

“The market is getting tighter and if it is tighter the price may go up, which may have a negative impact to economic growth,” Tanaka told reporters.

Translation: “We at the IEA have stated that conventional crude oil peaked in 2006. We realize that OPEC can do nothing at this point except for ‘be flexible,’ whatever that might mean. Due to Peak Oil, oil prices are likely going to go up until they crush the global economy which will hurt demand, after which time prices will go down.”

But wait, it gets even better:

OPEC last formally discussed output policy in December and is not scheduled to do so again until June. Members have ruled out holding an emergency meeting before then.

Why hold an emergency meeting when everyone is pumping full-out? What would be the point, except to call even more attention to the fact that OPEC is powerless to restrain prices?

Unrest in North Africa and the Middle East has left Saudi Arabia and other Gulf nations nervous of political instability and of a sharp fall in oil prices that could lead to a fiscal crunch while populations are restive.

This is crazy. If OPEC truly desired to avert a sharp fall in oil prices, then it would pump more oil now while prices are not yet high enough to crush the global economy but at a level sufficient to sustain substantial transfer payments to its subjects. OPEC, however, is claiming that it is doing precisely the opposite, “cutting” production while prices continue to climb to dangerous levels.
My conclusion: I would suggest that there can be little doubt that the production cuts are not voluntary and that the Gulf States, including Saudi Arabia, are in decline. Peak oil occurred in 2005 and 2008 as predicted. Matthew Simmons was right. Dr. Hubbert was right. CERA and Saudi Aramco were wrong. Simple, no?

If there is another rational interpretation of this article and the statements contained in it, I would love to hear it. But ultimately, it just doesn’t matter. If Saudi Arabia is in fact cutting production by 800,000 bpd now, in the face of rising global prices and the nearly total loss of Libyan production, something is terribly, terribly wrong.

Either way, oil prices will spike to $180 or $200 per barrel. If this is not, in fact, Peak Oil, it will be very nearly indistinguishable from it, and it won’t matter much one way or the other.

Original artcle available here: http://www.sae.org/mags/AEI/9473

OE powertrain execs map out fuel-economy strategies

Dan Kapp presents Ford approach to meeting fuel economy standards for 2017 at an SAE 2011 World Congress panel on Tuesday. Other participants were (from left) Uwe Grebe of GM, Bob Lee of Chrysler, Gary Rogers of FEV Inc., Hans Hohenner of BMW Group, and John Juriga of Hyundai-Kia North American Technical Center.

U.S. fuel-economy regulations call for 35.5 mpg by 2017, or is it 34.1 mpg? Or maybe it’s 250 g/mi CO2.

Actually, the regulations are based on complex formulas derived from a “vehicle footprint” (track multiplied by wheelbase). So although the federal government has an overall industry fleet target based on 250 g/mi, every manufacturer has a different number to meet based on the types of vehicles it sells. Representatives of General Motors, Chrysler, Ford, BMW, and Hyundai-Kia each explained their somewhat different focus, even if the general direction is the same. They spoke on Tuesday at an SAE 2011 World Congress panel discussion led by Gary Rogers, President and CEO of FEV Inc., on the powertrains that will get the industry to compliance in time.

The 250 g/mi requirement translates roughly to 35.5 mpg (a U.S. EPA figure), but it includes credits for a change to a lower global warming refrigerant or other air-conditioning system modifications. The 34.1 mpg is a NHTSA (National Highway Traffic Safety Administration) figure and is tied to fuel economy changes alone. There are fuel-economy curves based on the footprint of a manufacturer’s fleet.

General Motors

“All roads are open,” said Uwe Grebe, Executive Director, GM Powertrain Global Advanced Engineering. In addition to widespread use of transmissions with eight speeds or more, GM will continue with cylinder deactivation.

Company engineers will increase use of variable valve activation, engine downsizing and boosting—including two-stage turbocharging. It will also employ advanced combustion systems—particularly direct injection—for gasoline engines. Grebe did not exclude HCCI (homogeneous charge compression ignition), although other panelists said the light load region for this technology might be shrinking as a result of other changes.

Perhaps the GM vehicle technology introduction that garnered the most attention since the Chevrolet Volt has been the E-Assist for the 2012 Buick LaCrosse. Grebe explained it is a much higher-performance version of GM’s BAS (belt alternator-starter) system, and said it increases fuel economy 25% over the conventional 2.4-L four-cylinder—from 19 mpg city/30 mpg highway to 25/37.

E-Assist has a 115-V lithium-ion battery pack (vs. 42-V nickel metal hydride for the previous BAS) and a 15-hp (11 kW)/79 lb·ft. (107 N·m) electric motor that provides increased acceleration assist and regenerative braking vs. the previous BAS. Because of the powerful motor, LaCrosse can use an aggressive deceleration-to-stop fuel cutoff strategy as well as idle stop-start.

GM also will deploy idle stop-start on conventional 12-V models, Grebe said.

Diesels are an important part of the picture for GM, Grebe noted. He said the company has advanced engineering programs under way for improvements in aftertreatment systems, fuel charging, and combustion—the latter including new fuel injectors, turbochargers, and exhaust gas recirculation.

Ford

Ford’s branded version of engine downsizing with turbo boosting-“Ecoboost,” is a key part of the company’s strategy, but “too much downsizing actually can degrade fuel economy,” said Dan Kapp, Director of Powertrain Research and Advanced Engineering.

He told the audience that the 3.5-L turbo “Ecoboost” V-6 is migrating through product lines. It will be joined by a four-cylinder 2.0-L, then a 1.6-L, and eventually a 1.3-L, the latter limited to use with 98 RON (road octane number) gasoline because the higher loading makes knock a limiting performance factor, Kapp said. The larger-displacement engines can protect for 91 RON by retarding spark and still maintain adequate performance.

The increased use of direct injection, he said, by improving restartabilty, is an enabler for the rollout of idle stop-start, which Ford will begin in U.S. production next year.

Kapp added that platform changes, such as body-on-frame SUVs to unit body crossovers, would produce weight savings of 250-750 lb (113.4-340.2 kg), which would help maintain performance through the engine downsizing program.

Chrysler

Chrysler’s Bob Lee said “bang for the buck” is the company mantra, and that “some very complex computer models” for meeting the 2017 fuel-economy standards have been developed. As the potential effects of the Fiat ownership are worked into the picture, those complex models keep changing, added Lee, who serves as Vice President, Engine, Electrified Propulsion, and Advanced Powertrain at Chrysler.

Chrysler’s use of vehicle electrification will be “sparing.” There will be an electric vehicle for 2012, he said, and some CNG (compressed natural gas) applications.

The Fiat Multi-Air system, now being incorporated into a Chrysler-built version of the 1.4-L Fiat 500 engine for a Dodge-branded model to be introduced this year, does provide a low-speed torque advantage, Lee said. It also reduces pumping losses, but this is less of an advantage on Chrysler V6/V8 engines that will be equipped with eight- or nine-speed automatics because they will be running in low-load operation much of the time.

“If we reduce pumping losses with the transmission, then something that does it another way, such as Multi-Air, doesn’t accomplish as much,” he explained. Further, some V8s have cylinder deactivation, another light-load fuel saver.

Chrysler has a sharp focus on matching powertrain with vehicle footprint, said Lee, adding that the company “must get vehicle energy demand right. Efficiency is generally gained at the expense of performance… but you can’t just cut performance because of customer demand.”

BMW Group

The performance demanded by the customer is a particularly critical item for BMW Group, observed panelist Hans Hohenner, General Manager and Development Drivetrain Product Manager.

He pointed to BMW’s engine downsizing program for gasoline engines, which is replacing the 3.0-L inline six, rated at 300 hp (221 kw), with a 2.0-L four. If naturally aspirated, the latter would not perform to BMW owner expectations. But with a twin-scroll turbo and variable valve train, it is rated at approximately 350 hp (257 kW), Hohenner noted. The engine also will use idle stop-start. Accessory loads are reduced, with an electric water pump and A/C compressor decoupling.

BMW will emphasize scalable hybrid architectures, and cover the bases from “mild” hybrids (idle stop-start and regenerative braking) to full hybrid electrics vehicles, plug-in hybrids. and battery-electric vehicles. Even the gasoline V8 will get the twin-turbo treatment and idle stop-start to boost fuel economy.

Diesels also have been a successful part of the BMW model mix, their premium reputation and performance having overcome pricing issues.

Hyundai-Kia

Hyundai has to appeal to a value-oriented customer, which “means the technology has to work hard,” said John Juriga, Director, North American Powertrain, Hyundai-Kia America Technical Center. Further, the company’s product line footprint (no large vehicles sold here) means it must reach a fleet average of 37 mpg, he said.

Despite that higher requirement, there will be no E85’s and no diesels. And although Hyundai and Kia will have hybrid-electric vehicles, plug-in, and battery-electric vehicles, “we won’t be relying on them to meet the fuel economy regulations,” Juriga said.

Thanks to an engine downsizing and turbo program already under way, the company’s fleet average is over 34 mpg now, he said, “and we don’t intend to just meet the 37 mpg; we’ll exceed it by 2016.” The primary technologies will be:

• Reduced pumping losses with eight-speed automatics (and beyond) and low-pressure EGR

• Reduced friction from DLC (diamond-like coated) roller bearings, specially-coated piston rings (coated via physical vapor deposition), and higher-temperature (110ºC/230ºF.) coolant thermostats

• Exhaust heat recovery systems to improve cold start

Paul Weissler

Original article available here: http://www.sae.org/mags/AEI/9688