Advertisement

Continental looking to market affordable start-stop system

August 3, 2010 at 5:22 pm By Jacob Alexander Filed Under International News, Technology

Auto component supplier Continental are more commonly known in the country for providing high quality tires along with brake systems, power train and vehicle electric components.

They’re now looking to introduce a low-cost solution for mild hybrid systems in smaller vehicles at the bottom end of the price range. The system will be similar to other start stop setup (also known as mild hybrid for some reason) where the vehicle automatically stops when idle, and when the clutch is pushed the engine starts up again in a few fractions of a second.

Vehicles that have electronic units that use battery power will also be free from the scourge of voltage dips with the help of a DC/DC converter when engine is restarted. Along with that, infotainment and radio will still be able to operate normally during the whole process.

All that will be needed for this system is the start stop control unit, an intelligent battery sensor and a signal from the clutch and the gearbox. The system is simple and would be able to function even if the car doesn’t have complex ECU’s or electronics. Adding to that is the fact that there will be no need to modify the engine’s ECU or the gearbox controls to accommodate the Continental system.

As with many other start-stop systems, the fuel consumption could be reduced by up to 15 percent especially in urban areas and cities. Continental would like to see their system employed in countries such as India and China, where the governments in these respective countries are looking at ways of reducing new cars CO2 output and pollution in general.

Since Continental claims its system costs relatively lower, could we see it in Proton cars in the future? Continental is an existing supplier to Proton.

19 Comments      

Bloodhound team going for the 1,000mph land speed record

July 23, 2010 at 1:33 pm By Jacob Alexander Filed Under International News, Technology

Driver Andy Green and his team will try and beat his own previous land speed record of 760mph (1,223km/h) by gunning for the 1,000mph (1,609km/h, about Mach 1.3) mark in 42 seconds. You may be thinking what could possibly propel someone from 0 to 1,000 without ripping their face off? An aircraft engine? Try a Eurofighter Typhoon jet engine.

The EJ200 engine creates more than 20,000 pounds of force which would be enough for some record breakers. Not for Green and his Bloodhound team, as they have coupled this with a hybrid rocket which pumps out a combined thrust of up to 47,500 pounds of force. Putting that into perspective, it would be equivalent to the power of 180 F1 cars.

What those big engines will be propelling is a 950kg, 12.8-meter long vehicle which was carefully designed with aerodynamic research using computational fluid dynamics to create a shape that would be stable at supersonic speeds and controllable sub-sonic velocity. This is finished off in an aerospace paint usually seen in civil and military aircrafts.

As of yet, they haven’t specified a date for their record attempt as they say it all depends on funding. If you’ve got an insatiable need for speed, try breaking the Bloodhound’s speed record. That should cool you nerves for a bit.

Check out the picture gallery after the jump for high-res pictures.
[Read more...]

10 Comments      


Bill Gates and Vinod Khosla invests in EcoMotors

July 14, 2010 at 2:50 pm By Jacob Alexander Filed Under Cars, Hybrids and Alternative Fuel, International News, Technology

When Bill Gates puts his money on something, the world pays attention. The latest being his joint investment of $23.5 million with Vinod Khosla in EcoMotors International and their Opoc technology. The Opoc engine, is an “opposed piston opposed cylinder” engine setup that is said to use 50 percent less parts and provides 50 percent more fuel efficiency. EcoMotors have said that they will use the funding for the testing and construction of demonstration units of the Opoc engine.

The Opoc engine works by the use of two opposing cylinders which contain two pistons each. The crankshaft is housed in between the opposing cylinders and is turned by the rods connected to the pistons. This system works without cylinder heads and valve trains while employing a 2-stroke like system which guarantees quick torque.

Apparently using their EM100 diesel model, which has a cylinder bore size of 100mm and weighs 134 kilogrammes, it is capable of producing a power figure of 325hp at 3500rpm along with an incredible 900Nm of torque. Another plus point would be the fact that this could use any form of fuel be it petrol, diesel or ethanol.

What has interested the two investors more than anything is the practicality of the design, which allows flexibility in its uses along with it being less expensive to manufacture, purchase, and operate. This could lead to various applications in different parts of the world where expensive electric or hybrid cars are just not practical.

Source

41 Comments      

Nissan’s range of new engines and improved CVT for 2010

July 14, 2010 at 11:39 am By Jacob Alexander Filed Under Cars, International News, Nissan, Technology

Nissan has announced a range of new drivetrains for launch this year, as part of the Nissan Green Program 2010, which main aim is to reduce carbon dioxide emissions. They include new engines, a revised CVT, Idling Stop and Clean Diesel. Eco friendly and efficient cars will now come with the PURE DRIVE brand.

The first PURE DRIVE car is the new March that will be released in Japan this month. Debuting in Geneva 2010, this small car is capable of 26 km/l fuel economy. Under that little hood is the HR12DE 1.2 litre 3-cylinder engine and the next generation XTRONIC CVT.

Developed in pursuit of lighter weight and a smaller size, the HR12DE uses less moving parts and by applying bore circularity machining to the cylinder block, friction has been reduced by 20%. Besides that, adjusting the weight balance of the engine’s rotary shaft also improves noise and vibration, which is equivalent to 4-cylinder engines.

Nissan is one of the prime movers of CVT tech and it now has a new XTRONIC CVT which is 10% smaller and 13% lighter than before, while also achieving a 30% friction reduction – the latter benefits acceleration, noise levels and fuel economy. Its gear ratio of 7.3 (versus a conventional CVT’s 6.0) is the world’s largest. The new gearbox also integrates the Idling Stop system, which Nissan says is smooth enough that the driver will hardly be aware of it working. The engine can be restarted on a slope without sliding backwards

Next up is the M9R Clean Diesel engine that powers the recently facelifted JDM X-Trail. It meets Japan’s post-new long-term regulations, the most stringent emission standards in the world. The M9R utilizes a highly dispersive lean NOx trap (LNT) catalyst, a world’s first.

Perhaps more relevant to us is the HR15DE, which is the world’s first mass-produced 1.5-litre engine with dual injectors (per cylinder). The dual injectors stabilise combustion by reducing the size of the particles sprayed in the form of a mist by approximately 60%. Combined with Continuously Variable valve Timing Control (CVTC), fuel economy has been improved by approximately 4% compared to Nissan’s current 1.5. This engine powers the Juke in Japan.

The final engine is a downsized unit in keeping with Euro trends. The MR16DDT is a 1.6-litre direct injection turbocharged engine (187 bhp/240 Nm) said to have the power of a 2.5-litre with the fuel efficiency of a 1.8-litre. It also comes with dual CVTC and hydrogen-free DLC (Diamond Like Carbon) coating along with new friction-reduced valve springs. This motor will debut in the Juke before the end of this year.

Hi res images of the new engines after the jump.
[Read more...]

18 Comments      

Panasonic relies less on platinum for catalytic converters

June 30, 2010 at 2:16 pm By Jacob Alexander Filed Under International News, Technology

New innovations that reduce costs are always welcome, and here’s one example. Panasonic has revealed a new diesel exhaust catalyst that will use 80% less platinum as compared to standard catalysts.

Found in your catalytic converter, the catalyst cleans up exhaust fumes before they leave your car, so that it contains less harmful emissions. Platinum has always been a major component in producing catalysts, and precious metal prices have been on the up. Apparently, the amount of platinum used in a standard catalytic converter can cost from $250 to $300.

Panasonic’s new catalyst will use an alkali-metal compound to coat the filter that traps and burns particulate matter in the tailpipe. This new component also consumes less energy as it treats the fumes at a temperature that is 20% lower than conventional catalysts. Its lifespan is comparable to that of current catalysts.

This new creation is Panasonic Ecology Systems’ first step into the automotive sector and the company has shipped samples to about 10 carmakers and suppliers in Japan and Europe. The company aims to bring the catalyst into mass production in 2012 and reach global sales of ¥20 billion ($220.6 million) by 2018.

Source

5 Comments      

Porsche brake energy recuperation system now standard on V8-engined Panameras

June 18, 2010 at 9:51 pm By Jacob Alexander Filed Under Cars, International News, Porsche, Technology

Porsche has announced that the Panamera has been updated with a new brake energy recuperation system which now comes as standard on all V8-engined models. This when coupled with the optional 19-inch reduced roll resistance tyres, gives an improvement of 0.9 litres per 100km, thus only using 11.3 litres per 100 km on a Panamera Turbo. While the Panamera S and 4S both produce a fuel consumption of 9.8 litres per 100 km and 10.1 litre per 100 km respectively.

Energy is recuperated while braking and when accelerating, power to the alternator is reduced thereby allowing the engine to direct all its power to the acceleration of the car. This method of charging increases fuel efficiency by another 0.7L/100km, and when used in conjunction with optional all-season tyres, this figure drops by a further 0.2 litres/100km on the Panamera models. These additions will be available from August this year.

The Panamera also now includes the optional Porsche Torque Vectoring Plus (PTV Plus) system which was previously only available on the Cayenne, supplementing Porsche Dynamic Chassis Control (PDCC) which is a fully controlled rear axle differential lock. PTV Plus intervenes in the braking of the inner rear wheel when taking a corner and improves traction when accelerating out of the bend which is also helped on by the rear axle differential.

Braking a wheel in PTV Plus sounds quite similiar to ESP systems but PDCC (like other systems such as Volkswagen’s XDS) is more performance based as opposed to ESP systems that are more to do with safety.

Porsche is also extending their range of paintwork colours, leather options and special equipment such as auxiliary heating, three-spoke sports steering wheel with gear-shift paddles. 3D maps on the navigation system are another plus, and will be able to be combined with satellite images to provide realistic-looking directions to your favourite coffee shop.

Look after the jump to revisit a photo gallery of the Panamera.
[Read more...]

4 Comments      

Valeo introduces stop-start system that works while car is still in motion

June 18, 2010 at 3:44 pm By Jacob Alexander Filed Under Cars, Citroën, International News, Peugeot, Technology

The use of start-stop technology is now available with most new cars and is a prerequisite on eco-friendly models. These systems are occasionally called “micro hybrids” due to their minor fuel saving capabilities. Valeo, one of the companies producing this system, has announced that they will be fitting their second generation start stop technology in PSA Peugeot Citroen group cars by the third quarter of 2010.

This new system is branded “i-StARS” and can be fitted on both auto and manual transmissions. Unlike previous versions of the start-stop system, the system can now cut off the engine even before the vehicle comes to a complete stop, so you can coast to a stand still in silence without burning any fuel. The maximum speed for the system to kick in is anything below 8km/h for auto transmissions and below 20km/h for manual transmissions.

Apart from that, engine re-starts are supposedly “noiseless and with no vibrations” and are effortlessly done in 400 milliseconds. This naturally increases fuel efficiency and reduces CO2 emissions by up to 15 per cent in heavy traffic.

Making it more flexible in its application within different car models, Valeo will offer i-StARS in two variants which would either be the starter-alternator or reinforced starter-based system. This strategy has secured them orders from 10 automakers to fit it within 50 vehicle models.

Valeo plan to fit 1 million Citroen and Peugeot vehicles with their technology by 2013, so don’t be surprised to see the technology in your new Peugeot sometime soon.

12 Comments      

Magneti Marelli wants auto start/stop made standard

May 20, 2010 at 3:33 pm By Paul Tan Filed Under Cars, Technology

VIDEO: BMW EfficientDynamics Auto Start/Stop System

More and more cars getting put onto our roads every year, and I’m not just talking about Kuala Lumpur where the jams while bad aren’t as insane as the gridlocks you get in some larger cities around the world. With so much time being spent in traffic jams not moving, fuel burned while idling in the jam is doing nothing but powering your air conditioning, lights and perhaps your radio, which is a little overkill and definitely a waste of fuel.

Magneti Marelli CEO Eugenio Razelli thinks that this wastage of fuel should seriously stop and we tend to agree. According to him, automatic start/stop systems should become mandatory equipment on all cars, much like catalytic converters have become a long time ago. According to him, substantial fuel savings can be achieved through the use of auto start/stop systems at a relatively low cost. We did some googling and found that replacing the starter with one capable of auto start/stop can add only about US$300 (RM960) to US$400 (RM1,285) to a car’s material cost but can save between 5% to 15% of fuel depending on conditions.

But then again it’s expected for him to say this considering Magneti Marelli develops and sells auto components such as auto start/stop systems and if first world countries with huge annual auto sales start to make auto start/stop systems mandatory, it would be a huge boost to all auto component suppliers which sell such systems, including Magneti Marelli. Valeo and Bosch are other example manufacturer of auto start/stop systems. Razelli is not alone with his idea though – car manufacturers such as PSA Peugeot Citroen have announced that it plans to make auto start/stop systems standard for all of their cars sold in the European market.

Cars with auto start/stop systems are sometimes called “micro hybrids” but they still run on conventional fuel – there is no other propulsion method. Auto start/stop systems was first introduced with manual transmissions but there are a few manufacturers who have managed to integrate the system with their automatic transmission cars as well.

The system has also been refined over time and auto start/stop systems can be considered to be in a sort of ‘second generation’ right now. At first the starting and stopping of the engine made use of a specialized quick starter, but now the restarting of the engine has been refined to the point that the system knows exactly which piston is in the best position to be used to restart the engine, further refining the smoothness and quickness of the restart process. Earlier auto start/stop systems also couldn’t run the air conditioning system when the engine is switched off but now on cars with auto start/stop, the air conditioning system is modified to run on electricity instead of off the engine’s belt.

Systems such as Mazda’s Smart Idle Stop System doesn’t even use a specialised starter, instead it restarts the engine by injecting fuel via direct injection into the cylinder and igniting it to force the piston down instead of using a conventional starter.

43 Comments      

Connect your Blackberry to BMW iDrive – coming soon!

May 4, 2010 at 4:30 pm By Paul Tan Filed Under BMW, Cars, Technology, Videos

I knew this was definitely coming sooner or later – you will soon be able to read your Blackberry push emails on your BMW’s iDrive. This has nothing to do with Blackberry maker RIM buying the QNX operating system that iDrive is based on. Instead, iDrive is accessing the emails on the Blackberry using the Bluetooth Message Access Profile feature.

You can watch a quick video walkthrough of the system in the video above. iDrive can even read out the text of your email so you can still “listen” to your email while you are driving. So it looks like the next time Auto Bavaria has Celcom Blackberry promotions (they’ve had it before with the Blackberry Storm), it might just be pre-setup to work with your BMW’s iDrive!

10 Comments      

Virus to help split water into hydrogen for fuel cells?

April 14, 2010 at 1:55 pm By Paul Tan Filed Under Cars, Hybrids and Alternative Fuel, International News, Technology

This has to be the geekiest and coolest piece of news related to the alternative fuel industry that has come out in a while. A hydrogen fuel cell is one very clean way to generate electricity on the fly in a car, eliminating the need for long waits for recharge times. But the hydrogen has to be generated first and that also requires alot of energy. One of the best sources of hydrogen is water, as it is so abundant. In fact, water is a byproduct of the fuel cell electricity generation process.

Wouldn’t it be nice if you could store the water in the car and just synthesize it into hydrogen and oxygen on the fly? The fundamental laws of physics says that this is not possible as you cannot create energy out of nothing. It would take alot of energy to separate the water into hydrogen and oxygen. There are many who claim to have ‘broken’ this law, such as the massive Hydroxene and LMG tie-up publicity that happened quite a while back in our very own Bolehland.

Researchers are looking for more and more ways to create hydrogen in a cheaper way in terms of energy expenditure than existing methods and the latest is an effort by a team in MIT. It is basically artificial photosynthesis using a modified virus and sunlight to split water into hydrogen and oxygen atoms. An engineered bacterial virus called M13 binds with the molecules of a catalyst (iridium oxide) and a biological pigment (zing porphyrins). They become wire-like devices that can efficiently split oxygen and hydrogen from water. The virii are encapsulated in a microgel matrix to maintain a uniform arrangement, keeping them stable.

“The role of the pigments is to act as an antenna to capture the light. and then transfer the energy down the length of the virus, like a wire. The virus is a very efficient harvester of light, with these porphyrins attached,” says Angela Belcher, the Germeshausen Professor of Materials Science and Engineering and Biological Engineering.

Right now what the system does is extract the oxygen, but the hydrogen atoms get split into their component protons and electrons. A second part of the system is still under development that will combine these hydrogen atom components back into proper atoms and molecules. They also need to find a cheaper catalyst.

This artificial photosynthetis still has a long way to go however. According to DuPont Professor of Materials Chemistry and Physics at Pennsylvania State University Thomas Mallouk, for this system to be cost-competitive with other approaches to solar power, it has to be at least ten times more efficient than natural photosynthesis, be repeatable a billion times, and use less expensive materials.

This isn’t going to happen in the new feature, but the ideas that this research project has brought up could help with the big picture of alternative fuel! For now, a prototype device than can carry out the splitting of water into oxygen and hydrogen should be able to be ready in two years, according to Professor Belcher.

Source

43 Comments