FEV showcases expertise at 23. Aachen Colloquium

FEV presentations and exhibits tackle current challenges of automotive development

At the 23. Aachen Colloquium Automobile and Engine Technology FEV is presenting and discussing solutions for current and upcoming challenges in mobility, automotive technology and powertrain development (Image: FEV GmbH).

Aachen, 6 October 2014 – As a major contributor to the 23. Aachen Colloquium Automobile and Engine Technology (ACK) from 6 to 8 October, FEV is presenting solutions for current and upcoming challenges in mobility, automotive technology and powertrain development: Speeches and exhibits emphasize solutions to improve the combustion process in spark and diesel ignition engines, and to reduce emissions from passenger cars to heavy duty applications. To illustrate that point, FEV presents, among other things, its two-stage Variable Compression Ratio (VCR) connecting rod as an enabler for several future technologies.
Alternative fuels and powertrains are presented in the form of a BMW i8 plug-in hybrid vehicle and in the form of a liquid cooled high performance battery module for use in Plug-In Hybrid Vehicles.
Software solutions in powertrain development mainly focus on reduced complexity, time and costs. FEV presents its new PERSIST tool chain and the FEV Virtual Engine simulation tool for advanced powertrain dynamics analysis.
The Aachen Colloquium is one of the largest automotive and engine technology congress in Europe, attracting over 1,800 industry professionals per year. Additionally, approximately more than 400 experts will participate in the Aachen Colloquium in Beijing on 13 and 14 November.

“In addition to our presentations on alternative powertrains and software solutions enhancing the development process and decreasing complexity, we are focusing on further improvements for combustion engines,” Professor Stefan Pischinger, President and CEO of the FEV group explains. “The ongoing trend of downsizing and supercharging of engines has already achieved impressive results but leads to an increased tendency to combustion knock at higher engine loads. Varying the compression ratio during engine operation is one measure to tackle this limitation and to improve fuel consumption.“

Emission reduction for spark ignition and diesel engines in passenger cars and heavy-duty applications
Against this background, FEV developed a two-stage VCR connecting rod. “The idea of being able to vary the compression ratio of a running engine has long been investigated by engine developers however until now suspended due to its complexity,” is how Dr. Henning Baumgarten, Vice-President Gasoline Engines at FEV, explains the history of this development. “Today, FEV is at an advanced stage with systems designed to achieve VCR on engines with both spark and diesel ignition.”

In the FEV two-stage VCR system, variation in connecting rod length is realized by installing the small end (piston pin) bearing in a rotatable eccentric. VCR offers the benefits of lower compression ratio at full load, resulting in lower pressures and temperatures at the end of compression, allied to a higher compression ratio at part load without knock limitation, which is advantageous in terms of fuel consumption and hence CO₂ emissions. Exhibitions at the ACK include VCR connection rods for spark ignition and diesel engines.

More conventional capabilities of combustion engines with respect to emissions and fuel consumption are represented by the new Yanmar TNV engine series. The TNV engine, developed by Yanmar with strong FEV support, is dedicated to off-road applications and complies with strict Tier 4 emission regulations.

A Volkswagen AG-developed 3-cylinder TDI® engine with a displacement of 1.4 liters was optimized within the work scope of the EU project “Powerful”. In close cooperation with Volkswagen and FEV, engine measures as well as a special exhaust aftertreatment system have been developed to reach CO₂ emissions below 98 g/km in the NEDC and below the EU6 emission limits by a margin of 10 percent. These impressive results were realized in a VW Golf Variant test vehicle.

Alternative powertrains and fuels
In addition to its focus on conventional combustion engines, FEV is also showing solutions for hybrid and electric powertrains, including the BMW i8 plug-in hybrid vehicle.

A liquid cooled high performance battery module for use in Plug-In Hybrid Vehicles completes the presentations on alternative powertrains. The battery delivers a nominal energy of 1.2 kWh and offers an energy density of 130 Wh/kg.

The FEV experience in alternative fuels is the topic of a conference which will be held on 4 and 5 November, but it can be previewed at the ACK in form of a Daimler’s MDEG gas fuelled engine and BMW’s N20 Flex Fuel engine. Additionally, FEV and other partners are currently developing a range extender operated by CNG.

Connected vehicle
The joint FEV and Denso Automotive development project, “CITY-e”, demonstrates car-to-car communication between two FEV fleet electric vehicles. This development platform aims for the creating of new and intelligent communication services (iCS) and subsequently verification in fleet tests. The infrastructure consists of extended CAN bus access to the car and drive system data and an intelligent connection unit (iCU). This makes it possible to process vehicle data, in addition to various external data, to support new communication services. Processed information can be used for the assistance of the driver as well as traffic control centers and other authorities to resolve traffic disruptions.

Software strategy reducing complexity and development costs
As a countermeasure to combat the increasing complexity of automotive powertrains and software, FEV has integrated software development process, design principles and the accompanying toolchain for embedded software. The PERSIST framework combines architecture design principles with tools to enable software product line development for the entire software lifecycle from early prototyping stages to series code. Control code is simplified while quality increases through reuse of code and calibration. Development time and cost decrease significantly.

Another approach to increase development efficiency is provided by FEV Virtual Engine. “Our advanced simulation tool for powertrain development allows virtual powertrain dynamics analysis,” Mustafa Duyar, Product Business Manager for FEV Virtual Engine, explains. ”This transfers an amount of the development work from test bench to simulation, thus improving development quality and costs.”

The open and broad modelling capabilities of FEV Virtual Engine are ideally suited to analyze not only all components of conventional powertrains but also innovative designs from belt driven start/stop systems to complete hybrid powertrains.

Additionally, the new compact version of FEV’s Actuator Sensor Manipulation (ASM) Box is displayed. The ASM Box allows manipulation of electrical signals that are exchanged between the actuators/sensors and the ECU, thus generating realistic failure patterns during development and vehicle homologation. The compact version is designed as a lower priced alternative to the full-size ASM Box and for the first time ever incorporates an O₂ sensor manipulation module for LSU5.1 sensor types. Furthermore, the system offers a government agency mode for use in administrative bodies.

FEV stands available to discuss these and other challenges and technologies at the 23. Aachen Colloquium Automobile and Engine Technology which is taking take place from 6 to 8 October 2014 in the Eurogress Aachen.

About FEV
The FEV Group with headquarters in Aachen, Germany, is an internationally recognized development service provider for drive and vehicle technologies. The company offers its global transport industry customers a complete range of engineering services, providing support in the design, analysis and prototyping for powertrain and transmission development, as well as vehicle integration, calibration and homologation for advanced internal combustion gasoline-, diesel-, and alternative-fuelled powertrains. FEV's competencies also include design, development and prototyping of innovative vehicle concepts, powertrain electronic control systems and hybrid-electric engine concepts that address future emission and fuel economy standards. The Test Systems division is a global supplier of advanced test cell, instrumentation and test equipment. The FEV Group employs a staff of over 3,000 highly skilled specialists at advanced technical centres on three continents.