FEV UK Ltd. announces technology line-up for Low Carbon Vehicle (LCV) Event Cenex

Beside future technologies in drive systems like the Range Extender for E-Vehicle and the Fuel Cell Range Extender “BREEZE“ the focus of the exhibition will be on the FEV-developed engine concept with variable compression ratio.

Coventry, July 2014 – FEV UK Ltd., a subsidiary of FEV, a global leader in engineering services for propulsion and advanced vehicle systems, today announced the technologies that will be shown at the LCV Event Cenex in Millbrook. The exhibits and demonstrators will focus primarily on approaches to solutions for emissions and CO₂ reduction.

„The current Euro 6-standard and a tighter CO₂-legislation requires an accelerated development of new technologies in drive systems.” stated Professor Stefan Pischinger. „Beside other innovative approaches the FEV-developed engine concept with variable compression ratio could in fact have much to contribute towards achieving the firm targets.“

Specific exhibits include:

CO₂-Reduction – Demonstrator Lotus Elise

A possibility to reach a significant Emission- and CO₂-reduction without hybridisation might be the FEV-developed concept „Variable compression ratio (VCR)“. The VCR is a two-step variable compression ratio adjustment, which does not require any external forces but is just actuated through gas and mass forces. With the aid of VCR the compression ratio of the efficiency of turbocharged engines can be set to its optimum in the entire map and hence contributes to lower carbon emissions.

Calibration – Demonstrator Vehicle Mini together with TOPExpert

Most modern tools and methods are applied to shorten development lead times. FEV’s TOPExpert Suite is the central platform for all of the calibration tools used by FEV. It provides software solutions for almost any calibration task throughout an engine / vehicle development process. The Software will be presented together with the TOPExpert ASM box (actuator sensor manipulation), developed to address increasingly complex algorithms that are required to detect malfunctions. The ASM box offers a solution to this challenge by manipulating the electrical actuator and sensor signals that are exchanged between the actuator/sensor and the ECU to generate realistic failure patterns in the engine and exhaust system. These patterns can then be detected by appropriate monitoring strategies.

Fuel Cell Range Extender – BREEZE

At the event, FEV will exhibit a Fuel Cell Range Extender Module, which includes an FEV-developed Controller Module consisting of a battery management system, a cell voltage measurement unit and a battery module. The technology was developed as part of the Breeze! project, a publically funded, collaborative effort between FEV, the Graebener Group, the Institute for Combustion Engines (VKA) at the RWTH Aachen, and ZBT GmbH.

KSPG-Range Extender

The excitement that accompanies the concept of pure electric driving begins to deteriorate when the discussion turns towards the relative driving range. Therefore KSPG and FEV developed a Range Extender, which is characterised by unique noise reduction measures. For the first time, the roll moment compensation system developed by FEV, called FEVcom, has been employed to minimize the noise excitation of the vehicle’s structure. The engine is a cost-effective, compact and universally applicable solution to extend the reach of electrically-powered vehicles.

Demonstrator BMW i3

FEV is going to present the first series-produced E-Vehicle with Range Extender by a German OEM, which might be tested at the booth.

About FEV UK Ltd.

FEV UK Ltd., is a wholly-owned subsidiary of FEV equipped with their own test facilities. Contact partner in Coventry, UK allows FEV to react directly in case of changing customer requirements.