FEV GmbH highlights evolutionary powertrain technologies at Aachen Colloquium

Exhibit illustrates FEV’s depth of expertise as it drives fast-paced industry changes

Aachen, Germany, October 5, 2012 – FEV GmbH, (FEV) a leading developer of advanced powertrain and vehicle system technologies based in Aachen, Germany, will exhibit its core expertise at the Aachen Colloquium, including examples that demonstrate how it is successfully applying that expertise to the fast paced changes in vehicle propulsion system development. The Colloquium takes place 7 – 9 Oct. 2013 at the Eurogress Aachen Exhibition Center. Additionally, FEV will showcase its vehicle systems capabilities, including electronics and infotainment.

The Aachen Colloquium is the largest automotive and engine technology congress in Europe, attracting over 1,800 industry professionals annually. FEV is a major exhibitor at the annual event and will present numerous technical papers that demonstrate advances in powertrain technology.

“There is no longer one answer to the question of which propulsion system is best,” said Prof. Stefan Pischinger, CEO of FEV GmbH. “The Colloquium is a place where the leading companies can come together to exchange ideas about the future of our industry and the technologies that will sustain it.

These and other technologies will be exhibited at FEV’s exhibit stand:

Friction Reduction Engine Mock Up

FEV will highlight its capabilities to achieve low-friction engine designs.  FEV engineers applied the company’s friction database — the world’s largest — in-house software and other engineering tools to cost effectively reduce CO₂ emissions and improve fuel economy to develop a low-friction engine that will be shown at the Colloquium. These friction reduction measures, which can be applied to the crankshaft and pistons, valvetrain, lubrication and cooling circuits, and transmission, have been shown to be much less expensive than electrification while providing a large fraction of the overall benefit. The application of these and other friction reduction measures, via detailed optimization of engine and transmission components, show that a fuel consumption reduction in the NEDC of more than 8% is possible for a C-class vehicle with a 1.8-liter turbocharged, inline, four-cylinder engine. The friction reduction technology will be displayed in a Lamborghini Avantador featuring a V12, 700 hp engine.

Infotainment Systems Testing

FEV will be showing the DGE-developed Human Machine Interface test system for the first time. DGE, a subsidiary of FEV, developed the Human-Machine test systems internally. The system design allows each testing tool to be quickly reconfigured in order to characterize and identify system defects as they arise. This is a major advantage as next-generation infotainment and telematics systems will integrate both vehicular and cloud-based devices.

Diesel Cylinder Head Converted for CNG Operation

Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) has long been used in commercial vehicles that would typically operate as a diesel-powered vehicle. FEV continues to explore the application of lower-cost CNG to improve performance while maintaining reduced fuel consumption. FEV will display a design study of a diesel cylinder head modified for use with CNG, a development that could accelerate conversion of vehicles to this efficient, reduced emissions fuel.

Engine Development
Neander

FEV will display the Neander diesel outboard marine engine, a small outboard engine for the competitive 40 to 60 horsepower commercial market.  Displacing just 800 cc, the Neander marine diesel features a chain-driven camshaft, hydraulic chain tensioner, common-rail direct fuel injection and “square” 80 mm bore and stroke. What makes it truly unique, however, is its double crankshaft. Each piston pin is designed as a “space ball” connected to a pair of side-by-side connecting rods that drive a pair of offset counter-rotating crankshafts. This distinctive layout results in an efficient, light, compact and powerful engine with exemplary smoothness and refinement. FEV provided CAE and testing support for this innovative program.

Single Cylinder Engine Family

A single-cylinder engine (SCE) family, developed internally by FEV, will be displayed that features a highly flexible and modular design. The engine has recently been successfully adapted to the specific needs of a FEV customer to cost-effectively speed the engine development process. Use of such an engine eliminates the need for many expensive multi-cylinder tests and, hence, offers substantially lower operating costs over the full product design and development cycle when compared to multi-cylinder engine testing alone.

Other components of the FEV exhibit include:

Engines

FEV will display a variety of engines in which it has participated as a development partner including:

• GM 1.6 L engine
• Deutz Trier4f engine

Transmission

• FEV developed 7-speed DCT – this dry dual clutch transmission features a low-complexity gearset with only 3 synchronizer units, an industry first.
• P-REX 1 Plug-In Hybrid transmission – the FEV developed transmission features 2-speed pure electric driving and a combustion engine range extender that runs in parallel mode for highway efficiency. FEV was responsible for concept though calibration.

Exhaust

• Combined Aftertreatment System- FEV developed a combination of a closed coupled Lean NOx Trap and SCR coated Diesel Particulate Filter for maximum NOx conversion through the complete operating range.
• FEV worked with Deutz AG to reduce emissions through a broad range of Deutz engines, designed for industrial and agricultural use. FEV provided development of a software platform for the application of passive DPF-systems resulting in:
  • Highly accurate raw emission model (NOx, Soot)
  • Variant independence of the raw emission model
  • Highest model accuracy for the passive regeneration mode
  • Direct consideration of ambient conditions
  • FEV also provided calibration and validation of DPF and roof of thermal-shock resistance

Calibration

• FEV will be displaying its TOPExpert ASM box (actuator sensor manipulation) developed to address increasingly complex algorithms that are required to detect malfunctions.  The FEV-developed TOPExpert 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. 

Range Extender

• FEV will exhibit a Fuel Cell Range Extender Module Prototype, which includes a 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. FEV was also responsible for vehicle integration into a Fiat 500 demonstrator vehicle, and the design of several components in conjunction with VKA.

Ride and Drive Opportunities

• FEV-developed technology is featured in the Fiat 500 electric vehicle developed by KSPG.
• Tool Mini demonstrating FEV’s branch of vehicle calibration tools
• Kia Sportage LPG