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Research activities dealing with subjects of public interest (e.g. emission reduction or renewable energy sources) are supported by public funding:
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FEV HYBRID POWERTRAIN(2017-2019) |
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The project "Development of a new generation of powertrain for hybrid and electric vehicles", in collaboration with FEV Italia, is a part of a wider research investigation on future technologies for CO2 emission reduction. The project is currently focussing on:
Detailed experimental campaign for each powertrain sub-system
Development of analytical models for hybrid powertrain performance prediction
Energy management strategy definition
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TIVANO Project (2014-2017) |
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The TIVANO project (Italian acronym for Innovative Technologies for New generation General Aviation Aircrafts) funded by the Italian Minister of University & Research (MIUR) within the framework of the CLUSTER projects has the target to develop new technologies for general aviation aircrafts and UAS (Unmanned Aircraft Systems). In details:
Diesel-Electric hybrid Powertrains
New low-cost composite materials
Electric brake-by-wire systems
The project tasks carried out in the e3 lab will focus on the first item developing together with other Departments of the Politecnico the first diesel-electric hybrid powertrain system for aircrafts.
Nowadays hybrid powertrain systems for aircrafts are becoming interesting since, even if does not actually exist an international regulation for general aviations emissions, many countries are pushing towards emissions reduction penalising the higher emission aircrafts.
In this context Diesel engines can bring several advantages with respect to conventional gasoline engines in the general aviation field such as:
Significant fuel consumption reduction, estimated around 30%
Good suitability for turbocharging with consequent high specific power and capability to keep the performance constant with the altitude
High torque even at low speed with positive results in terms of gearbox weight reduction
Robustness, reliability and longer maintenance intervals
Wider availability of diesel fuel (or JP-8) in comparison with gasoline for general aviation
Moreover the powertrain hybridization can enable further fuel consumption benefits thanks to the engine downsizing as well as zero emissions operating modes as green taxi.
Finally, safety could also be increased thanks to the capability of the hybrid powertrain to assist the emergency glide in case of engine failure.
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ARTEMIS Project (2014-2015) |
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ARTEMIS (Automotive PEMFC Range extender with high TEMperature Improved meas and Stacks) is a collaborative project the aim of which is the development of new high temperature PEMFC (Proton Exchange Membrane Fuel Cell) for operation up to at least 130 °C and their validation in a stack for automotive application as a range extender for electric vehicles.
Moreover, the usage of hydrogen as a fuel for the PEMFC can allow zero emissions operation of the vehicle even when the on-board power source is switched on for range extension.
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IDEA Project (2013-2015) |
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The main target of the iDea project is the development of an innovative Diesel Engine compliant with future CO2 emission regulations and which could be integrated in a multi-modal hybrid architecture.
The project is mainly divided into two research activities: the first concerning the internal combustion engine, the second dealing with the development of the hybrid powertrain and the optimization of its energy management system.
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AMPERE Project (2010-2013) |
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The main purpose of this research program is the development of a modular hybrid architecture suitable for urban buses (from 6 to 18 m) already equipped with conventional powertrains.
Moreover the project aims to design a revamping platform to update vehicles currently equipped with Euro 012 engines to buses with a serial hybrid power packs.
Finally the performance of the revamped vehicle will be evaluated in real world driving conditions through the remote monitoring of a small fleet of hybrid busses. |
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SOFTECOP - Sunflower raw Oil as a bioFuel TEchnology for COmbined heat and Power plants: an application for district heating (2010) |
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The SOFTECOP research project is focused on the analysis of the potential of the use of raw vegetable oils as fuels for large stationary diesel engines for combined heat and power generation (CHP) and District Heating (DH).
In this way, several powerful actions aiming to reduce fossil fuels consumption and greenhouse emissions will be combined, maximizing their benefits.
Since previous research activities have identified the sunflower as the most suitable vegetable crop for this application in the Piedmont area, a complete analysis (i.e. from “cradle to grave”) is being carried out, starting from the selection of the most appropriate seed from different cultivars and from testing for growth and germinability, which is being carried out by the UNITO research group. Then, after selected seed have been given to local farmers for crop production, and after oil extraction, a large stationary diesel engine installed in a CHP power plant for district heating operated by Ecotermica has been modified to run on SunFlower raw Oil (SFO), and the impact of the use of SFO on the combustion and pollutant emission formation (NOx, PM, UHC) is being deeply analyzed by the POLITO DENER and DISMIC research groups, in order to find out the most suitable engine set-up and calibration.
Finally, the analysis will be completed by comparing the CHP and DH economic and energetic results which can be obtained with SFO with the corresponding results which can be obtained with more traditional CHP plants which are usually operated with fossil fuels (i.e. natural gas), aiming to point out not only the potential benefits in terms of reduction of fossil fuels consumption and greenhouse emissions, but also to assess the economic sustainability for the use as fuels of some particular crops, such as sunflowers, which can represent an interesting option for the agricultural need of crop rotations. |
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Analysis of Last Generation Biodiesel Fuel Blends Effects on Performance and Emissions of Automotive Common Rail Small Displacement Diesel Engines (PRIN 2009) |
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The proposed research program follows and deepens the theoretical and experimental activity carried out in previous national research programs (PRIN 2004 and PRIN 2007), in order to develop methodologies for the optimization of the combustion process in automotive diesel engines fuelled with biodiesel blends, with a special focus on new generation biofuels.
The engine under test will be a small displacement (1300 cm3) automotive diesel engine, equipped with a single stage turbocharger and with a last generation Common Rail fuel injection system, with an aftertreatment system featuring a Close Coupled Diesel Oxidation Catalyst (DOC) integrated with a Diesel Particulate Filter (DPF).
The experimental investigation will be carried out by fuelling the engine with different biodiesel fuels, including FAME (Fatty Acid Methyl Ester) currently available on the European market, biodiesel obtained from Jatropha oil, and finally last generation biodiesel obtained from algae that will be made available during the research activities by the Research Unit of University of Rome Tor Vergata.
After the development of the most suitable engine control strategies to reduce exhaust emissions, combustion noise and fuel consumption, the problems connected to DPF regeneration will be tackled, since the usage of high biodiesel shares in the blend is expected to further complicate the regeneration process, especially at low engine loads and speeds which are typical of urban driving conditions. Moreover, the impact of the different biodiesel fuels on Particulate Matter will be carefully analyzed, both in terms of particle number and in terms of chemical characteristics.
Finally, technologies for the detection of the biodiesel share in the blend and for the automatic adaption of the engine calibration to the fuel blend characteristics will be developed, in order to contribute to provide to the research institutes and to the automotive industries technologies enabling in the next future the diffusion of “flex fuel” engines also for diesel automotive engines (as for the flex fuel spark ignition engines which are nowadays currently available on the market)
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Methodologies for the Optimization of the Combustion Process in Diesel Engines Fuelled with a Mixture of Diesel and Biodiesel (PRIN 2007) |
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The research program follows and deepens the theoretical and experimental activity started with a previous national research program (PRIN 2004) on the optimization of the combustion process when the engine is running with diesel/biodiesel fuel mixtures. The engine under test is a 4 cylinder, 4 valve-per-cylinder, 1300 cm3 displacement, direct injection Common Rail Diesel engine equipped with variable geometry turbocharger, and cooled EGR.
The Design of Experiment (DoE) techniques are being exploited to determine different optimization methodologies for the combustion process of unconventional fuel mixtures, using appropriate engine control strategies to reduce exhaust emissions, combustion noise and fuel consumption.
Along with the experimental research activity, numerical simulation and CFD analysis of the in-cylinder spray formation and evaporation is performed, to evaluate the effects of different diesel/biodiesel fuel mixtures on the fuel/air mixing and on the combustion evolution.
The main results of the research activity are the increase of the know-how on the optimization of the control parameters and tuning of high speed Diesel engine running with diesel/biodiesel mixtures. These results will provide to the industrial and academic researchers new strategies and tools for the optimization of spray strategies, of boost and EGR control and of the combustion process in order to reduce exhaust emissions, fuel consumption and combustion noise of Diesel engines when running with non-conventional fuels.
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Methodologies for the Optimization of Multiple Fuel Injections in High-Speed Diesel Engines (PRIN 2004) |
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The project aims to define a methodology for the optimization of the calibration of small common rail diesel engines, with focus on multiple injections, through an extensive theoretical and experimental activity.
Optimizations are performed on numerical models of the engines, that are then validated with experimental investigations.
The definition of a proper objective function (due to the complexity of the system response) and the selection of the most effective search method for optimum calibration are the main challenges within this project.
Results of the activity include the definition of effective Design of Experiments and Genetic Optimization techniques for small high-speed Diesel engines, as well as the creation of a wide experimental data-base for numerical models validation. |
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