Review of the Research Program of the Partnership for a New Generation of Vehicles Sixth Report (2000) / Chapter Skim
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5. Major Crosscutting Issues
5. Major Crosscutting Issues
Pages 69-87
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From page 69... ...
BACKGROUND The PNGV Concept The basic concept underlying the automotive industry/government partnership is the fulfillment of automobile-related societal goals, as perceived by the federal government, with minimum disruption to the industry's ability to meet marketplace demands. The PNGV was formed to develop technology through cooperative research among the three automobile companies and federal research entities that would enable a substantial improvement in the fuel economy of new vehicles without sacrificing desirable market characteristics.
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From page 70... ...
the attainment of all aspects of the "stretch" Goal 3, namely, the development by 2004 of a production prototype midsize sedan that meets all emission and safety standards, has a fuel economy up to 80 mpg, and costs no more than conventional 1994 family sedans, adjusted for economics 2. the development of vehicles by 2004 with a fuel economy and cost tradeoff that maximize potential market penetration and meet Tier 2 emission requirements 3.
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From page 71... ...
In the third definition, success is reflected by the commercial introduction of radically new technology, such as a fuel-cell power plant, rather than the construction of a specific short-term prototype production vehicle. MAJOR ACHIEVEMENTS AND TECHNICAL BARRIERS Goals 1 and 2 Although most of the discussion about achievements and barriers is directed toward Goal 3, the committee found evidence of continuing and significant progress toward achieving goals 1 and 2: · the successful completion of a project to demonstrate continuous cast sheets of Series 5000 aluminum for body structures and a follow-up project to develop similar processes for exterior body parts several smaller efforts to expand aluminum manufacturing and assembly capabilities and an alliance between the automotive and aluminum industries to address standardization, scrap recovery, and other issues · cost reduction of carbon-fiber composites, improvement of their properties, and development of new manufacturing techniques, as well as the recycling and design of hybrid material bodies · the development of techniques for predicting aluminum springback .
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From page 72... ...
Vehicle Engineering A number of accomplishments have been achieved in vehicle engineering, including the following: . · the fabrication and testing of a lightweight hybrid material body to validate weight reduction of more than 40 percent · the completion of an energy-efficient occupant-comfort project with a 75 percent reduction in required energy achieved, for example, by reduced thermal mass of the vehicle interior, improved efficiency of the heating and cooling systems, and optimized thermal management · the completion of a lightweight interior project demonstrating a 157-lb (71-kg)
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From page 73... ...
. Fuel Cells The following significant fuel-cell developments have been made: · the operation of an Epyx gasoline (fuel-flexible)
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From page 74... ...
To meet projected emission requirements, CIDI engines will require a new fuel (e.g., with low sulfur and aromatics) , a low-cost after-treatment system with NOX reduction efficiencies of more than 75 percent, at least a 50-percent effective PM trap, and a minimal effect on fuel economy.
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From page 75... ...
ADEQUACY AND BALANCE OF THE PNGV PROGRAM Distribution of Funding Figure 5-1 shows an industry analysis of funding by technology for PNGV from the DOE Office of Advanced Automotive Technologies over the life of the PNGV. The decrease in funding for hybrid propulsion systems since 1998 is substantial, as is the corresponding increase in funding for fuel cells.
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From page 76... ...
45.0 40.0 ~n ·° 35.0.F Dig ~ 30.0. _ > 25.0z ~ 20.0o 15.0 1nn Hybrid propulsion systems High-power batteries Power electronics Fuel cells Combustion and after-treatment Fuels Propulsion materials Lightweight materials \ /\ \ · \ .# \ ~ , ~ , ,.
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From page 77... ...
After-treatment systems for control of NOx and PM emissions from CIDI engines are under intensive study, but the proposed systems appear to be cumbersome, expensive, and not effective enough to meet Tier 2 standards. The possible emission benefits of an HEV configuration with electric motors and batteries have not yet been determined and should be an immediate subject of study in the PNGV.
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From page 78... ...
Figure 5-1 shows that the major DOE funding is being devoted to some of these major problems, namely, emissions after-treatment, high-power batteries, and power electronics. The development of HEV propulsion systems is the object of major efforts by industry, and the committee was reassured to see that serious concerns about costs were raised in all of the presentations at the committee meetings.
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From page 79... ...
Therefore, the new emissions requirements may require PNGV to shift its development efforts away from the highly efficient CIDI engine and toward the adaptation of other internal combustion engines that have more potential for extremely low emissions. USCAR and the government agencies involved in the PNGV should begin serious discussions about whether lesser improvements in fuel economy with the alternative engines available for the next phase of the program (the 4SDI spark-ignition engine and the port fuel-injected gasoline spark-ignition engine)
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From page 80... ...
However, looking ahead to 2004, a different balance of effort will be required, and the new balance will depend heavily on the course each company chooses to follow. For example, if the companies choose to continue working toward production prototypes with a CIDI engine in an HEV configuration, then a major effort will have to be mounted on emissions control for that power plant and a determination made of the benefit of optimizing that system for emissions control rather than for efficiency.
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From page 81... ...
Based on the quantitative goal for vehicle fuel economy stated in Goal 3, and because significant advances were being made on the CIDI engine emissions control system, the CIDI engine was selected as the most fuel efficient power train likely to be available in the time frame of the program. A major investigation of the effects of fuel composition on the system efficiencies was also integrated into the program (see Chapter 2~.
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From page 82... ...
Concerns about reducing emissions of greenhouse gases has stimulated a large increase in the use of diesel engines in Europe and the rest of the world, for both trucks and passenger cars. The new standards will certainly require that the PNGV program reassess the relative merits of the CIDI engine and the gasoline spark-ignition engine as its power plant of choice and will certainly reduce the likelihood of meeting the 80 mpg fuel economy goal.
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From page 83... ...
As the committee pointed out in previous reports, the primary vehicle power plants under consideration by the PNGV program could have wide-ranging effects on the fuels industry (NRC, 1998, 1999~. Thus, to ensure the availability of the required fuels, the petroleum industry must be involved in the program in a timely fashion.
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From page 84... ...
This is accomplished by a combination of recovering gasoline fractions found naturally in crude oil, cracking high molecular weight streams to gasoline, converting low molecular weight streams to gasoline, and upgrading the gasoline to meet requirements, such as octane and sulfur level. On a volumetric basis, the amount of diesel fuel produced is about 30 percent of the amount of gasoline produced.
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From page 85... ...
As DOE finalizes the plan for this program, the committee encourages DOE to focus on longer term objectives, such as the production of biofuels, and to defer to industry on shorter term objectives, such as the production of gasoline and diesel fuels with specific sulfur levels and engine optimization studies. Programs by other government agencies could provide useful information about changes in fuel composition.
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From page 86... ...
. Although methanol is not widely available, given adequate time to establish a distribution system and additional methanol production facilities, it could be distributed to existing service stations and dispensed to vehicles.
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From page 87... ...
Fourth, gasoline molecules form soot in the reformer, suggesting that the hydrocarbon stream would have to be lighter than conventional gasoline and that sulfur levels would have to be very low. In light of the infrastructure costs of hydrogen storage and the status of the onboard reforming program, the committee feels that PNGV should assess approaches for generating hydrogen at service stations by, for example, reforming natural gas or gasoline.
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