F2008-07-023
CNG Prototype Van with CO2 Emissions Target of 120g/km
Based on questions of energy safety and the problems of emissions and air quality, the European countries aim at a stronger diversification of energy sources for traffic. Gaseous energy sources like natural and bio gas as fuel should become an essential fundament, which offer lower CO2 and pollutant emission because of their chemical composition. Moreover a clean combustion and resulting of that, lower emissions should be possible by the application of gaseous energy sources, especially for particles and nitrogen oxides. The research in the project CNG600mono lead to a CNG standard van concept with an operation range of more than 600 km as final result. The application of an optimized conventional drive train, storage and valve technologies as well as modern simulation development methods lead to feasible extremely low CO2 emission targets of about 120g/km for this vehicle concept. This is much less than the targets of the automotive industry and the European Union of about 140g/km. This efficient vehicle concept was derived by multiple system optimizations and the application of simulation technologies. The gas system of the vehicle was developed for monovalent operation. The methane storage system was extended, which resulted in increased fuel mass in the vehicle. The usage of low weight pressure vessels made of composite materials helped to keep the overall vehicle mass nevertheless acceptable. The gas system was equipped with new valve technology and separated in high pressure, middle pressure and low pressure sections resulting in an overall system optimized for an automotive application. The vehicle longitudinal performance and fuel consumption were simulated during the development process. Consequently necessary drive train improvements were defined to ensure lower fuel consumptions in city as well as on highway driving routes. In order to support the fuel efficiency of the propulsion system by low power demand of the vehicle, driving resistance minimization measurements were implemented as well. The developed concept was applied on a standard van and realized as prototype. Finally real world measurements conducted with the prototype vehicle on different driving routes supported the validation of the expected results. Under different analyzed driving conditions the CO2 emissions stayed on a very low level.
This abstract is supplemented by a PDF, which can be viewed here.
Session: Truck Concepts