US DRIVE Highlights of Technical Accomplishments 2013

75 Pages·2014·14.75 MB·English

U.S. DRIVE

Highlights of Technical Accomplishments Overview

Through precompetitive collaboration and technical information exchange, U.S. DRIVE partners are

accelerating the development and availability of clean, efficient automotive and energy technologies.

The U.S. DRIVE Partnership (Driving Research for Vehicle efficiency and Energy sustainability) is a
voluntary government-industry partnership focused on precompetitive, advanced automotive and related
infrastructure technology research and development (R&D). Partners are the United States Department of
Energy (DOE); the United States Council for Automotive Research LLC (USCAR), a consortium composed of
Chrysler Group LLC, Ford Motor Company, and General Motors Company; Tesla Motors, Inc.; five energy
companies, (BP America, Chevron Corporation, Phillips 66 Company, ExxonMobil Corporation, and Shell
Oil Products US); two electric utilities, DTE Energy and Southern California Edison; and the Electric Power
Research Institute.
By providing a framework for frequent and regular interaction among technical experts in common areas of
expertise, the Partnership accelerates technical progress, helps to avoid duplication of efforts, ensures that
publicly-funded research delivers high-value results, and overcomes high-risk barriers to technology
commercialization.
U.S. DRIVE partners selected the technical highlights in this document from many hundreds of DOE-funded
projects conducted by some of the nation’s top scientists and engineers. Each one-page summary represents
what DOE and automotive, energy, and utility industry partners collectively consider to be significant
progress in the development of advanced automotive and infrastructure technologies. The report is
organized by technical area, with highlights in three general categories:
Vehicle Technologies
• Advanced Combustion and Emission Control
• Electrical and Electronics
• Electrochemical Energy Storage
• Fuel Cells
• Materials
• Vehicle Systems and Analysis
Crosscutting Technologies
• Codes and Standards
• On-board Hydrogen Storage
• Grid Interaction
Fuel Infrastructure Technologies
• Fuel Pathway Integration
• Hydrogen Delivery
• Hydrogen Production
Page i | Preface
More information about U.S. DRIVE, including prior year accomplishments reports, is available on the DOE
(www.vehicles.energy.gov/about/partnerships/usdrive.html) and USCAR (www.uscar.org) websites.
Advanced automotive and energy infrastructure technologies are entering the market in increasing numbers,
and technologies that were only concepts less than a decade ago are now approaching initial commercial
readiness. These advancements are the result of partners working together to achieve a common goal. With
continued progress resulting from the joint efforts of government, industry, and academic experts, the U.S.
DRIVE Partnership is helping to increase the competitiveness of American industry and secure U.S.
leadership in an increasingly competitive global market to enable a clean and sustainable transportation
energy future.
Page ii | Preface
Table of Contents
VEHICLE TECHNOLOGIES ...................................................................................................... 1
Advanced Combustion and Emission Control ..................................................................................... 1
Lean Downsized Boosted Engine Projected to Improve Combined-cycle Fuel Economy by 25% ... 2
Fundamental Differences between Gasoline and Diesel Fuel Sprays Revealed ............................. 3
Optical Engine Reveals How Post Injections Reduce Soot and Unburned Fuel for Efficient Diesel
Combustion Options ....................................................................................................................... 4
Research Clarifies Chemistry of Negative Valve Overlap Fueling for Control of Gasoline Auto-
ignition ............................................................................................................................................ 5
EGR Probe Enables Improved Model-based Engine Design .......................................................... 6
Bimetallic Catalysts Reduce Emissions Associated with Low Temperature Exhaust from Fuel
Efficient Engines ............................................................................................................................. 7
Emissions Control System Exposed to 20% Biodiesel-level Metals Meets Full Useful Life Emission
Standard ......................................................................................................................................... 8
New Method Developed to Assess Engine Efficiency Opportunities ............................................... 9
Study of GDI PM Size, Shape, and Composition Highlights Control Challenges that Differ from
Diesels .......................................................................................................................................... 10
Electrical and Electronics ................................................................................................................. 11
Inverter Achieves DOE’s 2015 Goals ............................................................................................ 12
Improved DC Bus Capacitors Using Glass Dielectrics .................................................................. 13
Thermoplastics Show Excellent Reliability for Power Electronics Packaging ................................ 14
Integrated Heat Exchanger for Power Electronics ......................................................................... 15
Electrochemical Energy Storage ...................................................................................................... 16
High Energy NMC /Silicon Alloy Li-ion Automotive Cell................................................................. 17
Voltage Fade and Hysteresis Mechanisms in LMR-NMC Composite Electrodes .......................... 18
Effect of Coatings on the Voltage Fade Challenge in Layered/Layered Cathodes for High-energy
Batteries ....................................................................................................................................... 19
Process Development and Scale-up of Advanced Cathode Materials for High-energy Batteries ... 20
Lowering the Cost and Improving the Performance of Separators for Lithium-ion Batteries .......... 21
Silicon Anodes in High-energy Vehicle Batteries .......................................................................... 22
Electrolytes Based on Imide Salt Solutions in Fluorinated Solvents with Improved Abuse Tolerance
..................................................................................................................................................... 23
Page iii | Preface
Reducing Electrode Coating Process Costs Using Light Cured Binders ....................................... 24
Innovative Cell Materials and Designs for High-energy Electric Vehicle Batteries ......................... 25
Isothermal Battery Calorimeters: Crucial Tools for Advancing Electric Drive Vehicles .................. 26
Water-based Lithium-ion Battery Electrode Manufacturing ........................................................... 27
Electrolyte Additives Enabling High-voltage Cathodes .................................................................. 28
Advanced Lithium-ion 12V Start-Stop Automotive Battery Meets Performance Requirements ...... 29
Maxwell Delivers System Six Times Smaller than Predecessor .................................................... 30
Advanced Monoblock Battery for 12-Volt Start/Stop Vehicles ....................................................... 31
High-performance Lithium-ion Battery for Electric Vehicles ........................................................... 32
Fuel Cells ......................................................................................................................................... 33
Lower-cost High-activity Thin Film Electrocatalysts ....................................................................... 34
Roll-processed Durable Supports for Fuel Cell Membranes .......................................................... 35
High-activity De-alloyed Platinum Catalysts .................................................................................. 36
Improved Understanding of Mechanism for Non-precious Metal Fuel Cell Catalysts ..................... 37
Enhanced Understanding of Durability and Performance Trade-offs Using Advanced Microscopy 38
Low Platinum Carbon Composite Catalyst .................................................................................... 39
Materials .......................................................................................................................................... 40
Integrated Computational Materials Engineering Approach to Development of Lightweight 3GAHSS
..................................................................................................................................................... 41
Vehicle Mass: Road Load & Energy Consumption Impact ............................................................ 42
Carbon Fiber Technology Facility ................................................................................................. 43
Magnesium Front End Research and Development ...................................................................... 44
Implementation of Structural Composite Underbody Technologies ............................................... 45
High-speed Joining of Dissimilar Alloy Aluminum Tailor-welded Blanks ........................................ 46
Aluminum Formability Extension through Superior Blank Processing ........................................... 47
Validation of Crash Models for Carbon Composites ...................................................................... 48
Vehicle Systems and Analysis .......................................................................................................... 49
Advanced Transmission Impact on Fuel Displacement ................................................................. 50
Reducing Climate Control Loads in Electric Vehicles .................................................................... 51
DC Fast Charge Effects on Electric Vehicle Battery Performance ................................................. 52
Providing Public Access to Advanced Vehicle Test Data .............................................................. 53
Page iv | Preface
CROSSCUTTING TECHNOLOGIES ....................................................................................... 54
Codes and Standards ....................................................................................................................... 54
First International Regulation Governing Fuel Cell Electric Vehicles Facilitates Global
Commercialization ........................................................................................................................ 55
On-board Hydrogen Storage ............................................................................................................ 56
Material Requirements for Viable Vehicular Hydrogen Storage via Chemical Hydrogen Storage .. 57
Advanced Models Reveal Optimal Hydrogen Storage System Design from Millions of Potential
Configurations .............................................................................................................................. 58
Enhanced Materials and Designs Reduce the Cost of On-board Hydrogen Storage Tanks by 15%
..................................................................................................................................................... 59
Grid Interaction ................................................................................................................................. 60
Independent Testing of Wireless Power Transfer System ............................................................. 61
FUEL INFRASTRUCTURE TECHNOLOGIES ......................................................................... 62
Fuel Pathway Integration .................................................................................................................. 62
Updated Hydrogen Fuel Pathway Analysis Reveals Improvements in Cost and Emissions .......... 63
Hydrogen Station Dispensing Pressure Analysis .......................................................................... 64
Hydrogen Delivery ............................................................................................................................ 65
World’s First Oil-free Centrifugal Hydrogen Compressor ............................................................... 66
Hydrogen Production ........................................................................................................................ 67
Hydrogen Cost from Polymer Electrolyte Membrane Electrolysis Updated ................................... 68
Efficient Hydrogen Production through Isothermal Hercynite Cycle Water Splitting ....................... 69

Page v | Preface
VEHICLE TECHNOLOGIES
Advanced Combustion
and Emission Control
2013 U.S. DRIVE Highlight
Lean Downsized Boosted Engine Projected to Improve
Combined-cycle Fuel Economy by 25%
Project identifies potential of lean stratified combustion with intake pressure boosting, air motion control, and
EGR to improve efficiency while maintaining power and torque.
General Motors, Ricardo, Bosch, Umicore
Researchers studied the improvement in engine (stop/start), which improves fuel economy by 5%.
efficiency with lean (excess air) stratified gasoline Including stop/start, the projected combined cycle
fuel, exhaust gas recirculation (EGR), intake fuel economy improvement was 25%.
pressure boosting, and reduced displacement.
Lean operation with EGR improved efficiency at This engine was installed in a mid-sized car and
light to medium loads. Boosting extended the demonstrated with stop-start. Researchers
efficiency improvements to higher loads and developed a passive selective catalytic reduction
enabled the reduction in engine displacement (SCR) aftertreatment system combined with
while maintaining the maximum power and active urea control. The passive SCR enabled
torque. significant reduction in urea consumption. This
aftertreatment system demonstrated partial zero-
The engine components consisted of direct fuel emission vehicle emission capability with the first-
injection into the combustion chamber formed generation lean naturally aspirated engine
with a specific piston design. The fuel was injected developed as part of this project.
in multiple pulses to improve fuel-air mixing.

Cooled EGR was added to control engine-out NOx
emissions. Air motion was controlled and BSFC
Speed
Im pr o v em ent
augmented with a port throttle to reduce (RPM) Lo ad (n -mA) P FI t o LDB
Idle 700 19 0%
combustion variations at lean conditions. A Zone 2 1335 27 30%
turbocharger increased the air flow mass since y an Zone 3 1565 28 31%
lean operation required larger air flow than typical CitUrb ZZoonnee 45 11850350 2995 375%%

Zone 6 1821 80 9%
for the engine size. With these technologies, the Zone 7 2250 101 7%

four-cylinder engine displacement was reduced ay Zone 8 1410 51 16%
w Zone 9 1669 60 14%
h
from 2.4 to 1.4L. g Zone 10 1461 114 3%
Hi Zone 11 1692 100 6%
p
The engine was tested using an engine City 26%
Projected FE
dynamometer at 12 key points representing U.S.
Improvement by Highway 12%
city and highway driving. Relative to the 2.4L
Engine
Combined 21%
port-injected engine with stoichiometric
homogenous gasoline fuel, the brake-specific fuel Stop/Start FE Improvement 5%
consumption (BSFC) was improved by up to 35%,
Projected Vehicle FE Improvement 25%
as shown in Figure 1. Using the measured data,

the projected improvements in city and highway
Figure 1. BSFC improvements at 12 key points and projected fuel
fuel economy were 26% and 12%, respectively for
economy improvements for lean, downsized boosted engine.
a mid-sized passenger car. The projected
combined cycle fuel-economy improvement was
21%. A vehicle implementation would include a
system to stop the engine when the vehicle stops
Page 2 | Advanced Combustion and Emission Control Technical Team
2013 U.S. DRIVE Highlight
Fundamental Differences between Gasoline and Diesel
Fuel Sprays Revealed
New theoretical description of fuel injection process is developed, which points the way to advanced
injection and combustion models.
Sandia National Laboratories
The combination of advanced theory and high- A key output from the theory is a regime diagram
fidelity large eddy simulation (LES) has provided such as shown in the left of Figure 1. It quantifies
new insights into direct injection processes at the pressure-temperature conditions where classic
high-pressures. LES directly resolves most of the atomizing sprays (white region) transition to
turbulent structures in the flow and models the dense-fluid jets (grey region). Researchers
remaining unresolved very small flow features. corroborated trends predicted by the regime
Research has previously shown that under some diagram using microscopic imaging to zoom in on
high-pressure conditions, the presence of discrete the detailed features of dense-fluid jets (top right
two-phase flow processes becomes diminished. image, which shows no presence of distinct fuel
Under such conditions, liquid injection processes droplets) and classical spray processes (bottom
transition from classical sprays with droplets to right image, which shows fuel droplets near the
dense-fluid jets, with no drops present. Why and spray boundary). The analysis, contrary to
under what conditions this transition occurs, conventional wisdom, suggests that for almost all
however, was not understood until now. The new diesel conditions, fuel enters the cylinder as a
theoretical description is one of the first to explain dense-fluid jet without drop formation. Classical
and quantify this phenomenon, and it has spray processes, however, occur under current
important implications for the development of gasoline spark-ignition engine conditions.
validated predictive models for engine design. Advanced models must account for both extremes.

Figure 1. Regime diagram on the left for n-dodecane injected into nitrogen suggests the presence of dense supercritical jets (grey region)
under diesel conditions (dark grey highlighted area) without drop formation. Classical spray atomization processes (white region) occur under
gasoline engine conditions. High-speed imaging of both a dense jet (top right) and a spray (bottom right) corroborates the theory.
Page 3 | Advanced Combustion and Emission Control Technical Team
2013 U.S. DRIVE Highlight
Optical Engine Reveals How Post Injections Reduce Soot
and Unburned Fuel for Efficient Diesel Combustion Options
Laser/optical techniques show that post-injections displace soot or enriched mixtures to allow better oxidation of
soot and fuel, knowledge critical to designing multi-pulse injections for clean, high-efficiency engines.
Sandia National Laboratories
Post injections of fuel, which are small pulses of Figure 2 shows that adding a post-injection (blue
fuel split off from the main injection, can reduce squares) can also reduce unburned fuel emissions
soot and unburned fuel emissions while by 27% compared to a single injection (black
maintaining efficiency. The processes inside the squares). Optical-engine images show that the
engine are unclear, however, so design of post- post-injection (right) enriches the near-injector
injections for maximum benefit is limited. Recent region relative to a single injection (left), causing a
research in optical engines is helping, by revealing greater extent of burned fuel (green), leaving less
how post-injections affect combustion and unburned fuel (red).
pollutant formation. Figure 1 shows how exhaust
soot emissions increase with engine load for single Both strategies use close-coupled injections to
injections (black squares). Adding a small (<20% maintain good combustion phasing for efficiency.
of fuel) post-injection after the premixed burn can With this improved understanding of how post-
reduce soot by 55% (blue circles). The image view injections work, better strategies to take full
up through the piston shows the post injection advantage of multi-pulse injections can be
displacing soot (red) out of the bowl (yellow devised.
arrows), and improved oxidation by OH (green).

Figure 1. Exhaust soot emissions for single injection (solid black Figure 2. Unburned fuel emissions for single injection (solid black
squares) and with post-injection (open blue circles), showing 55% squares) and 27% reduction with post-injection (open blue
reduction with a post-injection. Image at top shows the post- squares). Top images show more unburned fuel (red) with single
injection displacing soot (red) to the left, away from the bowl wall injection (left), and fuel burning extending leftward (green) with
(curved line). post-injection (right).
Page 4 | Advanced Combustion and Emission Control Technical Team