Combustion Concepts for Sustainable Premium Vehicles

Completed

Energy Efficiency(Transport)
Fossil Fuels: Oil Gas and Coal(Oil and Gas, Oil and gas combustion)

Basic and strategic applied research

PHYSICAL SCIENCES AND MATHEMATICS (Physics)
ENGINEERING AND TECHNOLOGY (Mechanical, Aeronautical and Manufacturing Engineering)

Not Cross-cutting

Dr CR Stone
Engineering Science
University of Oxford

Standard

EPSRC

01 October 2003

30 September 2007

48 months

£322,255

Mechanical engineering

South East

Mechanical Engineering Responsive -- Materials, Mechanical and Medical Eng

Dr CR Stone, Engineering Science, University of Oxford

Professor P Ewart, Oxford Physics, University of Oxford

Project Contact, Jaguar Land Rover Limited
Project Contact, Shell Global Solutions UK

Collaboration between the four universities (Leeds, Loughborough, Oxford and UCL) with co-ordination by Jaguar and additional support from Shell, will lead to a `Virtual Centre of Excellence' that exploits the complementary strengths of the four universities in gasoline engine combustion. The same hardware will be used at each institution so as to assure maximum value from all data -in the past data has been of less use since the measurements have been obtained using different engine hardware and fuels. This project is intended to be part of a much longer term project that will embrace novel gasoline combustion technologies, but initially the project will focus on gasoline direct injection engines and the factors that determine the cycle by-cycle variations in combustion This understanding will facilitate wider operating envelopes for stratified charge combustion systems, so as to simultaneously reduce fuel consumption and emissions. The influencing mechanisms behindcycle-by-cycle variations, and effective methods for their control have not yet been satisfactorily defined, but this is essential if future engine technologies are to meet their full potential. Furthermore, it is believed that the trend for the next generation of engine technology will be towards an on-board artificial intelligence controlled system, which will be based on cycle-by-cycle engine operation. Developing an understanding and control of the cyclic variability is an enabling step inthisdevelopment process and can only be achieved by a specifically focused and structured programme. Jaguar and Shell are providing 320,000 in cash support The first call on this is for topping-up EPSRC studentships, with the balance being used for offsetting some of the equipment costs

01/01/07