Synergistic Integration of Advanced Combustion and Air-Path Technologies to Maximize ICE Efficiency in Hybrid Applications

This work investigates the efficiency potential of reciprocating internal combustion engines (ICE) for light-duty vehicle propulsion within the current state of the art and a five-year technological horizon. A validated one-dimensional engine model was extended to integrate multiple advanced technologies, including active prechambers for ultra-lean gasoline combustion, thermal coating, an electric turbocharger capable of supplementary turbine work recovery, variable compression ratio, and variable valve timing implementing a Miller cycle. These enhancements are systematically evaluated to explore their individual and combined effects on engine performance and efficiency. Parametric studies quantify the influence of heat transfer, air–fuel ratio, compression ratio, and other key variables on engine output, enabling the generation of enhanced engine performance maps. These maps reflect synergistic interactions between parameter sets and serve as predictive tools for assessing optimized engine configurations in automotive applications. The optimized engine model is coupled to a sport utility vehicle (SUV) platform and assessed within a hybrid vehicle simulation framework to compare fuel consumption against a baseline configuration. Results demonstrate significant improvements in propulsion system efficiency. These findings underscore the viability of the proposed technology suite for near-term hybrid propulsion and provide guidance for future development of ICE-based, non-plug-in hybrid architectures.