Medium- and heavy-duty fuel cell electric vehicles (FCEV) have gained attention over the battery electric vehicles, offering long vehicle range, fast refueling times, and high payload capacity. However, FCEVs face challenges of high upfront system cost and fuel cell system durability. To address the cost sensitivity of the fuel cell powertrain, it is imperative to maximize the operating efficiency of the energy and thermal management system while meeting the fuel cell durability requirements. This article presents an advanced adaptive control strategy for each of the energy and thermal management systems of a FCEV to maximize operating efficiency as well as vehicle performance. The proposed adaptive energy management strategy builds upon a real-time equivalent consumption minimization strategy (ECMS), which is updated based on a horizon prediction algorithm using GPS and navigation data of the route. The algorithm predicts the battery state of charge (SOC) for a defined horizon, which

Batool, Sadaf, Baburaj, Adithya, Sadekar, Gaurav, Joshi, Satyum, Franke, Michael

Alternative Fuels and Hybridization as Cost-Effective Pathways to Medium-Duty Greenhouse Gas Phase 3 Compliance

02-18-03-0019

07/23/2025

The United States Environmental Protection Agency (US EPA) Greenhouse Gas (GHG) Phase 3 regulation targets a substantial reduction in GHG emissions across model year (MY) 2027–2032 class 2b-8 vehicles. This article explores the implementation of alternative fuels, such as compressed natural gas (CNG) and liquefied petroleum gas (LPG), along with powertrain hybridization as viable pathways for achieving these stringent standards in a cost-effective manner. A detailed analysis is performed on a Class-7 medium–heavy-duty (MHD) truck configuration, featuring an inline 4-cylinder 5.2-L spark-ignited (SI) engine, modeled with both CNG and LPG fuels. The vehicle’s powertrain is simulated to evaluate GHG emissions and fuel efficiency. The study further examines the impact of low rolling resistance (LRR) tires and varying tire rolling resistance coefficients (Crr) on vehicle performance. For further lowering the GHG emissions, a hybrid powertrain sizing study was performed. The simulation

Patil, Shubham V., Smith, Edward M., Bachu, Pruthvi R., Ross, Michael G.

Design of a Wide-Input Single-Phase Full-Bridge Power Converter for a Free-Piston Engine

2025-01-5054

07/21/2025

Free-piston engines are new and efficient energy conversion devices that eliminate mechanical crankshafts. A wide-input power converter was needed as an electronic crankshaft for a free-piston engine to achieve efficient power generation control. A 20 kW single-phase full-bridge power converter that can operate over a wide-input voltage range was proposed in this paper to solve this problem. A current controller was designed by discussing the current flow of the power converters in four working modes, including forward electric, reverse electric, forward generation, and reverse generation. A model that considers the parasitic inductance on the wires in the circuit and the parasitic inductance and capacitance of each pole of the insulated gate bipolar transistor (IGBT) switch was established in this paper, and the accuracy of the model was verified through simulation in MATLAB/Simulink. The main parameters of the power converter, such as the absorption resistance and capacitance of the

Li, Mengfei, Xu, Zhaoping, Liu, Liang

Data-Driven Vehicle Specification of Conventional and Electric Heavy-Duty Commercial Trucks for Improved Energy Consumption

02-18-03-0018

07/09/2025

In the heavy-duty commercial trucks sector, selecting the most energy-efficient vehicle can enable great reductions of the fleet operating costs associated with energy consumption and emissions. Customization and selection of the vehicle design among all possible options, also known as “vehicle specification,” can be formulated as a design space exploration problem where the objective is to find the optimal vehicle configuration in terms of minimum energy consumption for an intended application. A vehicle configuration includes both vehicle characteristics and powertrain components. The design space is the set of all possible vehicle configurations that can be obtained by combining the different powertrain components and vehicle characteristics. This work considers Class 8 heavy-duty trucks (gross combined weight up to 36,000 kg). The driving characteristics, such as the desired speed profile and the road elevation along the route, define the intended application. The objective of the

Villani, Manfredi, Pandolfi, Alfonso, Ahmed, Qadeer, Pianese, Cesare

Thermal Interaction Based on Battery Electrochemical Modeling for In-Wheel Hub Motor Electric Vehicles: A Performance Analysis

14-14-03-0016

07/09/2025

As the adoption of battery electric vehicles (BEVs) continues to rise, analyzing their performance under varying environmental conditions that affect energy consumption has become increasingly important. A critical factor influencing the efficiency of BEVs is the heat loss from the operation and interaction between the vehicle components, such as the battery and motor, and the surrounding temperature. This study presents a comprehensive analysis of the thermal interaction in BEVs by integrating hub motor vehicle and battery electrochemical model with environmental factors. It explores how ambient temperature variations influence the performance of EV components, particularly the motors and battery systems, in both hot and cold weather conditions. The simulations also consider the passenger comfort inside the cabin as it investigates the effects of operating the air-conditioning system on overall energy consumption, revealing significant energy consumption shifts during extreme ambient

Abdullah, Mohamed, Zhang, Xi

Investigation on Thermal Management of Heavy-Duty Commercial FCEV with Focus on Vehicle System Efficiency

2025-01-0265

07/02/2025

The primary approach to meet the objectives of the EU Heavy Duty CO2 Regulation involves decarbonizing the road transport sector by battery electric vehicles (BEV) or hydrogen-fueled vehicles. Even though the well-to-wheel efficiency of hydrogen-fueled powertrains like fuel cell electric vehicles (FCEV) and H2-internal combustion engines (H2-ICE) is much lower in comparison to BEV, they are better suited for on-road heavy-duty trucks, long haul transport missions and regions with scarce charging infrastructure. Hence, this paper focuses on heavy-duty FCEVs and their overall energetic efficiency enhancement by intelligently managing energy transfer across coolant circuit boundaries through waste heat recovery, while ensuring that all relevant components remain within required temperature boundaries under both cold and hot ambient conditions. Results were obtained using a 1D-model that comprises all thermal fluid circuits (refrigerant, coolant, air) created through GT-Suite software

Uhde, Sophia, Langhorst, Thorsten, Wuest, Marcel, Naber, Dirk

Simulation-Based Investigation and its Experimental Validation of the Thermal Behaviour of a Battery Electric City Bus

2025-01-0266

07/02/2025

Electrification of city busses is an important factor for decarbonisation of the public transport sector. Due to its strictly scheduled routes and regular idle times, the public transport sector is an ideal use case for battery electric vehicles (BEV). In this context, the thermal management has a high potential to decrease the energy demand or to increase the vehicles range. The thermal management of an electric city bus controls the thermal behaviour of the components of the powertrain, such as motor and inverters, as well as the conditioning of the battery system and the heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) of the drivers’ front box and the passenger room. The focus of the research is the modelling of the thermal behaviour of the important components of an electric city bus in MATLAB/Simscape including real-world driving cycles and the thermal management. The heating of the components, geometry and behaviour of the cooling circuits as well as the different mechanisms of

Schäfer, Henrik, Meywerk, Martin, Hellberg, Tobias

Modular Thermal Management Framework for Electric Drive System Development

2025-01-0262

07/02/2025

The automotive industry is undergoing a major shift from internal combustion engines to hybrid and battery electric vehicles, which has led to significant advancements and increased complexity in drivetrain design and thermal management systems. This complexity reflects the growing need to optimize energy efficiency, extend vehicle range, and ensure system reliability in modern electric vehicles. At the Institute of Automotive Engineering, a specialized synthesis tool for drivetrain optimization is used to identify the best drivetrain configurations based on specific boundaries and requirements. Building up on this toolchain a modular and adaptable thermal management framework has been developed, addressing another critical aspect of vehicle and drive development: efficient thermal circuit layout and its impact on energy consumption and overall system reliability. The thermal framework emphasizes the dynamic interactions between key components, such as electric machines, power

Notz, Fabian, Sturm, Axel, Sander, Marcel, Kässens, Christoph, Henze, Roman

Optimized Cabin Heating Strategy for Battery Electric CEP Vehicles

2025-01-0263

07/02/2025

Electromobility is gaining importance in the courier, express and parcel (CEP) sector, as parcel service providers increasingly rely on zero-emission vehicles to improve their CO₂ footprint. A common drawback of battery electric vehicles is their reduced range under cold operating conditions, due to the increased energy demand for cabin heating. Another CEP-specific factor influencing both energy consumption and cabin comfort is the frequent opening of doors during parcel delivery. Additionally, during delivery phases, the cabin cools down in the driver’s repeated absence from the cabin, as the heating is inactive. Nonetheless, a sufficient level of thermal comfort must be maintained during the driving phases between delivery stops. This paper presents an optimization-based strategy for the cabin heating of battery electric CEP vehicles. The objective is to maximize cabin comfort during driving phases while maintaining efficient energy consumption. For this purpose, a nonlinear model

Rehm, Dominik, Krost, Jonathan, Meywerk, Martin, Czarnetzki, Walter

A New Electrified Planetary Gear Set - The Cost- and Fuel-Efficient Alternative to Continuously Variable Transmissions

2025-01-0309

07/02/2025

In order to mitigate the effects of climate change, the global transport sector, one of the largest emitters of CO2, needs to drastically reduce its emissions. Although hybridization and electrification are becoming increasingly popular as a solution for a variety of applications, their use in two- and three-wheelers, as well as in recreational and powersports vehicles, remains limited due to their high costs and complexity compared to conventional drivetrains with continuously variable transmissions (CVTs). Despite their affordability and simplicity, CVTs suffer from low mechanical efficiency, with transmission losses ranging from 20–50 %, highlighting a significant opportunity for improvement. In response to these limitations, this study presents the development and experimental evaluation of an electrified planetary gear set (ePGS) in a lightweight off-road vehicle. It is designed to overcome the efficiency limitations of CVTs while maintaining high driving comfort and low system

Jakoby, Moritz, Engels, Michael, Fahrbach, Timm, Andert, Jakob

Effect of Gasoline Component on Fuel Economy of WLTC Drive with EGR and Lean Combustion

2025-01-0305

07/02/2025

It is becoming increasingly clear that research into alternative fuels, including drop-in fuels, is essential for the continued survival of the internal combustion engine. In this study, the authors have evaluated olefinic and oxygenated fuels as drop-in fuels using a single-cylinder engine and considering fuel characteristic parameters. The authors have assessed thermal efficiency by adding EGR or excess air from zero to the maximum value that allows stable combustion. Next, we attempted to predict fuel efficiency for four types of passenger cars (Japanese small K-car N/A, K-car T/C, Series HV, and Power-split HV) by changing the fuels. We created a model to estimate fuel efficiency during WLTC driving. The results indicated that fuel economy could potentially be improved by adding an olefin fuel that burns stably even with a large amount of EGR or air and an oxygen fuel whose octane number increases. It was observed that the fuel economy improvement rate was particularly notable for

Moriyoshi, Yasuo, Xu, Fuguo, Wang, Zhiyuan, Tanaka, Kotaro, Kuboyama, Tatsuya

Experimental Evaluation of Purge Strategies in the Recirculation Path of a PEM Fuel Cell System

2025-01-0316

07/02/2025

PEM fuel cell technology plays a vital role in realizing an emission-free mobility and, depending on the considered use case, offers significant advantages over battery electric solutions as well as hydrogen combustion engines. When high performance over a longer period of time as well as short refueling times are key requirements, fuel cell powertrains show their core strengths. However, the adaption of fuel cells in the mobility sector strongly depends on their efficiency which directly relates to the vehicle’s fuel consumption, range and ultimately cost to operate. Therefore, the influence on efficiency and power of different purge strategies used to operate PEM fuel cells is experimentally investigated and compared. A concentration-dependent purge strategy is developed and examined in reference to a charge-dependent strategy. The measurements are carried out on a fuel cell system test bench which corresponds to a fully functional fuel cell system including all commonly used

Hauser, Tobias, Allmendinger, Frank

Computational Investigation of Advanced Compression Ignition with Wet Ethanol in an OP-2S

04-19-01-0002

06/30/2025

Alcohol fuels have inherent properties that make them suitable candidates to replace conventional fossil fuels in internal combustion engines by reducing the formation of harmful emissions such as lifecycle carbon dioxide (CO2), nitrogen oxides (NOX), and particulate matter (PM). There is an increasing amount of work to use fuels such as ethanol or methanol in mixing-controlled compression ignition (MCCI) as a replacement for diesel fuel. However, employing these fuels in a strictly MCCI strategy results in an evaporative cooling penalty that lowers indicated fuel efficiency. This work proposes the use of an advanced compression ignition (ACI) strategy with a high autoignition resistant fuel, where a fraction of the fuel is premixed and autoignited in conjunction with a fraction of fuel that is burned in a mixing-controlled manner to achieve diesel-like efficiencies with significant emission reductions. A computational model for MCCI with diesel and wet ethanol in an opposed piston two

O’Donnell, Patrick Christopher, Gainey, Brian, Bhatt, Ankur, Huo, Ming, Lawler, Benjamin

Learning-Based Predictive Controller for Connected and Automated Hybrid Electric Vehicles

14-14-02-0015

06/19/2025

This article aims at presenting a learning-based predictive control strategy for hybrid electric vehicles (HEVs) in the presence of uncertainty, where the controller structure and energy efficiency of the HEV is simultaneously optimized. The proposed approach includes development of a Bayesian optimization (BO)–based control structure optimization method, followed by an eco-driving–based hierarchical robust energy management strategy (EMS) development for connected and automated HEVs. To apply the learning-based strategy online, we also introduce an approach with approximate cost function for the BO to reduce training and computation time and improve energy in a given trip. The control structure is described by a parameter vector, which is updated, using BO, in an episodic fashion with the performance of the EMS and the computation time. With the current control structure, the hierarchical EMS includes a high-level powertrain energy manager that takes long-term decisions, and a low

HomChaudhuri, Baisravan, Iranzo Juan, Ignacio

Enhanced Equivalent Consumotion Minimization Strategy Based on Bayesian Optimization

2025-01-0194

06/16/2025

The Equivalent Consumption Minimization Strategy (ECMS) is an effective approach for managing energy flow in hybrid electric vehicles (HEVs), balancing the use of electric energy and fuel consumption. The strategy’s performance depends heavily on the Equivalent Factor (EF), which governs this trade-off. However, the optimal EF varies under different driving conditions and is influenced by the inherent randomness in factors such as traffic, road gradients, and driving behavior, making it challenging to determine through traditional methods. This paper introduces Bayesian Optimization (BO) as a solution to address the stochastic nature of the EF parameter tuning process. By using a probabilistic model, BO efficiently navigates the complex, uncertain performance landscape to find the optimal EF parameters that minimize fuel consumption and emissions across variable conditions. Simulation results under WLTP cycles show that the proposed method reduces fuel consumption by 0.9% and improves

Zhang, Cetengfei, Zhou, Quan, Jia, Yiqi, Xiong, Lu

Decarbonisation of GDI Engines Utilising On-Board Hydrogen Production in an Improved Design Thermochemical Exhaust-Assisted Fuel Reformer

2025-01-0186

06/16/2025

Engine intake charge enrichment with hydrogen (H2) is one way to enhance engine thermal efficiency and decrease pollutant emissions while replacing carbon-based fuel. Waste energy from hot exhaust gas can be thermochemically recovered as hydrogen in catalytic exhaust gas fuel reforming, which can then be used in combustion. This study focuses on tailoring the design of the fuel reformer, including the catalyst chemistry and coating on ceramic and metallic structures, to benefit the whole system’s fuel economy and decrease engine out emissions. The main reformer improvements focused on exhaust flow management and interaction with the engine's after-treatment system, while the final stage focused on the reformer's internal design structure. The new design iteration enabled hydrogen production improvements between 78% and 86% in the critical exhaust gas temperature range of 410°C to 520°C with gas hourly space velocities (GHSVs) in highly demanding engine operating conditions ranging from

Lee, Seung Woo, Wahbi, Ammar, Herreros, Jose, Zeraati Rezaei, Soheil, Tsolakis, Athanasios, Millington, Paul

Evaluating the Impact of Displacing Injected Gasoline with Aspirated Ammonia in a Direct Injection Spark Ignition Engine

2025-01-0226

06/16/2025

Replacing fossil fuels with renewable ammonia could provide a crucial step towards the decarbonisation of transport sectors. However, many challenges remain in utilising ammonia within combustion systems: the volumetric energy density of ammonia is significantly lower than that of gasoline, exposure to ammonia (including ammonia slip) can be detrimental to human health, and the production of emissions, including unregulated emissions (such as N2O), from ammonia combustion can be catastrophic for the environment if not treated appropriately. Therefore, there is a need to determine the efficacy of ammonia as a fuel for internal combustion engines and the impact on the efficiency of energy release and the resulting exhaust emissions. A modern spark ignition engine was modified such that ammonia was aspirated through the engine intake air to incrementally displace engine gasoline and maintain a constant work output. It was found that displacing the fuel energy supplied by direct injected

Sivaranjitham, Annaniya Mitchell, Hellier, Paul, Ladommatos, Nicos, Millington, Paul, Alcove Clave, Silvia

Development of After-Treatment Systems and Control Strategy for a Hybrid-Dedicated Homogeneous Lean Burn Engine

2025-01-0217

06/16/2025

The development of lean-burn gasoline engines has continued due to their significant improvements in thermal efficiency. However, challenges associated with NOx emissions have hindered their mainstream adoption. As a result, the development of an effective NOx after-treatment system has become a key focus in lean-burn engine research. Additionally, HC emissions pose another challenge, as they tend to increase under lean combustion conditions while their conversion efficiency simultaneously declines. This study presents a novel after-treatment system incorporating a lean NOx trap(LNT) and a passive SCR(pSCR) system. This configuration enables efficient NOx reduction at a competitive cost while maintaining operational simplicity. Moreover, conventional catalyst technologies, including three-way catalysts (TWCs) and fuel-cut NOx traps (FCNTs), were optimized to maximize conversion performance under lean operating conditions. To further enhance system performance, various control

Oh, Heechang, Lee, Jonghyeok, Sim, Kiseon, Lim, SeungSoo, Park, Jongil, Park, Minkyu, Kang, Hyunjin, Han, Donghee, Lee, Kwiyeon, Song, Jinwoo

Multi-Objective Robust Optimization for a Parallel Link Steering System: A Six Sigma and Monte Carlo Approach

2025-01-5036

06/03/2025

The steering system is one of the most important assemblies for the vehicle. It allows the vehicle to steer according to the driver’s intention. For an ideal steering system, the steering angle for the wheel on the left and right side should obey the Ackman equation. To achieve this goal, the optimization method is usually initiated to determine the coordinates of the hard points for the steering system. However, the location of hard points varies due to the manufacturing error of the components and wear caused by friction during their working life. To decrease the influence of geometry parameter error, and system mass, and improve the robust performance of the steering system, the optimization based on Six Sigma and Monte Carlo approach is used to optimize the steering system for an off-road vehicle. At last, the effect is proved by the comparison of other methods. The maximum error of the steering angle is decreased from 7.78° to 2.14°, while the mass of the steering system is

Peng, Dengzhi, Deng, Chao, Zhou, Bingbing, Zhang, Zhenhua

A Successful Catalyst Design for Advanced Zinc-Iodine Batteries

TBMG-53206

06/01/2025

Aqueous zinc-ion batteries (ZIBs) have attracted extensive attention due to their high safety, abundant reserves, and environmental friendliness. Iodine with high abundance in seawater (55 μg L-1) is highly promising for fabricating zinc-iodine batteries due to its high theoretical capacity (211 mAh g-1) and appropriate redox potential (0.54V). However, the low electrical conductivity of iodine hinders the redox conversion for an efficient energy storage process with zinc. Additionally, the formed soluble polyiodides are prone to migrate to the Zn anode, leading to capacity degradation and Zn corrosion.

Experimental Investigation of Carbon Nanotube Additives Effect on Performance and Emission of a High-Injection Pressure Common Rail Diesel Engine

03-18-03-0020

05/16/2025

Due to the continuous decrease in fossil fuel resources, and drawbacks of some biofuel properties, in addition to restricted environmental concerns, it becomes a vital manner to innovate some approaches for energy saving and emission reduction. One of the promising approaches is to enhance the fuel properties via adding nanoparticles. Carbon nanotubes (CNTs) blended with biofuels get extensive investigations by researchers using conventional diesel engines at relatively limited operating regimes. The objective of this work is to extend these studies using diesel fuel, rather than biofuels, on a high-injection pressure (1400–1600 bar) common rail diesel engine at wide operating conditions and higher CNT concentrations. Experimental results show an increase in peak pressure up to 24.46% than pure diesel when using 100 ppm CNTs concentration. Also, BSFC has decreased by 33.19%, and BTE increased by 54.2% compared to pure diesel fuel at high speeds and loads. NOx and CO2 emissions raised

Moaayet, Sayed, Neseem, Waleed Mohamed, Amin, Mohamed Ibrahim, Shahin, Motasem Abdelbaky

A Computational Process to Predict and Mitigate Liftgate Gap Noise

2025-01-0028

05/05/2025

This study introduces a computational approach to evaluate potential noise issues arising from liftgate gaps and their contribution to cabin noise early in the design process. This computational approach uses an extensively-validated Lattice Boltzmann method (LBM) based computational fluid dynamics (CFD) solver to predict the transient flow field and exterior noise sources. Transmission of these noise sources through glass panels and seals were done by a well-validated statistical energy analysis (SEA) solver. Various sealing strategies were investigated to reduce interior noise levels attributed to these gaps, aiming to enhance wind noise performance. The findings emphasize the importance of integrating computational tools in the early design stages to mitigate wind noise issues and optimize sealing strategies effectively.

Moron, Philippe, Jantzen, Andreas, Kim, Minsuk, Senthooran, Sivapalan

New Study Showcases 3D Photonics with Record Performance for AI

TBMG-53013

05/01/2025

Artificial intelligence (AI) systems promise transformative advancements, yet their growth has been limited by energy inefficiencies and bottlenecks in data transfer. Researchers at Columbia Engineering have unveiled a groundbreaking solution: a 3D photonic-electronic platform that achieves unprecedented energy efficiency and bandwidth density, paving the way for next-generation AI hardware.

Studying the Lean Burn Operation in Two-Wheelers to Increase Fuel Efficiency and Investigate the Use of Lean NOx Trap Catalyst (LNT) for Lean Burn System

2024-32-0058

04/18/2025

This study offers an overview of the impact of lean burn technology in two-wheeler vehicles, specifically concentrating on enhancing the fuel economy and addressing the challenges associated with its adoption. Lean burn systems, characterized by a fuel-air mixture with a higher air content than stoichiometric ratio. The study focuses on technology which meets stringent emission standards while enabling the optimization of fuel efficiency. The lean burn system employs strategies to optimize air-fuel ratio using electronic fuel injection, ignition timing control, and advanced engine control algorithms like - updated torque modulation control algorithm for drivability, lambda control algorithm for rich and lean switch and NOx modelling algorithm for LNT catalyst efficiency tracking. The challenges related to lean burn systems, includes issues related to combustion stability, nitrogen oxide (NOx) emissions, and their impact on drivability, is summarized in the study. Mitigation strategies

Somasundaram, Karthikeyan, Sivaji, Purushothaman, John Derin, C, Vishal, Karwa, Manoj Kumar, S, Maynal, Rajesh

Development of a High-Frequency Measurement Apparatus for Evaluating Piston Friction in a Small Gasoline Engines

2024-32-0100

04/18/2025

Efforts to enhance fuel efficiency in small gasoline engines, vital for reducing CO2 emissions, are concentrated on minimizing piston friction losses. Achieving this balance while addressing concerns such as piston seizure prevention and minimizing oil consumption presents challenges, particularly in small gasoline engines operating at higher speeds where the risk of piston seizure is significant. Hence, there is a critical need for accurate methods to measure piston friction. This study introduces the development of a measurement apparatus employing the floating liner method, initially devised by Takiguchi [1] and further adapted by Yamasaka for a mono-cylinder air-cooled gasoline engine [2, 3]. Yamasaka’s research successfully investigated the correlation between the apparatus’s natural frequency and the maximum engine speed measurable, achieving piston friction measurement up to 5000 rpm. Expanding on this achievement, this research aims to broaden the application of the floating

Honda, Riku, Ito, Akemi, Saika, Santa, Yamase, Ryouta, Hasegawa, Tatsuhiko, Sakioka, Takeru, Suda, Naoyuki, Ninomiya, Yoshinari

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