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Clean Automotive Technology is EPA's automotive research initiative for developing unique and cost-effective technology for vehicles.
About PDF Files
Overview
Under Clean Automotive Technology, EPA conducts this innovative research primarily to:
- Achieve ultra-low pollution emissions
- Increase fuel efficiency
- Reduce greenhouse gases
By developing cost-effective technologies, Clean Automotive Technology also encourages manufacturers to produce cleaner and more fuel-efficient vehicles. The consumer benefits in that they might be able to recoup the higher initial vehicle costs through lower operating costs within a few years.
This exciting program encourages the commercialization of promising technologies by actively pursuing the transfer of EPA's technologies into the private sector. EPA partners with industry to maximize the viability of targeted technologies for commercial production through cooperative research and development agreements (CRADAs). Research is done at the EPA's National Vehicle and Fuels Emissions Laboratory (NVFEL) in Ann Arbor, Michigan.
Clean Automotive Technology has four main areas of focus. They include Hydraulic Hybrid Research, Engine Research, Alternative Fuels Research, and Technical and Analytical Support.
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Hydraulic Hybrid Research
EPA is a research leader in the application of hydraulics in vehicles. Hydraulic hybrid technology uses a hydraulic energy storage and propulsion system in the vehicle. This hydraulic system captures and stores a large fraction of the energy normally wasted in vehicle braking and uses this energy to help propel the vehicle during the next vehicle acceleration. The hydraulic system also enables the engine to operate more efficiently when it is needed.
Hydraulic hybrids draw from two sources of power to operate the vehicle - the diesel or gasoline engine and the hydraulic components. In other words, a typical diesel-powered or gasoline powered vehicle can be fitted with hydraulic components as a secondary energy storage system. The primary hydraulic components are two hydraulic accumulator vessels (a high-pressure accumulator capable of storing hydraulic fluid compressing inert nitrogen gas and a low-pressure accumulator) and one or more hydraulic pump/motor units.
Benefits of Hydraulic Technology. Hydraulic drivetrains are particularly attractive for vehicle applications that entail a significant amount of stop-and-go driving, such as urban delivery trucks or school buses. A major benefit of a hydraulic hybrid vehicle is the ability to capture and use a large percentage of the energy normally lost in vehicle braking. Hydraulic hybrids can quickly and efficiently store and release great amounts of energy due to a higher power density. This is a critical factor in maximizing braking energy recovered and increasing the fuel economy benefit. While the primary benefit of hydraulics is higher fuel economy, hydraulics also increase vehicle acceleration performance. Hydraulic hybrid technology cost-effectively allows the engine speed or torque to be independent of vehicle speed resulting in cleaner and more efficient engine operation.
Future of Hydraulics. Hydraulic hybrid systems create a unique opportunity to optimize engine operations. EPA has produced research concept vehicles that demonstrate the hydraulic technology. One concept vehicle is an urban delivery truck that uses hydraulic "launch assist." This delivery truck retains its conventional engine and transmission, but adds on a hydraulics package optimized for fuel economy. The next generation of hydraulic vehicles involves fully integrating hydraulic technology. In this configuration, the "full" hydraulic hybrid replaces the conventional drivetrain with a hydraulic drivetrain and eliminates the need for a transmission and transfer case. Using the full hydraulic drive in conjunction with EPA's clean diesel combustion technology is projected to improve fuel economy even more.
EPA also has achieved major breakthroughs in designing hydraulic accumulators and pump/motors to be more efficient, smaller, and lighter for motor vehicle applications, which will help improve fuel efficiency. EPA currently has cooperative research and development agreements with several private sector partners to further the development of hydraulics.
- Fact sheet: "Hydraulic Hybrid Technology: A Proven
Approach" (EPA420-F-04-024, March 2004) 186K
PDF (2 pages)
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Engine Research
EPA's engine research focuses on developing engines that are simultaneously clean, efficient, and cost effective, and which have high potential to produce real-world benefits.
Clean Diesel Combustion technology is one example of these innovative engine concepts. EPA's testing suggests the potential for a diesel engine design, using innovative air, fuel, and combustion management and conventional particulate matter aftertreatment, to achieve lower NOx levels without the need for NOx aftertreatment. EPA is developing this technology as a potential alternative with other diesel emissions control approaches (e.g., NOx adsorbers, urea selective catalytic reduction (SCR), etc.). Clean Diesel Combustion technology shows the potential to meet NOx levels "engine-out" over the entire engine operating range, to a level required for future diesel emissions standards. EPA has partnered with several automotive and engine manufacturers to evaluate the production feasibility of this technology. Using clean diesel combustion technology in conjunction with the full hydraulic drive is projected to improve fuel economy more than using either technology alone.
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Presentation and speaker's notes: "A Path to More Sustainable
Transportation" (presented August 29, 2004 at the 10th
Annual Diesel Engine Emissions Reduction Conference (DEER) in
Coronado, CA.) This presentation includes an update on an EPA
diesel combustion technology that meets the 2007 heavy duty
standards with engine-out NOx emissions of less than 0.2 gm/BHP/hr
without the need for any NOx aftertreatment. 368K
PDF (13 pages)
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Fact sheet: "Clean Diesel Combustion: Clean, Efficient,
and Cost Effective Technology" (EPA420-F-04-023, March 2004)
382K
PDF (2 pages)
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Presentation on SAE Paper 2004-01-0933: "An HCCI Engine Power
Plant for a Hybrid Vehicle" (delivered March 10, 2004, at the
SAE World Congress in Detroit, Michigan). This presentation
describes work conducted at the National Vehicle and Fuel Emissions
Laboratory to explore the potential use of a homogenous charge
compression ignition (HCCI) as a power plant for a hybrid vehicle.
727K PDF (24 pages)
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Alternative Fuels Research
Research in this area evaluates the feasibility of running vehicles on non-petroleum fuels, such as alcohol fuels. The use of alternative fuels can potentially lower health-related emissions, reduce greenhouse gas emissions, and create less dependence on imported oil.
EPA's advanced research in alternative transportation fuels, such as ethanol and methanol, explores their potential for providing a cost-effective means of using sustainable fuels to achieve both low emissions and high fuel economy. Alternative fuel research consists of engine and vehicle development to achieve an economical alternative to conventional gasoline and diesel engines.
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SAE Paper 2002-01-2743: "High Efficiency and Low Emissions
from a Port-Injected Engine with Neat Alcohol Fuels" ©
2002 SAE International. 68K
PDF (7 pages) This paper is published on this Web site
with permission from SAE International. As a user of this Web
site, you are permitted to view this paper on-line, download
this PDF file, and print one copy at no cost for your use only.
The downloaded PDF file and printout of this SAE paper may not
be copied, distributed, or forwarded to others or for the use
of others.
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Presentation: "Ethanol-Gasoline Blends: Fuel Economy
and Emissions Benefits" (delivered May 13, 2003, at the SAE
Government and Industry Meeting) - This presentation describes
recent work at EPA with ethanol-gasoline blends, highlighting
the potential cost and emissions benefits of E30. 107K
PDF (13 pages)
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Presentation: "Research in Alcohol-Fueled Engines at EPA NVFEL"
(delivered February 25, 2003, at the NEVC Annual Meeting) -
This presentation describes recent work at EPA with pure ethanol
and methanol fuels, including the context of OTAQ’s work - the
results and the challenges. The results show the ability
to achieve diesel-like efficiency with low steady-state emissions
on the level of Tier II. 167K
PDF (12 pages)
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Technical and Analytical Support
The automotive technology research carried out under Clean Automotive Technology provides EPA staff with insights that are useful in providing technical support on a wide range of automotive technology-related issues. EPA annually publishes a "Light-Duty Automotive Technology and Fuel Economy Trends Report" that is considered the most authoritative compilation of fuel economy data from new personal vehicles sold in the U.S. since 1975.
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Documents
Fact Sheet: "EPA's CRADA and Technology Transfer Program"
(EPA420-F-04-035, May 2004).
224K PDF (1 page) Fact Sheet: "EPA and International Truck to Develop Clean Diesel Combustion Technology" (EPA420-F-04-036, May 2004)
237K PDF (1 page) - Report: "Progress Report on Clean and Efficient Automotive Technologies Under Development at EPA: Interim Technical Report" (EPA420-R-04-002, January 2004) 2.5M PDF
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Related Links
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For further information or assistance regarding this Web page, please contact: Jeff Alson, phone: (734) 214-4296, email: alson.jeff@epa.gov
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