TIFFE

Thermal Systems Integration for Fuel Economy

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 Obiettivo del progetto (Objective)

'The project is devoted to the development of an innovative Integrated Vehicle Thermal System based on the integration of vehicle thermal systems to improve the on board thermal management and the energy efficiency. The major project contents are: - Dual loop air conditioning: one loop to transfer the cooling power and one loop to reject the heat - Two-levels temperature heat rejection system: one temperature to reject the high temperature heat (e,g. engine waste heat) and one temperature to cool locally the vehicle auxiliary systems - Innovative heat exchangers: new generation of compact fluid-to fluid heat exchangers and application of innovative technologies for fluid-to-air heat rejection - Use of innovative coolants (e.g. Nanofluids): to improve the heat rejection and redesign the heat exchangers TIFFE benefits can be summarised in a Cost Reduction (due to resize of the systems and their integration) and Fuel Economy increase of 15% on real use thanks to the: - improvement of the aerodynamics due the new front end design - increase of auxiliary systems efficiency thanks to the local cooling - engine overall efficiency thanks to a fine control of heat exchange, local cooling (turbocharge, fuel, ...) and improvement of the engine intake - the reduction of engine re-starts on Hybrid or Stop&Start vehicle due to cabin thermal comfort: the dual loop air conditioning with a designed thermal inertia guarantees thermal comfort when the thermal engine is off - compact Refrigeration Unit compliant with Low GWP refrigerants – R744 or flammables (e.g. R152a, R1234yf) Two prototypes will be realised and validated: • a gasoline passenger car with Stop & Start function • a diesel Light Commercial Vehicle with hybrid power train Both will undergo to a complete series of road and climatic chamber tests and a long range road test - e.g. from Catania (I) to Cape North (N) - to verify the reliability and effectiveness of the system and to promote its exploitation.'

Introduzione (Teaser)

Thermal management is a key factor in engine efficiency, passenger comfort and fuel consumption. A novel system design integrating innovative air conditioning components demonstrated major improvements in all areas.

Descrizione progetto (Article)

Car engines and auxiliary systems generate a tremendous amount of heat that needs to be removed for proper functioning. Air conditioning and climate control are an important part of any vehicle thermal management system.

Intelligent thermal management can reduce the need for powered cooling and simultaneously keep the engine running efficiently, both of which reduce associated emissions. Numerous innovations on the part of the EU-funded project 'Thermal systems integration for fuel economy' (http://www.tiffe.eu (TIFFE)) significantly reduced the cost of the thermal management system and increased fuel economy by 15%. Scientists focused on four key features.

Separate air conditioning loops for transferring cooling power and rejecting heat were designed. This would help maintain thermal comfort even when the engine is off, reducing the need for engine re-starts in hybrid or stop and start vehicles.

A dual-level heat rejection system enabled separate removal of high- and low-temperature heat. The former is largely from engine waste heat whereas the latter functions to locally cool vehicle auxiliary systems. Dual-temperature heat removal enhanced the efficiency of engine and combustion as well as auxiliary systems. Innovative heat exchanger design and novel coolants based on nanofluids together with a more aerodynamic front end complete the integrated vehicle thermal system.

Researchers developed a simple Excel environmental impact tool to evaluate realistic added fuel consumption due to cooling and heating of the passenger compartment. They compared different air conditioning systems over a year utilising detailed weather data and simulation results in an interpolation algorithm based on a user-specified weekly driving scenario. The TIFFE system outperformed the reference ones.

Technology was showcased and validated in two prototypes, a diesel passenger car with stop - and - start function and a diesel light commercial vehicle. On-board thermal energy management is quickly becoming a critical factor in reducing carbon dioxide emissions. TIFFE has provided an integrated solution with demonstrated results.