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Diesel Emissions Reduction Consortium (DERC)

An international Diesel Emissions Reduction Consortium founded in 2004 and coordinated by the Engine Research Center (ERC) at the University of Wisconsin-Madison with 24 members funding 5 projects.

Objective

To assist diesel engine manufacturers and related industries in meeting future diesel engine emissions regulations

Background

With 60 years of comprehensive research experience in engine physics, the Engine Research Center has unique capabilities for improving fundamental understanding and control of diesel engines through:

• Advanced experimental diagnostics and theoretical advancements
• Advanced model development for practical application to engines
• Integration and validation of simulation with experiments
• Combustion & emissions optimization using advanced technologies
• Development and application of advanced diagnostics to engines

In summary, ERC research integrates advanced experimental diagnostics and theoretical advancements to produce validated engine simulation codes for practical applications. Coupling of these technologies allows development of high fidelity tools for more comprehensive engine design. ERC goals for the 2006-2020 periods are the application of high fidelity models and analysis techniques for the optimization of low emission diesel combustion concepts, and the use of modeling for the development of advanced model-based control technologies.

The Consortium seeks broad membership from all segments of the diesel engine manufacturing and related industries.

Benefits

Participation in the Consortium provides significant leveraging of funds to members. Current ERC funding from government and industry is approximately $3.5 M, and involves six faculty, five research staff, and over 80 graduate students and post-docs. Access to these resources can be applied pre-competitively by Consortium member companies, for solving specific engineering problems within their own business strategy, to achieve future diesel engine emission regulations.

The Consortium provides a forum for sharing information and research findings to engine manufacturers and related industries via,

• Focused Consortium-directed student research projects

• Annual membership meetings

• Quarterly e-newsletter report of Consortium activities

• Secured internet site for progress/communications and exchange

• Access to meeting discussion summaries

• Public ERC research advances (theses, papers)

• Access to literature reviews / advance ERC publications

• Contact with ERC faculty/students including teleconferences

Industrial input and recommendations from participants complement on-going research at UW-ERC and research in Consortium member internal R&D labs. Informal benefits:

• Industry and ERC student contacts
• Summer graduate student internships
• ERC research for future products
• Sponsor ERC seminars introduce their company to students
• Sponsor company engineers as distant grad students (MEES)
• Licensing benefits of ERC-based intellectual property (Intellectual property handled by Wisconsin Alumni Research Foundation)

Planning

Input from Consortium members is used to direct Consortium research projects under the auspices of Consortium research funding. The Consortium coordinator consolidates discussion and recommendations with Consortium members to influence the planning of research projects.

Current Projects Summaries

• Project #1:Examination of the characteristics of stoichiometric diesel combustion is being performed by DERC PhD student Junghwan Kim.
• Project #2:Strategies for transient engine operation is being performed by DERC MS student Jon Burton.
• Project #3:Transient system level tools are being extended and applied to analyze the transient test cell data by DERC MS student James Popp.
• Project #4:Injection strategies for two-stage combustion as applied to high load HCCI operation is being performed by DERC MS student Sage Kokjohn.
• Project #5:A new project has been initiated for in-depth analysis of emissions during combustion mode transitions. This project is cosponsored by the Myers fund, and is being conducted by DERC MS student Will Glewen

Execution

The Consortium receives support from ERC faculty and staff.

Program Manager,
Michael J. Andrie  (608) 263-1615.
mandrie@wisc.edu
120 Engineering Research Building.
1500 Engineering Drive. Madison, WI 53706.

ERC Director,
Professor David E. Foster. (608) 263-1617.
foster@engr.wisc.edu
121 Engineering Research Building.
1500 Engineering Drive. Madison, WI 53706.

Professor,
Scott Sanders. (608) 262-3540.
ssanders@engr.wisc.edu
109 Engineering Research Building.
1500 Engineering Drive. Madison, WI 53706.

Professor,
Christopher V. Rutland. (608) 262-5853.
rutland@engr.wisc.edu
1018b Engineering Research Building.
1500 Engineering Drive. Madison, Wisconsin 53706.

Professor,
David A. Rothamer. (608) 890-2271.
rothamer@engr.wisc.edu
127 Engineering Research Building.
1500 Engineering Drive. Madison, Wisconsin 53706.

Members

Caterpillar
CD-Adapco
Chevron Companies
Corning
Cummins
Daimler AG
Delphi Corporation
Detroit Diesel Corporation
FEV Engine Technology Inc.
Hyundai Motor Company & Kia
Fleetguard Inc.
Ford Motor Company
General Motors R&D and Powertrain
International Truck & Engine Corp.
John Deere
MotoTron
Nippon Soken Inc.
Nissan Motor Company
Oakridge National Laboratory
PACCAR
Renault
Thomas Magnete USA LLC
Toyota Technical Center USA
Volvo Powertrain

Other companies have expressed their intent to join the Consortium shortly.

Financial

Member contribution of $10,000 to the Consortium grants a year of membership. In-kind contributions will be accepted from companies also providing significant other monetary funding to ERC and must not exceed 25% of total contributions for research funding.

• Fee is low to attract participation from wide range of sponsors
• Sponsorship funding is less than 10% of total ERC funding
• Significant leveraging against government and other funding
• Separate research contracts with sponsors (largest ERC funding)
• DERC sponsorship fee supports basic research likely to impact a significant number of sponsors
• Companies can choose more than 1 sponsorship unit, or can pursue research contracts with ERC faculty
• Members can evaluate the option of having specific research contracts with ERC faculty to meet their company’s research needs

Contributions are considered gifts to the University of Wisconsin and are handled by:

University of Wisconsin Foundation,
Account Number 12-57-4049,
1848 University Ave. P.O. Box 8860
Madison, WI 53708-8860

Intellectual property developed under the consortium is handled under the University of Wisconsin-Madison standard research agreement.

For more information, please email the consortium coordinator at: 2010DERC@erc.wisc.edu

Projects Details

1) Investigation of Physical Parameters to Extend Equivalence Ratio Limits of Clean Combustion in Diesel Engines

Objective:

• To study conditions to improve efficiency of stoichiometric low temperature combustion operation
• Investigate ability to operate diesel engine with very high EGR, high boost, multiple injections, and unconventional intake valve timing to achieve low temperature stoichiometric engine operation
• Test the ability of a 3-way catalyst to yield low NOx, low particulate, and low HC and CO.
• Validate both complimentary modeling and experimental work to identify new engine technologies

2) Strategies for Changing Combustion Regimes

Objective:

• Develop transient strategies for transition from premixed controlled ignition diesel operation at light load to high load HSDI diesel combustion (and back) on a 4-cylinder (GM 1.9L) engine
• Experiments are using a low inertia dynamometer with a real time Cambustion Fast Response HC and NOx systems to allow measurement of transient exhaust gaseous emissions
• Vary injection system and engine instrumentation to allow complete matching between engine, EGR transient flows and turbocharger response with exhaust emissions on successive engine cycles

3) Engine Transient Control Simulations

 Objective:

• Develop a system-level simulation tool (GT-Power) used for modeling HSDI diesel engine
• Control engine load (IMEP) and combustion phasing (CA50) during transient operation with cylinder-to-cylinder variations, and cycle-to-cycle coupling.
• Validate speed and load transients during mode switching (e.g., between conventional diesel operation and early injection PCCI operation), and emission test cycles.
• Simulate potential impact of control strategies on fuel economy and emissions, with consideration of complex interaction of combined control techniques (e.g., delayed intake valve closure time and increased boost)

4) Diesel HCCI Combustion Optimization Using Variable Geometry Sprays

Objective:

• Optimize light-duty diesel engine using Adaptive Injection Strategies (AIS) for fuel preparation.
• Use multi-dimensional CFD code with detailed chemistry
  (KIVA-CHEMKIN-GA) to study 2-Stage Combustion (TSC) concept.
  • 1st stage is early low pressure injection with HCCI
  • 2nd stage is late injection diffusion combustion
• Model validation of PCCI 2-stage combustion parameters

5) Detailed analysis of emissions during combustion mode transitions.

Objective:

• Understand detailed exhaust emissions during the transition from premixed controlled ignition diesel operation at light load to high load HSDI diesel combustion (and back) on a 4-cylinder (GM 1.9L) engine.
• Use both high speed FTIR, O2 and opacity measurements as well as the Cambustion Fast Response HC and NOx being used in project 2 to record cycle to cycle changes in exhaust emissions.