Federal R&D funds for vehicle improvement.The Department of Energy has awarded $21.5 million for 11 research contracts aimed at improving the efficiency of light-duty vehicle engines. The goal is to improve fuel utilization in ethanol-powered engines, develop advanced lubrication lubrication, introduction of a substance between the contact surfaces of moving parts to reduce friction and to dissipate heat. A lubricant may be oil, grease, graphite, or any substance—gas, liquid, semisolid, or solid—that permits free action of systems and explore efficient, clean combustion engines. Combined with industry investment, the eleven projects will total nearly $43 million. Winners include: Delphi Automotive Systems, $2.2 million, to demonstrate a vehicle with an E-85 optimized engine, yielding up to 30 percent fuel efficiency improvement. Wayne State University Wayne State University, at Detroit, Mich.; state supported; coeducational; established 1956 as a successor to Wayne Univ. (formed 1934 by a merger of five city colleges). will partner with Delphi. Ford Motor, $3.2 million, to explore knock-suppression properties of ethanol with increased compression ratios for the development of smaller, more fuel efficient engines. General Motors, $1.9 million, to develop a cooled exhaust gas recirculation “EGR” redirects here. For other uses, see EGR (disambiguation). Exhaust gas recirculation (EGR) is a NOx (nitrogen oxide and nitrogen dioxide) reduction technique used in most gasoline and diesel engines. combustion prototype, allowing for smaller engines without loss of engine power; possibly resulting in as much as a 15 percent fuel economy improvement. GM will partner with Ricardo Inc. Robert Bosch, $1.5 million, to implement an integrated hardware-software system yielding gasoline-like fuel economy when operating on E-85. Robert Bosch will partner with Ricardo and the University of Michigan (body, education) University of Michigan - A large cosmopolitan university in the Midwest USA. Over 50000 students are enrolled at the University of Michigan's three campuses. The students come from 50 states and over 100 foreign countries. . Siemens Government Services, $3 million, to investigate the potential of a turbocharged, direct-injection engine operating on E-85, and to improve combustion and fuel economy and lower exhaust emissions. Siemens will partner with AVL (Automatic Vehicle Location) See mobile positioning. Engineering and Rousch Engineering. TIAX, $1.2 million, to develop a high-efficiency engine system for an FFV that operates on any blend of ethanol up to E-85 and exceed the efficiency of a conventional gasoline engine when operated with the highest blends of ethanol. Partners include Monsanto and John Deere. Visteon, $2.3 million, to achieve gasoline-like fuel economy when using E-85 by minimizing thermal, dynamic, volumetric and other system efficiency losses. Visteon will partner with the Argonne National Laboratory Argonne National Laboratory, research center, based in Argonne, Ill., 27 mi (43 km) SW of downtown Chicago, with other facilities at the Idaho National Engineering Laboratory, 50 mi (80 km) W of Idaho Falls, Idaho. Founded in 1946 by the U.S. , Mahle Powertrain and Michigan State University Michigan State University, at East Lansing; land-grant and state supported; coeducational; chartered 1855. It opened in 1857 as Michigan Agricultural College, the first state agricultural college. . Caterpillar, $491,000, to develop an environmentally friendly lubricant additive for enhancing an engine's fuel efficiency. Caterpillar will partner with the Argonne National Laboratory, NanoMech and the University of Arkansas The University of Arkansas strives to be known as a "nationally competitive, student-centered research university serving Arkansas and the world." The school recently completed its "Campaign for the 21st Century," in which the university raised more than $1 billion for the school, used . Cummins Engine, $2.4 million, to improve fuel efficiency of a light-duty diesel engine by 10.5 percent. Partners include Daimler-Chrysler and BP. Ford Motor, $1.3 million, to use diesel-boosting technologies to improve efficiency and performance low-temperature combustion engines. Ford will partner with ConceptsNREC, Wayne State University and FEV FEV forced expiratory volume. FEV abbr. forced expiratory volume FEV forced expiratory volume. Global. Michigan State University, $2 million, to develop low-temperature combustion designs for diesel engines using biofuel blends optimized for engine performance. It will partner with Ford. |
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