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www.autotechreview.com November 2015 | Volume 4 | Issue 11 Now, Also available on

It’s on 14 Interview Gérard Detourbet, Managing Director of the Renault- Alliance A-Segment Development Unit

18 study Emerging Trends, Technologies in The Automotive Sector

60 new Vehicle Maruti Baleno Raises the Heat in the Premium B-Segment

fuel injection systems

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Editorial

PATENT TRENDS

Dear Readers,

At the SIAM annual convention in September this year, Takeshi Uchiyamada, Chairman of Motor Corporation offered interesting insights into the development of the world’s first mass-produced , the Prius. During the development stages of the first-gen Prius, Toyota had filed for 530 patents, which subsequently grew to over 2,000 systems and components on the Prius itself.

In recent years, Tesla Motors has been leading the patent drive in electromobility. Then, there are the traditional German, American, French and Japanese manufacturers and suppli- ers, who continue to introduce cutting-edge innovations. And let’s not forget the rapid num- ber of innovations are patenting.

A Thomson Reuters analysis released in early 2015 reported that patents on new propulsion technology jumped from under 2,000 patents filed in 2009 to nearly 12,000 by July 2014, in- dicating that propulsion technologies continue to drive most of the innovations in the auto- motive world. Other areas that have seen a surge in patents include batteries, infotainment, navigation, , digital data processing, autonomous driving and safety.

Interestingly, many of these patents are being filed by technology giants such as Samsung, Google, Microsoft and Apple – companies that are fast changing the way the world viewed . As per data released by SmartUp Legal, Samsung has filed for 510 automobile-related patents in the past decade, followed by Google with 308, Microsoft with 222, and Apple with 83. But these are very small numbers compared to the traditional automotive players.

Thomson Reuters also reported that Toyota was assigned over 7,000 patent in the five year period. Japan, incidentally, has four other companies in the top 10 list, the other being Hon- da, Denso, Seiko Epson and Mitsubishi, making it the most for any country. South Korean Hyundai has seen the steepest climb to the top 10, from under 500 in 2010 to the third posi- tion in 2014. The company reportedly filed for over 1,200 patents in 2013 alone.

It is heartening to note that all the key players in the Indian are actively filing patent applications, but the numbers are still very small. The situation calls for more focus and investments on research, engineering, and technology development.

Deepangshu Dev Sarmah Editor-in-Chief New Delhi, November 2015

@deepangshu autotechreview.com November 2015 Volume 4 | Issue 11 1 Cover Story fuel injection systems — upcoming trends & solutions

24, 30, 36 | What goes in comes out and in an internal combustion engine if fuel doesn’t go in properly, it won’t come out clean. One of the key factors for determining power, economy, efficiency and refinement is the way the fuel goes into the cylinders of the engine, a process known as injection. Fuel injection in diesel and petrol engines have witnessed a host of new technologies to ensure better performance overall. With the advent of newer fuels such as gas and bio-fuels, injection technology too is adapting. In this issue, Auto Tech Review takes a look at the present and upcoming technical trends in the area of fuel injection.

guest commentary

12 A Connected ’s Ego Network Jean-Paul De Vooght, Director Client Solutions at Ness Software Engineering Services (SES)

INTERVIEW

14 “India is A Complex Market, But Holds Great Promise for Us” Gérard Detourbet, Managing Director of the Renault-Nissan Alliance A-Segment Development Unit

2 contents

NEWS Cover Story Shopfloor

04 Interactions 24 Improved Combustion in Diesel 56 Amt is a Step Ahead of Trends & 10 News Engines by Injection Rate Shaping Demand for Magneti Marelli Barbara Graziano, Benedikt Heuser, Paul Grzeschik New vehicle study 30 LPG Fuel Direct Injection for 60 Maruti Baleno Raises the Heat in 18 Emerging Trends, Technologies in Turbocharged Gasoline Engines the Premium B-Segment the Automotive Sector Javier Ariztegui, Jaime Gutierrez, Alois Fürhapter, Hubert Friedl DECODING TECHNOLOGY

36 Development of a 3D Spray 64 Mélange of Networks Visualisation Method for Arun Jaura Low-Pressure Injectors Arnaud Muzard others

technology 01 Editorial 03 Imprint 44 Sustainability Takes on a Key Role in the Auto Industry Manish Dave

48 Trailblazer – Starts GM’s New Innings in India

50 Xc90 – Redefining Luxury & Infotainment Technology

follow us on @autotechreview1 Cover Figure © Bosch

Imprint

Editorial & Business Office: Editor-in-Chief: Deepangshu Dev Sarmah Publisher & Managing Director: Springer India Pvt Ltd [email protected] / @deepangshu Sanjiv Goswami 7th Floor | Vijaya Building | 17, Barakhamba Road Assistant Editor: Arpit Mahendra For Editorial Contribution, write to the Editor-in-Chief at New Delhi – 110001 | India [email protected] / @arpitmahendra3 [email protected] + 91 11 4575 5888 (P) | +91 11 4575 5889 (F)

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Sr. Designer /Photographer: Bharat Bhushan Upadhyay [email protected] INTERACTION IAC GROUP, Nordson

IAC GROUP | INDIAN MARKET SOLID, NEED TO BE PATIENT TO SEE SUSTAINED GROWTH

INNOVATION-LED GROWTH Beyond plastics and composite materials, IAC has in its portfolio products made using natural A Tier I supplier of door & trim systems, instru- fibres such as Jute. Interior linings for commercial ment panels, consoles & cockpits, flooring & vehicles, for instance, have been made using jute, acoustic systems, headliner & overhead systems, making them substantially lighter than many and interior & exterior components, IAC is present polypropylene woodstock-based products. The only in over 100 locations in 22 countries, and is the additional component that these require, Gandhe largest automotive interiors components and pointed out, is some sort of fabric or vinyl cover- systems supplier in the world. It has been growing ing to protect an occupant’s feet from the coarse- at a frantic pace globally, with its sales growing ness of natural fibres. over 10-fold in the past seven years to $ 5.9 bn in To cater to the ever-growing demands of 2014. Although this is largely a result of acquisi- weight reduction and efficiency, IAC has also de- tions the company has done in North America, veloped a hybrid technology, combining natural Europe and Asia, IAC’s growth has also come fibre and injection-moulded plastics. “Natural through substantial investments in innovation fibre products are compression-moulded, which and technology development. means you’re unable to integrate attachments The biggest concerns for the industry as into them. Attachments are required to be glued well as consumers today are either driven by or welded to the part. In the technology we’ve consumer requirements or by regulations, said developed, the part can be compression-mould- The International Automotive Components (IAC) Gandhe. And hence, a lot of focus is on devel- ed, which is then put into an injection moulding Group made its foray into the Indian market in oping solutions to address safety, comfort, aes- tool, and the attachments are injection-moulded 2008, roughly two years after the company was thetics and lightweighting. on the back side,” explained Gandhe. The hybrid built from the former global interiors divisions of In fact, most of IAC’s products are developed technology is yet to be introduced in India, but Lear and Collins & Aikman in 2006. Clearly, India with an objective to save weight for its custom- Gandhe said this might find acceptance in areas was right at the top of IAC’s global agenda from ers, Gandhe said. One of the key changes that such as trims and doors. the word go. have become quite standard world over is re- Seven years since then, the company has placement of metal with plastic. A lot of metal ROUND-UP made significant inroads into vehicle pro- structures behind the dashboard, for instance, grammes for manufacturers across segments, are being replaced by plastic structures. And so IAC’s technical centre in Pune makes a substan- and counts India as a market with the most solid are metal structures behind door panels. On the tial contribution to the company’s India busi- fundamentals for future growth. The market may other hand, components used to cut down NVH ness. The centre undertakes the complete de- have been subdued for the last couple of years, (noise, vibration and harshness) add a signifi- signing and engineering work of IAC’s products but the signs of revival are visible, said Gajanan cant amount of weight to the vehicle, whether for India. In addition, it also supports the global Gandhe, Executive Director India and VP South they be the car pads or the acoustics compo- engineering requirement for North America, Asia / Africa, IAC in a recent interaction in nents behind the hood. IAC has developed tech- Europe and Japan, primarily in the areas of Mumbai. For IAC, and for that matter any other nologies that allow for reduction of up to 60 % design, finite element analysis (FEA), computer- company that wishes to grow in India, the trick of the weight of such components. aided engineering (CAE) and geometrical dimen- is in being patient, he said. sioning, among others. The centre also uses Most of IAC’s customers in India have been some of its human resources to work on basic doing well, despite the economic challenges of R&D for both the Indian and overseas markets. the last few years. Its newest plant in Chakan, Gandhe is very optimistic about IAC’s future in which was inaugurated in 2014, is nearing ca- India, but refused to give us any growth projec- pacity utilisation and the company is contem- tions. India today is like the of the late 90s plating further expansion to accommodate new or early 2000s, he said. “The thumb rule is to programmes. Its second plant in Chakan and the maintain a good business in India at this stage, two plants in Manesar are catering to good and the future will be good,” he concluded. volume demand, thanks to the popularity of the SUV range from Mahindra, and the success of Maruti’s Ciaz and S-Cross models. The CV segment though has been quiet for long, and Gandhe hopes the turnaround isn’t too far. Text: Deepangshu Dev Sarmah

4 www.autotechreview.com NORDSON INDIA | FLUID DISPENSING SOLUTIONS IN TUNE WITH TRENDS

tomation in its equipment, Das noted. The automo- provides solutions in terms of add-on equipment tive industry has been seeing relatively low growth for robots to dispense fluids accurately in the short- over the past few years. However, at times like this, est time possible. “One high end application in- manufacturers find an incentive to invest in new volves the accurate control of the material flow-rate and more productive equipment, leading to the very close to the point of material application. This benefit of repeated savings, he said. ensures the dispensing of a uniform bead diameter There are a few other reasons for the absorption in various parts of the components, whether in a of new technologies, with regards to the dispensing straight line or at corners, and irrespective of the of fluids. One of these is the export of vehicles, robot tool speed,” Das said. which has seen growth over the last few years, and Nordson has a wide number of applications for requires the manufacture of vehicles according to the automotive component suppliers. Components global standards. Other reasons include the re- employing the company’s solutions include door quirement of reduced environmental impact of ve- liner, seat material, roof liner, sun visor, sun roof, hicles through lowered emissions and reduced instrument cluster, carpets, brake pads, filters, weight, as well as the development of hybrid elec- lamps, electronic systems, electric motors and bat- tric and full-electric vehicles. In addition, material- teries. They are also used to enable weather strip- related R&D is carried out in-house. ping and weather shields for components. The main processes employed by customers are hot melt ad- A large number of fluids are used in the manufac- AUTOMOTIVE APPLICATIONS & trends hesive and polyurethane reactive (PUR) adhesive, ture of automobiles, even before they are powered flocking, powder coating, potting, conformal up and filled with fluids like lubricants and fuel. The process of dispensing fluids for the automotive coating, final finish coating, and lead plates an- These fluids are mainly used in gluing, weather- industry begins quite early, right from the metal choring inside batteries. proofing, lightweighting, and coating of the vehi- processing stage. One example of Nordson’s tech- Das said that of all the automotive areas that cle’s body and panels, as well as in the integrated nology at this stage is in making the heat exchang- Nordson supplies to, solutions for electronics and circuits (IC) of electronic systems. While these er using progressive action dyes on thin aluminium electronic component are ones that demand tech- fluids play their own individual roles in the various sheets. The aluminium sheets have a precise nology-intensive solutions. Weight of vehicles is parts of the vehicle, they work as designed only amount of lubricant sprayed on them so that they constantly being reduced for better efficiency. when they are dispensed accurately. are cut and released properly. Over or under-lubri- Nordson equipment hence accurately applies mate- Nordson India Pvt Ltd is a major dispensing cation of the sheets could lead to damage of the rials and adhesives, together with the appropriate equipment manufacturer for the transportation sheet or the dye, explained Das. This spray system process, leading to higher accuracy in dispensing industry. While the company also works on appli- from Nordson leads to accurate use of the lubricant and thereby reducing the weight of a component, cations for surface modification, its precision as well, leading to overall reduction in costs. The Das said. Another method of lightweighting is by fluid dispensing technology finds use in the auto- company has shifted to spraying fluidic powder for using foam sealant instead of solid sealant, as it motive segment. Suprotik Das, Managing Direc- brazing processes, from other traditional methods. performs better and is also lighter. tor, Nordson India, spoke about various tech- In terms of applications employed by OEMs, niques of dispensing of fluids in the application Nordson provides solutions for various types of gas- Research & Development of adhesives, new technologies being adopted by keting, bonding and glazing. The company’s solu- Indian OEMs, and automotive trends affecting tions are also used at the body shop and for robots Nordson India’s R&D team in Bangalore develops dispensing methods. to adjust the flow-rate of fluids dispensed. Gasket- products for the company globally. The team per- ing is done for various powertrain components, with forms specialised hardware, software, and me- NEED FOR NEW TECHNOLOGIES foam technology of gaskets gaining popularity. das chanical engineering development. It also consists added that the days of die-cut gaskets are over, of a laboratory that carries out various testing pro- Nordson India designs and manufactures products and form-in-place gaskets are taking their place. cesses. Nordson also manufactures inspection and for various applications, with a high level of its Form-in-place technology includes the application testing tools, which are mainly used for internal powder business equipment being localised. A of liquid gasket using an extrusion applicator in the purposes. Testing is considered a very important large part of machines for the adhesive business required part of the component accurately. part of the company’s development process, which are imported, along with components like control- At the body shop, OEMs use Nordson’s dispens- helps in determining the most appropriate materi- lers and actuators, and these components are im- ing solutions for hem flanging, glass bonding with als and solutions, noted Das. ported largely from the US and . The urethane and body sealing. The dispensing of fluids company works along with major automation tech- for most of these applications is done by robots for nology suppliers in order to feature high level of au- a uniform, fast and repeated process. Nordson also Text: Naveen Arul

autotechreview November 2015 Volume 4 | Issue 11 5 INTERACTION

GENERAL MOTORS | DESIGN DNA HOLISTIC, NOT SPECIFIC

specific to one country doesn’t yield much FUTURE OF DESIGN success in a global market, which is where eve- ryone operates today, he added. Designing vehicles in the future would largely Answering the question about the key ingre- depend on the direction taken by the industry in dient Indian consumers look for in vehicle the areas of materials, powertrain and connectivi- designs, Simcoe mentioned three things – value, ty. Of these, materials are being experimented value and value – since consumers want more with in almost every market, including India. One for as little as possible. Some of the new trends of the most popular metals today is aluminium, that have surfaced in the market are demand for which offers lightweighting benefits but also richer materials and strong graphics. A few key poses manufacturing challenges and higher characteristics Indian consumers look for irre- repair cost for customers. spective of vehicle class are strength, dynamism Talking about the changes designers need to and execution. make while working with aluminium, Simcoe said Explaining the last trait, he said customers it’s not an issue. The customer would never end up want more options in colour schemes and the seeing a difference in the execution of an alumini- way the fabric has been styled & executed. um or steel skin. What would change for future This need arises out of the natural desire of vehicles though is the next level of change in ma- consumers to look good in a car. Another thing terials. As carbon-fibre makes inroads into more The progress of design has been massive in the that is being done is to bring design elements vehicles, design, surface treatment and packag- last few years and needs to fulfil dual purposes from halo products such as the Corvette into ing will undergo significant change, leading to a of form and function. Despite the design having mass-market vehicles. Without replicating the change in the appearance of cars, added Simcoe. to cater to needs such as lighter weight and aer- design, the intent is to draw a relation to the In the long-run, the biggest shift would be the odynamics, it needs to strike a chord with the lineage of such vehicles. This can be achieved by progression to autonomous vehicles, which would consumers, where it’s being marketed. A key placing similarities in detailing, surface allow designers and engineers to completely rein- reason why vehicles from Shanghai Automotive treatment and graphics. vent the vehicle. Today, the vehicles are designed Industry Corporation (SAIC) didn’t work well for Competitive designing within the company is to interact with their occupants but when they General Motors India was the inability of the also helping bring out new ideas. For example, if start communicating with each other is when design to find favour among consumers. a new model of Beat has to be sketched, it would we’ll witness a paradigm shift in all areas includ- Switching to an aggressive mode though, GM be done by designers at multiple locations, ing design, Simcoe concluded. India will now launch 10 products over the next bringing out the best in them as everyone wants five years. It was quite timely then to understand their design to win. Text: Arpit Mahendra the kind of design approach the company will have for these vehicles. We caught up Michael P Simcoe, Vice President, Design, GM Interna- tional Operations to understand the design di- rection for vehicles aimed at emerging markets such as India.

WHAT’S NEW?

As part of the global announcement of $ 5 bn for new products, $ 1 bn has been reserved for In- dia-specific product development. Simcoe told us that the idea is to develop a new range of products especially suited to markets such as , India and China, among others. He added that Chevrolet now follows a global DNA for inte- rior & exterior design, which is developed in sync with feedback from regional studios. Summaris- ing the brand’s approach, he said design needs to be holistic than specific. Developing designs

6 www.autotechreview.com

INTERACTION RENESAS ELECTRONICS

RENESAS INDIA | TWO-WHEELERS & ADAS ARE FUTURE AREAS OF GROWTH

With emission standards getting stricter, manu- Centre in April 2014. The centre has since been Renesas is also the leading global MCU sup- facturers are looking for solutions that help their collaborating with the industry towards develop- plier for instrument clusters, and is leveraging its products emit less carbon dioxide, and also ing advance semiconductor solutions for the experience to support the whole range of instru- improve efficiency. Renesas Electronics India, a Indian market. In addition, the solution centre is ment cluster systems, from the combination of subsidiary of Renesas Electronics Singapore, is also utilising a lot of its knowhow on simplifying gauge control and LCD display for the entry and gearing up to address such demands with an four-wheeler applications for two-wheelers, Akai mid-range cars, to the full graphics required for array of innovative products, applications and so- said. The India Solution Centre has been instru- high-end luxury cars. The company has nearly 50 lutions. mental in quick breakthrough innovations, and is % marketshare in MCUs for vehicle dashboards. The approach started two years back, when offering a lot of design support to the world as Designed for entry class and mid-range the company recognised that OEMs in India were well. vehicle systems, the Renesas RH850/D1x Series of showing more interest in newer solutions and ap- MCUs integrates gauge control, graphics display plications. Integrated applications, which provide ADVANCED DRIVER ASSISTANCE and functional safety in one chip, while reducing system cost benefits and added values were being SYSTEMS the system BOM cost and scalable development preferred. offers, and helps realise instrument cluster Particularly in the two-wheeler segment, Renesas has been developing cutting-edge tech- systems with highly reliable colour graphics LCD, Renesas started with a solution offerings nology in different automotive areas for Europe, a company release stated. first, based on existing solutions. The company America and Japan, and will soon introduce these currently has on offer solutions such as capacitor technologies to the Indian market, Akai said. Key ROUND-UP discharge ignition (CDI) and transistor controlled among them are solutions for Advanced Driver As- ignition (TCI), among others, and is in the process sistance Systems (ADAS), but tailoring them to India is a focussed market for the Tokyo-head- of developing fuel injection system solutions and meet requirements in the Indian industry may not quartered Renesas, with long-term growth pros- integrated starter generator solutions for the be easy work. pects. The company has been expanding its appli- Indian two-wheeler industry, So Otsuka, Expert, Akai agreed, and said the objective is not to cation engineering team in the country to develop ADAS Solution Business Department, Renesas bring in global solutions, because they may not and market ‘India-centric’ solutions. It aims to Electronics Corporation informed us during a work in India from a cost and complexity perspec- expand its presence in the Indian market rapidly recent interaction. tive. “In India, both for two- and four-wheelers, we across SMEs and enterprise segments with its ul- As a practice, Renesas first approaches the have to offer a complete solution that works at the tra-low power microcontrollers. A report by NOVO- OEM with their solutions, and once approved, turn of a key. That is one of the main differences NOUS has pegged the Indian semiconductor in- takes their solutions to Tier I suppliers for execu- between the Indian and other mature markets,” dustry to reach $ 52.58 bn in 2020, which indi- tion. Kenji Akai, General Manager, Automotive he said. cates a CAGR of 26.72 %. Renesas is gearing up Sales & Marketing Division, Renesas Electronics Otsuka said Renesas has the basic technology to corner a large part of that growth in India. Singapore has been in discussion with several for ADAS ready, and any requirements for custom- Indian two-wheeler players, and is encouraged by ised solutions can easily be provided by the the OEMs’ keenness to move to fuel injection company. It is important to identify the specific Text: Deepangshu Dev Sarmah systems, and other such integrated solutions. requirements of Indian manufacturers, based on The world’s leading supplier of microcon- which its portfolio of applications and solutions trollers, Renesas had opened its India Solution can be modified or tailored to suit their needs.

32-Bit Automotive Microcontrollers Specialized for Instrument Clusters in Entry Level to Mid-Range Cars ADAS Surround View Kit

8 www.autotechreview.com Nordson EFD’s unique 736HPA-NV Durable bulk unloaders provide superior balanced-spool valve easily applies fl ow properties and ease of operation. industrial sealants, grease and silicones at fl uid pressures up to 2,500 psi (172 bar). Features include: • Opening surge control • Adjustable snuff-back cutoff • Compact size and weight • All stainless steel construction • Auxiliary air inlet air-assist closure • Cycle rate exceeds 400/minute • Fluid input up to 2,500 psi (172 bar)

Get Details nordsonefd.com/Easier-Grease-Dispensing

Nordson India Pvt Ltd, 143A, Bommasandra Industrial Area, Bangalore – 560099, India. [email protected] +91 80 4021 3600

Auto Tech Review-1015.indd 1 10/1/15 7:08 PM News MISCELLANEOUS

Launch | BMW X5 M, X6 M Sports Activity Vehicles

BMW Group India launched its X5 M and X6 M mobiliser and crash sensors. The BMW EfficientDy- edDrive offering many optional driver assistance Sports Activity Vehicles (SAV), at ` 1.55 cr and namics feature is said to set new benchmarks in systems and a premium infotainment system. Other ` 1.6 cr, ex-showroom New Delhi and Maharashtra, terms of performance-to-fuel consumption ratio equipment in the vehicles include iDrive Touch with respectively. The X5 M and X6 M SAVs bring the through lightweight construction, automatic start/ handwriting recognition, 10.2-inch high-definition total number of BMW M models in the country to stop function, brake energy regeneration, electric colour display, Head-Up Display with M View, 600 W six, along with the M3 , M4 , M5 sedan power steering, and 50:50 weight distribution. 16-speaker Harman Kardon Surround Sound system and M6 Gran Coupe. The SAVs also feature M specific BMW Connect- and BMW apps. Both SAVs are powered by the same 4.4 l, V8, M TwinPower turbocharged V8 delivering 575 hp of power, and peak torque of 750 Nm. The vehicles clock 0-100 km/hr in 4.2 seconds, and have an electronically-limited top speed of 250 km/h. The cars feature a new eight-speed M Step- tronic automatic transmission with Drivelogic, along with gear shift paddles. The X5 M and X6 M feature BMW xDrive four-wheel drive system that is claimed to ensure good traction by distributing drive power flexibly between the two axles. The vehicles offer safety technologies in the form of eight airbags, traction control, Cornering Brake Control, Hill Descent Control and ABS. They also offer active protection with Alertness Assis- tant, Side-Impact protection, Electronic vehicle im-

Tie-Up | Nissan Becomes Official Global Partner Of ICC

Nissan Motor Co Ltd has inked an eight-year major cricketing events. These will include the broadcast and digital rights at all ICC events. agreement to become the official global partner ICC World Cup, ICC Champions Trophy, ICC World This partnership is claimed to be a signifi- of the International Cricket Council (ICC). The Twenty20, as well as the Under 19 and Women’s cant expansion of Nissan’s ongoing international agreement, which will run till 2023, confirms Cricket and qualifying events. As a global sports sponsorship strategy. The company is Nissan as a global Vehicle sponsor of ICC’s partner, Nissan will have in-venue activation, already associated with international sporting events including UEFA Champions League, Rio 2016 Olympic and Paralympics Games, and sporting greats like Usain Bolt. Roel De Vries, Corporate Vice-President and Global Head of Marketing and Brand Strategy, Nissan Motor, said as partners with ICC the company will introduce ways to enrich the experi- ence of cricket. It will do so through the rights with the global Trophy Tour, International Flag Bearer Program and new live event experiences, he added. Vries also said that the investment in partnering with ICC was deliberate and specific. Guillaume Sicard, President, Nissan India Oper- ations noted that the company has found in ICC a perfect partner for its brand. This partnership with ICC is just one of the many initiatives that Nissan will take in India in the coming months, he added.

10 www.autotechreview.com COMSOL | Conference 2015

COMSOL organised its annual conference in India, plications provide a custom- for the first time in Pune, in order to garner par- ised user interface of regular- ticipation from the local industries in the area. ly used models and tools, The two-day conference provided insights into the which can be further altered latest version of the company’s flagship product for individual requirements. Multiphysics, as well as presentations, training These applications are opportunities and demonstration for users of the updated to perform actions simulation software. COMSOL Conference 2015 like importing meshes, received about 100 papers from users of COMSOL mixing geometries, and im- Multiphysics, representing various industries in- porting algorithms into the cluding automotive, electrical, manufacturing, product from external tools and allied services. The company said it plans to and applications. The launch its new COMSOL Multiphysics v5.2 before company noted that one the end of the year. learning from the Boston leg of the COMSOL con- ments have been made right from the performance At the conference, the company unveiled its ference was that there has been a high level of to the level of usability. He added that users are de- COMSOL Multiphysics v5.2 including the Applica- adoption of the company’s Application Builder. manding higher levels of openness, in terms of tion Builder and COMSOL Server licence. While the In the electromagnetic domain, tools have access to technologies and solutions, and this is latest version of the software does not include any been enhanced to offer more solutions in the area the direction of the enhancements. Huc also said new modules, it features a number of updates and of near filed study, in order to offer accuracy and that the company has improved the method to enhancements to existing modules and solutions. flexibility. These modules enable NFC modelling to create new applications from existing models. The company noted that many enhancements have be carried out for the entire car, or at component Vineet Dravid, Director, India Operation, been made in terms of usability improvements and level. Additions to the radio frequency (RF) module COMSOL, said a number of small modifications new features, with the aim of making the software include new functionality in post-processing, low- have been made to almost all tools of the product. easily adaptable to new users, as much as experi- frequency modelling, and improved low-frequency He noted that Application Builder expands the enced ones. The conference saw combination of domain modelling. reach of simulation to inexperienced users, while mini courses, keynote sessions, user presentations, This is the first update since the COMSOL building user interfaces has been made very easy. poster sessions and demonstration booths. Server was launched, and therefore it contains a He added that it has also been observed that A major feature update to COMSOL Multiphys- large number of updates and enhancements, said through Application Builder, users are building ap- ics v5.2 is in the development of over 60 ready-to- Nicolas Huc, Vice President of Development and plications and constructing modules that are then use applications in Application Builder. These ap- Project Manager, COMSOL. He added that improve- sold to appropriate users.

Mitsubishi | Technology To Detect Cognitive Distractions In Drivers

Mitsubishi Electric Corporation has developed a differ drastically from the algorithm-based predic- data, helping to reduce errors in predicting driver technology to detect absent-mindedness and tion of what would be appropriate, and alerts the actions by 66 % when compared to the company’s other cognitive distractions in drivers when vehi- driver immediately about their potentially danger- conventional algorithm, it added. cles are travelling straight, using a machine- ous driving. learning algorithm known as deep learning. Mit- Although systems exist to detect drivers who subishi Electric believes this technology is a first are visually distracted, in the automotive industry. The company will detection of cognitive display this technology at the 44th Tokyo Motor distractions is difficult Show 2015, which it expects to be available com- since symptoms mercially from 2019 onwards. appear in a driver’s be- The key feature of this deep learning-based haviour or biological technology is in predicting appropriate driving patterns, explained actions based on time-series data. The algorithm Mitsubishi Electric. uses a combination of data on normal driving and Deep learning enables timed data on the actual vehicle and driver, to machines to use predict apt driver actions in real time. It detects forward and backward- cognitive distractions when the driver’s actions moving time-series

autotechreview November 2015 Volume 4 | Issue 11 11 Guest commentary

JEAN-PAUL DE VOOGHT is Director, Client Solutions at Ness Software Engineering Services (SES)

A CONNECTED CAR’S EGO NETWORK

Automotive brands are actively anticipating trends that include the centre of a network of connections with its driver, the city the car “sharing economy” or multi-modal mobility i.e. mixing and other services. multiple means of transportation in single trips. At the same The vehicle is at the centre of the three rings, which identify time, they keep improving their products and providing their cli- three types of connections or ties, 1. They leverage a dynamic ents with the best possible driving experiences. combination of data services made possible by standards, such Software found its way into cars some 30 years ago and to- as the navigation data standard or next-generation telematics pat- day, high-end vehicles host no less than 70 electronic control tern, which enable interoperability and hence data flows. This units (ECUs) connected by more than five communication (bus) concentric view helps us focus on the relationships the vehicle systems, depending on the brand. This means a tremendous can establish with its occupants and its surroundings. amount of insight can be gained by reviewing the data created Potential Ties: Situated in the outermost ring, potential ties in these systems. This trend is also observed in the infrastruc- encompass entities such as city infrastructure, including parking tures surrounding us, especially within the “”, which spaces, bridges, roads or points of interest, which can be found is turning crowds into citizen sensors and inert, inanimate con- on the route of the vehicle. crete into ambient data streams of noise, humidity, or magnetic Weak Ties: The middle ring includes entities that are tradi- field distortion. When we look at this evolution, we suddenly tionally subject to the Dunbar limit (famous for positing the see emerging kinds of data mash-ups and connections cantered number of stable social relationships a person can maintain). on the car. These include social networks, where we create a profile, pay- With this increasing number of data trails, the car slowly ment services, or insurance relationships. becomes an active node in a wider, until now, invisible network Strong Ties: The innermost ring includes entities that are not much different than our social graphs on Facebook or Twit- tightly connected with the vehicle, including the ECUs and the ter. Andrew McAfee’s Bull’s-Eye model was devised to repre- owner (legal person, business). sent the number of social ties a knowledge worker carries in These three categories of ties and their corresponding use Enterprise 2.0. We use it to visualise the car’s ego network – at cases bring new opportunities to the connected car players to

12 www.autotechreview.com provide innovative services across a Env. Data Open Data Payment Infotainment Energy Info Auto Autonomous (Gas, Acoustic, Public Transp., Services Services Services Maintenance Driving rapidly changing mobility ecosystem. Flood, Ice, Social Networks, Parking, Ferry, Radio, App Store Gas, Electricity ECU data Services Vehicles, People) Other Env. Data Bridge, etc. On-Demand A/V The evolution of edge devices (in-vehi- cle infotainment, smartphones, etc.) and the vast expansion of data vol- umes on the data provider side bring Collection | Stream Processing | Aggregation | Storage | Analytics new challenges to the product and ser- vices roadmaps. For example, challenges include the need to: :: Support a very large collection of data from a growing number of streaming data sources; :: Perform incremental and selective updates on very large databases “Potntial Ties” “Weak Ties” “Strong Ties” and package new data products for • Smart City • Passengers • Driver/Owner consumers in analytics, as well as • Parking • Connected House • Manufacturer • Energy Stations • Insurance company • Car Rental Co. data science; • Multi-Mobility • Drive (of rental co, • Car Sharing Service :: Run data collection in real-time Marketplace car sharing svc) • Quantified-Self • Police (“black-box”) (e.g. OpenXC) or near real-time with hard con- 1 straints, e.g. maximum two to three minutes from acquisition to deliv- ery of results; sioning. A thing-centric design may be precursor of a world, :: Support flexible extension of schemas on acquired data with- where we humans occupy new vantage points to define how out incurring service outages; and “new” a new driving experience really is. :: Provide instrumentation of the data pipelines for reliable func- tional, as well as non-functional monitoring. This simple mental model can help facilitate discussion about these opportunities and challenges, in particular during the early Read this article on phases of our Ness Connected framework – Discovery and Envi- www.autotechreview.com

www.autotechreview.com June 2015 | Volume 4 | Issue 6 Now, Also AvAilAble oN

It’s on 16 IntervIew Guillaume Sicard, President, Nissan India Operations

20 teCHnOLOGY FOreSIGHt A Deep Dive into Kinetic Energy Recovery Systems – Part 1

58 new veHICLe Suzuki Gixxer SF – New Clothes, Or Much More?

LIGHtweIGHtInG — EACH materials, construction, design Powered by

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“INDIA IS A COMPLEX MARKET, BUT HOLDS GREAT PROMISE FOR US”

Renault India’s recently-launched entry-level Kwid has been off to a very good start. This product, in fact, is critical for the French carmaker to achieve its stated goal of five per cent market- share in India. Aware of the potential and challenge, CEO Carlos Ghosn had pulled out Gérard De- tourbet out of retirement to lead this project in 2012. The man, who developed the Duster, Logan and Lodgy earlier, jumped onto the challenge. We recently spoke to Detourbet, Managing Director of the Renault-Nissan Alliance A-Segment Development Unit. Here are the excerpts:

Born on September 28, 1946 in Paris, Gérard Detourbet began his Renault 25 body in 1980. In the 1990s, he moved to the Powertrain career with Renault in 1971 in the IT training centre. Two years later, Department as Project Manager, Engines (1991), becoming Power- in 1973, he became head of operational research at the Logistics train Manager in 1997. For the past decade, however, Detourbet has and Production Department before moving to take charge of been deeply involved in Renault’s entry vehicle programmes, notably mechanical economic studies for the Economic Studies and Plan- Logan. In January 2012, he was appointed Managing Director of the ning Department in 1976. During the 1980s he became involved in Renault-Nissan Alliance A-Segment Development Unit, charged with body assembly projects, being appointed Project Manager for the the development of the Kwid hatchback.

14 www.autotechreview.com ATR _ Let’s start with how it all started. local with global assistance, etc – but among all suppliers is the ability to pro- Talk to us about the genesis of the Kwid. finally we got an Indian supplier do it for duce. We met regularly, in many cases GÉRARD DETOURBET _ It all started us. We followed the same process for all daily, to find the best design or to use sometime in 2009 or thereabouts, when parts. At the same time, we were also the best process. Many Indian suppliers our CEO Carlos Ghosn wanted us to drawing the car. The sketch of the car are improving, and I believe they’ll reach develop an entry level, A-segment car was known to us from the beginning, but a very good level globally in three to four that would help the Renault-Nissan Alli- the details were being drawn depending years. I knew from the beginning that we ance increase its footprint across global on the supplier. So, it was in mid-2013 may not find the same level of compe- markets. However, there was a caveat in that we had a fair idea of the detailed tence here as against suppliers in Japan, Ghosn’s requirement. He did not want to look of the car. Europe or the US, but we are surely invest a lot of money on this, and sug- happy with their work. gested we do “new with old”. That only What constitutes the remaining two per meant we had to develop a product that cent that is imported? Beyond this, your biggest challenges must is economical. Primarily, we have injectors coming from have been time management, quality Initially, we tried using the CMF-B the US, and sensors coming from France. delivery and meeting cost targets. platform – the one used for Logan – but Yes, the main objective for me was to soon realised it wasn’t feasible. This was 50 % of your total suppliers for the Kwid reach the cost target for the car at a basic primarily because of two things – the are home grown. Are you content with level. When we reached the proto level, front-end of the car was too big, and it their quality and capability of delivery? we felt certain aspects of the car needed wasn’t suitable to design the small car At the beginning, we had to work with quality improvement, as they looked we had in mind. Secondly, the weight our suppliers to ensure we got the level cheap. We knew we had to offer better and cost didn’t justify using that plat- of quality desired. Secondly, we needed than Suzuki else the product will go form for an entry level car. We tried to two things from our suppliers – capabil- nowhere. We had to ensure the perceived find another way, which wasn’t the one ity to produce and read our drawings. quality of the car was better than that of requested by the CEO. That’s where the Some suppliers had drawing and design our competitors. And the team worked idea of the CMF-A came up, and was val- capabilities, but some didn’t. Nonethe- very hard on this between mid-2013 and idated in a meeting of the Renault-Nissan less, the one thing that is common mid-2014 to achieve the desired results. Alliance (RNA) at the end of 2011. I took charge of the project in early 2012, and by May that year, we started to create the team in India.

What was the logic behind choosing India as the development ground for the CMF-A platform? India isn’t an easy market, not by any means. I landed here around the same time the Duster was being launched. Car- los Ghosn told us that if you succeed in India, you’ll succeed in all other markets. Competition is tough, and if you are able to manage the price in India, it will be easy elsewhere. So, we knew this is a very complex market, but also one with great promise. It was an absolutely new begin- ning for us – a new platform, new engine, new gearbox, and new set of suppliers. We were up for the challenge.

Getting 98 % of the Kwid localised in about three years since you started must have been a massive challenge. It was a complex exercise, for sure. We had some experience of localisation ear- lier, thanks to the Duster. It took us about a year until mid-2013 to define our supplier base. For example, we evaluated five to six piston suppliers – local, global, Many Indian suppliers that Renault has worked with can become globally competitive autotechreview November 2015 Volume 4 | Issue 11 15 interview RENAULT INDIA

ject styling, wherein – for instance – styling for India is done in India by the Indian studio.

Are you also engaged in some kind of core research and engineering or is it mostly application based? It depends. For this kind of a product (read, Kwid), obviously there are not too many innovations attempted. But if we are doing something innovative, we have to work with our suppliers. We have built certain capabilities here in India. We are still a young organisation in the country, and have continued to increase our knowledge here.

So, what’s next for you? We have lot of ideas and projects that we CMF-A platform offers full flexibility to do cars up to four metre in length work on simultaneously, not only for India but for global markets. It is clear that we have to continue to introduce What did you benchmark the Kwid matured and market dynamics have new, better technologies and products. against? undergone a lot of change. To achieve Decisions of course take time, since we Clearly, the Suzuki Alto and Hyundai the five per cent marketshare, we would have to consider not just a single market, Eon are direct competition to the Kwid. need to do a lot of things, including the but the world market. But we benchmarked the Kwid against launch of new products. The Duster con- several cars in Europe and Brazil, not tinues to do good business, and we are At an individual level, for someone who just in India. We benchmarked it against hopeful the Kwid will be a game changer. has developed many successful products the Hyundai i10, for example. We knew It’s clear we have to strengthen our sales like the Logan, Duster and Lodgy, how do our limitations, and had to create a and service network, but you can’t do you rate the Kwid experience? fine balance for the product. Since this that without volumes. It takes time, but It was a very happy experience, I must would also go to the Brazilian market, we have robust plans going forward. say. My career should have ended in 2012, we needed to ensure we built in Renault is in India for the long run, and but to come out of retirement and be able flexibility into our product to meet that is also clear from the engineering to do a product like the Kwid has been the requirements of that market. We commitment we have made through our very exciting and satisfying. Of course, the built a DNA that allows the product to technical centre. Kwid has also been the most challenging adapt to different market demands, and assignment for me. But looking back, I customer preferences. Talking about your technical centre and must tell you that there has never been a design studios, what’s the level of work day in my career that I haven’t looked for- Give us a sense of the developments that happening here? ward to go to work. I’ve been with the CMF-A platform allows. That’s a special organisation. We have Renault for 44 years, and there have been The CMF-A platform offers full flexibility design studios all over the world. When many such happy moments throughout to do cars up to four metre, and for all we do a new car – be it for specific mar- this association. countries, including Europe. It offers flexi- kets like Russia, Latin America and India bility in terms of size and in the type of or for the global market – all our studios body styles. It is a global platform concep- compete against each other. We then pick tualised for many vehicles. The power- and choose various attributes from train, for example, can be significantly designs coming in from various parts of Text; Deepangshu Dev Sarmah altered to meet specific requirements and the world. That helps us get a multitude Photo: Bharat Bhushan Upadhyay preferences of global customers. of ideas for the product we want to build. Similarly, the Indian design studios also The Kwid is critical for Renault to corner work for new products globally, but bring the targeted five per cent marketshare in to the table Indian style and touch. India. Your thoughts. We have two kinds of styling The Indian market has changed a lot approaches – advanced styling is a com- since the time I first started work around petition among all Renault styling stu- Read this article on 2004 on the Logan. The customers have dios. On the other hand, we have pro- www.autotechreview.com

16 www.autotechreview.com

Study TECHNOLOGY TRENDS EMERGING TRENDS, TECHNOLOGIES IN THE AUTOMOTIVE SECTOR

with OEMs on this, the challenge is to bring this capability to Tier II and III lev- els as well. Telematics in India is in its early stages of growth. The segment is closely fol- lowed by the development in electronics and advancement in communication tech- nology. The infotainment segment is largely based on consumer lifestyle. Prom- inence of IT industry in the country is a boon to the telematics industry. Growing demand in telematics and infotainment has resulted in the need of having a well- defined telematics supply chain supported by adequate infrastructure for it to be widely accepted and adopted. The penetration of electronics in the automotive industry is increasing signifi- cantly. Considering the growing impor- tance of electronics in cars, developing less expensive electronics architecture may expedite the demand for electronics INTRODUCTION host of challenges, they also open a lot of and enable sophisticated functionalities. interesting opportunities for the Indian Indian software firms can play a pivotal Global automotive OEMs and suppliers automotive sector. role by forming effective partnerships recognise India as a key market today. On electrification of powertrain, lack of with industry stakeholders to create a The sector is witnessing significant volumes and technology advancements mark here. changes in line with the global industry. have left the Indian indus- The paper discusses these emerging Fuel efficiency (lowering the cost of try lagging behind China, the United trends in the automotive industry with operating a vehicle) has always been a States, Japan, etc. While the National specific relevance to India and evaluates key factor for Indian customers. How- Electric Mobility Mission Plan (NEMMP) the impact of these trends on the auto- ever, of late, emissions and safety have 2020 was launched by the government to motive supply chain. This was prepared also assumed greater importance, in line provide demand side incentives with an for ACMA’s National Conference on with global trends. The Indian govern- R&D focus, the Faster Adoption and Man- driving affordable and accessible tech- ment is considering bringing in strin- ufacturing of (Hybrid and) Electric vehi- nology innovations. gent safety, emissions and fuel effi- cles (FAME India) scheme was introduced ciency related regulations. to increase the adoption of electric and Automotive OEMs have been working hybrid vehicles in India. These moves are TECHNOLOGIES & TRENDS THAT on various technologies such as light- a positive sign for an industry that is still COULD DRIVE THE INDUSTRY weighting, electrification of powertrains in its nascent stage with an underdevel- and safety features [Anti-lock Braking Sys- oped supply chain. Lightweighting: As the weight of a tem (ABS), Electronic Brakeforce Distribu- Lightweighting is another area, where vehicle directly impacts its dynamics, agil- tion (EBD), etc.]. These are increasingly limited progress has been made by the ity, fuel consumption and CO2 emissions, finding their way into Indian vehicles as Indian automotive companies. While Tier it has been drawing the attention of the well. While these developments do pose a I suppliers have been working closely automotive industry for decades now.

18 www.autotechreview.com Lightweighting strategies today are a com- 2020, only 0.01 % of cars are expected to However, the EV industry in India is bination of component design, manufac- be equipped with fuel cells i.e. about far behind, with less than one per cent of turing process innovation and substitution 16,000 units per annum, 2. the total vehicle sales. Currently, Indian of materials. Though the traditional automotive roads have approximately 0.4 mn electric Leading car manufacturers in India (ICE) has registered growth, the EV indus- two-wheelers and a few thousand electric have been targeting lightweighting with try continues to experience a growth cars only [5]. The Indian EV industry has materials such as aluminium, magnesium struggle. EV sales and the number of elec- been on the back seat due to various chal- alloy, high performance engineering plas- tric two-wheeler manufacturers have lenges that are similar to the global EV tics and high strength steel. Vehicle manu- dropped significantly in the last three industry. High cost of batteries and cars facturers have to align with Tier I and II years. However, the government is putting has been a major obstacle to the wide- suppliers to achieve the desired results. in efforts to boost the electric vehicles spread consumer adoption of EVs in The automotive industry is looking at segment through reforms. India. Lack of inexpensive and robust other sectors as well to quicken its own The number of EVs sold each year charging infrastructure is another parame- learning in material science. One such globally has grown rapidly from 45,000 ter, which has hindered its growth. sector is aviation and aerospace. Cross units in 2011 to more than 300,000 units Despite achieving more fuel savings, industry exchange from aviation to the in 2014 [1]. The global EV cumulative an EV owner cannot recover the high automotive industry could increase the registrations grew at a CAGR of 92 % to cost of the vehicle, which leads to high pace of adoption of advanced materials. A reach a total of 665,000 units on road by cost of ownership. A typical faster learning curve could be possible if 2014. The USA held the largest share, in India costs around ` 5-6 lakh, which is knowledge of composite design, crash with the world’s biggest fleet of e-vehi- approximately 2.5 times higher than an simulation, recyclability, material failure cles, followed by Japan and China [2]. entry level fuel-efficient conventional car. mechanism and assembly technologies is China is one of the fastest growing mar- Also the battery life of the EV is approxi- transferred from the aviation to the auto- kets for EVs, with 230 mn e-bikes, mately four to five years and the replace- motive industry. 83,000 electric cars, and 36,500 e-buses ment cost is around ` 2-3 lakh, which In India, lightweighting is lagging on road in 2014 [3]. further adds to the cost of ownership [6]. behind in terms of global practices as the Since 2013, the Chinese government Besides price, another barrier that has ecosystem is still in its nascent stage due has aggressively worked to flourish the prevented the widespread adoption of to lack of technological innovation and local EV industry by subsidising the pro- EVs is range anxiety. inadequate investments in R&D. Some duction and sale of new energy vehicles A weak supply chain is another spe- major challenges in lightweighting are (NEVs). This step has led to a huge jump cific challenge for the Indian EV indus- highlighted in 1. Other challenges in its sales, with 74,800 units being sold try, with limited domestic EV manufac- include ability to sustain low vehicle in 2014, which is an increase of 325 % as turers and a small base of component repair costs, infrastructure and skill devel- compared to the previous year [4]. The suppliers. Presently, India has only one opment of technicians for handling multi- government has also focussed on develop- OEM that produces four-wheeler electric material joints, and full vehicle life cycle ing charging infrastructure by opening the cars, while some of the other OEMs have assessments to gauge the benefits of light- country’s distributed power grid and EV been showcasing their electric car mod- weighting material. charging equipment markets to private els at various events, but have not investors and subsidising the construc- launched them commercially. Other man- tion, operation, and upgrading of charging ufacturers also cater to two and three- Electrification of powertrain stations. All these efforts are expected to wheeler EV s in the market. make China one of the largest markets for India lacks technological innovation Apart from conventional vehicles, there e-mobility by 2020. in the EV space, which is the reason for are a variety of alternative fuel based vehicles on the road. Of all the alterna- Material used Advantages Challenges tives available, EVs have been on the High strength steel (engine body- Makes use of existing vehicle • Comparatively lower strength to of the government and OEMs, glob- works) manufacturing infra weight ratio ally. However, the scenario of roads filled Aluminium (engines) Easy to form and recycle • Harder to spot-weld with electrically operated cars still seems • Uses labour intensive adhesive bonding distant. According to the 2015 Global Magnesium alloy (transfer casing, Low density and good strength to • Low-high temperature strength Automotive Executive Survey done by car seat frame, steering column, weight ratio • Poor corrosion resistance KPMG International, by 2020, less than steering wheel core ) one in 20 vehicles is expected to be Glass fibre reinforced composites Parts can be consolidated so that • Long production time ( suspension springs, sub-assem- less assembly time is required • Cannot be recycled equipped with electrified powertrains, blies of pedals and mechanical which may be dominated by full or partial linkages) hybrids. The plug-in hybrid and battery arbon fibre reinforced composi- Highest strength to weight ratio • Very high cost of carbon fibres tes (vehicle body and body parts) EVs are expected to capture a smaller por- tion of the pie, followed by elec- 1 Advantages & challenges of various materials used for lightweighting tric cars that have the least share. By Source: Automotive Research Association of India and KPMG in India analysis, 2015 autotechreview November 2015 Volume 4 | Issue 11 19 10

Electrification of powertrain Apart from conventional vehicles, 2020, less than one in 20 vehicles there are a variety of alternative fuel is expected to be equipped with based vehicles on the road, such electrified powertrains, which may as CNG, LPG, electric vehicles, be dominated by full or partial etc. Of all the alternatives available, hybrids. The plug-in hybrid and Electric Vehicles (EVs) have been battery EVs are expected to capture on the radar of the government a smaller portion of the pie, followed and OEMs, globally. However, by fuel cell electric cars that have the scenario of roads filled with the least share. By 2020, only 0.01 electrically operated cars still seems per cent of cars are expected to be distant. According to the 2015 equipped with fuel cells i.e. about Global Automotive Executive Survey 16,000 units per annum. Studydone by KPMG TECHNOLOGY International, by TRENDS

Global electrified powertrain production trend: 2011-2020

locate the nearest charging station of different providers. This application is displayed in the navigation system of the car.

12 GOING FORWARD

Other manufacturers also cater to In India,March the 2012 penetration has drastically of EVs affected in urban two and three-wheeler EV s in the the Indian EV industry16 as the 2 Global electrified powertrain production trend: 2011-2020 areas depends on the acquisition and Source: KPMG‘s Competence Centre Automotive, LMC Automotive market. India lacks technological sales and number of electric two- Note: % - share of overall powertrain production volume in respective year; in million units ownership costs as well as quality of and Source: KPMG‘s Competence Centre Automotive, LMC Automotive innovation in the EV space, which is wheeler makers in India has dropped Note: % - share of overall powertrain production volume in respective year; in million units accessibility to charging infrastructure. the reason for increasing imports. significantly in the last three years. Though the traditional automotive The number of electric vehicles sold The government should work towards (ICE) has registered growth, the EV each year globally is growing rapidly increasingindustry continues imports. to experience These a challengesfrom 45,000 units in 2011business to moreThis models burden to enhance of challenges their service and the developing an environment that encour- andgrowth the struggle. withdrawal EV sales and of thevarious than subsidies 300,000 units in offerings20149. The and differentiate themselves ages the private sector to create charging number of electric two-wheeler global electric vehicle cumulativewithdrawal of various subsidies providedmanufacturers by have the dropped government inregistrations March grew at afrom CAGR competitors. of provided92 by Some the ofgovernment the business in infrastructure in the country. Another 2012significantly have in drastically the last three years.affected per the cent Indian to reach a totalmodels of 665,000 are: important focus, to boost the EV market, However, the government is putting electric cars on road, by 2014. The [7] EVin efforts industry to boost the as electric the sales andUnited number States of America:: Forwardheld the integrated OEMs: Some of should be on batteries that typically con- ofvehicles electric segment two-wheeler through reforms. makerslargest in India share, with the world’sthese have started focussing on devel- stitute up to half of the vehicle cost and biggest fleet of e-vehicles, followedNumber of electric two-wheeler has dropped significantly in the last 10 oping charging infrastructure by weight. The government should support by Japan and China . makers in India three years. installing exclusive charging stations at researchTotal electricactivities vehicles to develop sold innovative in India various places, which are compatible and low-cost batteries, recycling and reuse only with the company models. For of batteries, etc. The NEMMP focuses on Government Initiatives in the instance, a US-based OEM has installed battery cells and Battery Management EV Space superchargers at strategic locations in System (BMS) technology as a priority. various cities in the country, which Hence, a lot needs to be done by both the 9. http://www.smev.in/industry-info/ev-industry- 10. Global EV Outlook 2015, Clean Energy Withoverview/ a target of deploying 6-7 mnMinisterial’ EVs ins Electric Vehicles Initiativecan recharge the EVs it manufactures. government and OEMs to revive and the country by 2020, under the NEMMP :: Battery leasing: Some OEMs have rebuild the Indian EV industry. scheme, the government has emphasised come up with an option of battery on providing demand side incentives leasingSource to reduce : Electric theVehicles barrier in India of Policies, higher Opportunities and Current Scenario, National Institute, along with R&D focus. Developing a priceNational of EVs Institute for potential of Urban Affairsbuyers. scenario For Connected Vehicles robust charging infrastructure is an impor- instance, an Indian manufacturer of tant parameter to be addressed to create a electric cars provides a battery leasing The global automotive industry has wit- conducive environment for mass adoption facility that has reduced the price of nessed a lot of transformation in the last focus. Developing a robust charging of EVs. If executed as per plan, the the carGovernment to around ` 170,000 initiatives [9]. in the two decades with the digitisation of infrastructure is an important scheme may lead to outcomes listed in 3. :: SmartphoneEV space application to locate vehicles. It is moving towards the con- parameter to be addressed to The launch of FAME was yet another charging station: Companies have also cept of ‘connected vehicles’, which With a target of deploying six to create a conducive environment for major move by the government to encour- comeseven up with million smartphone electric applicationsvehicles in the focusesmass on adoption connecting of EVs. vehicles If executed with the age sales of electric and hybrid vehicles in that helpcountry drivers by 2020, locate under the nearest the NEMMP outsideas per world plan, and the enhancingscheme may on-board lead to India. Under this scheme, the government chargingscheme, station the that government is compatible has experience.the following Automotive outcomes: telematics com- will provide demand-side incentives up to with emphasisedthe vehicle. For on instance,providing an demand- OEM bines telecommunication and informat- ` 1.4 lakh for every electric car sold [8]. providesside an incentives application along which with helps R&D to ics to provide various services such as With a planned investment of ` 795 lakh, phase I of the scheme started from April 1, 2015 and will run till the end of 2016- 17. The incentive scheme is expected to give an impetus to the Indian EV industry by overcoming challenges related to the high cost of vehicles. However, to be suc- cessful in long run, there is a need for technological breakthroughs related to charging and range of batteries.

KEY DEVELOPMENTS

Global OEMs, apart from supplying EVs, Source : Ministry of Heavy Industries & Public Enterprises.Source: Ministry of Heavy Industries & Public Enterprises. 3 have also embarked on various innovative PossibleInfograph outcomes : KPMG of NEMMP in India analysis, 2015 Infograph : KPMG in India analysis, 2015

20 www.autotechreview.com

16. http://www.business-standard.com/article/ companies/subsidy-withdrawal-hits-sales-of- electric-vehicles-112061800043_1.html T&M measure ad 23.5x17.5.indd 1 17/09/15 4:10 pm 15

Study TECHNOLOGY TRENDS Automotive telematics helps world in three ways: connects a car with the outer

ics market expected to touch ` 1882 crore other markets, the demand for advanced by 2021 [14]. Through several government engine control and management systems initiatives, a growth in the organised cab and superior safety systems is services, driving fuel efficiency amongst increasing gradually in India, as car fleets and reducing vehicle thefts and manufacturers demand components at accidents could drive the adoption of tele- competitive prices. matics in India. Due to the emergence of (IoT), digital electronics is acting as an important driving force behind 4 Connectivity offered by telematics Source: 2025 Every Car Connected: Forecasting the Growth and Opportunity, February 2012,Electronics many innovations in the industry. Provi- SBD and GSMA Source: 2025 Every Car Connected: Forecasting the Growth and Opportunity, February 2012, SBD and GSMA sion of in-vehicle communication and Developments in engine management and entertainment systems, known as con- According to a study, by 2025, However, the usage of telematicsa rise in demandIn both for the connected, business models safer the and nected infotainment, is a new opportunity 90 per cent of the new cars sold in the Indian automotive industry user can book a car/taxi through globally will comelive trafficwith embedded updates, smarthas shownrouting a positiveand trendgreener in the vehiclessmartphone are expected applications to be and key can in the Indian market and is anticipated to telematics, creatingtracking, a value roadside chain of assistance recent years. in case In 2013, of an EVgrowth with driverspay foronline. the The Indian Indian automotive taxi market drive the electronic component sector. INR1,343 billion*.accidents, Also an automatic estimated tolltelematics transactions, was launched inelectronics India, industry,was estimated a market at INR540 which billion has in 600 million cars, with fitted where the owners of the car could 2013, with less than 10 per cent of / parking manage- exhibited exceptional potential in the last References embedded telematics will be on the access services such as knowing the sector being organised23. With [1] http://www.smev.in/industry-info/ev-industryo- road, out of whichment, India on-board will have entertainment, the battery’s and charging statusfew and years andincreasing is expected number to ofgrow organised further. verview/ 20 approximatelymuch 40 million more. cars According. the to distancea study, the the car can travelThe Governmentplayers of in India the market, has received the car rental [2] Global EV Outlook 2015, Clean Energy Ministe- global connected car marketwith the will available grow charge, remotelyinvestment proposalsmarket is expected of ` 18,000 to take crore a U-turn. rial’s Electric Vehicles Initiative However, the Indian telematics control air conditioning, finding the The Indian car rental business is three-fold and is expected to reach ` during the period of July to December [3] Global EV Outlook 2015, Clean Energy Ministe- market has only been exposed to nearest charging station, activating growing with a CAGR of 12 per cent 275,700 crore in 2018 [10]. 2014 for its ‘Make in India’ initiative, rial’s Electric Vehicles Initiative basic telematics services such as the reserve energy in the battery and is expected to reach INR937 [4] http://www.chinabusinessreview.com/opportu- GPS-enabled navigationAutomotive and vehicle telematics through helps a connectssmart phone app,which and has mainlybillion* comein the nextfrom five the years automo with - nities-and-challenges-in-chinaselectric-vehicle- tracking systems.a car In with 2012, the out outer of the world a lot in more. three The ways, government tive is electronics50 per sector cent [15]share. being occupied by market/ 2.6 million new cars sold in India, pushing the use of telematics in the organised sector. Though these as shown in 4. According to a study, by Electronics has been one of the largest [5] http://www.smev.in/industry-info/ev-industryo- only 7,000 came with an embedded vehicles by making it mandatory for business models use basic level of verview/ navigation system2025,21 90. Telematics % of the new carstaxi owners, sold globally including thosedrivers who for changetelematics, in the with automotive increasing users sec- of [6] http://forbesindia.com/blog/businessstrategy/ adoption haswill been come very less with in embeddedthe run telematics,on app-based cre services,- tor. to installDeveloping smartphones a less expensive and more electroninvestments- why-the-economics-of-mahindrareva-e20-dont- passenger carsating and a trucks value (due chain to of ` GPS134,300 and panic crore. buttons in theirics architecture coming is expected in, the sector to expedite is expected the to work/ large number of single truck owners taxis22. grow in the future. [7] http://www.business-standard.com/article/com- for whom installingAlso an high-cost estimated 600 mn cars, fitted with demand for electronics and enable sophis- panies/subsidy-withdrawal-hits-sales-ofelectric-ve- telematics wouldembedded affect margins telematics willTelematics be on the is quite road, popular ticated in functionalities as standard fea- hicles-112061800043_1.html as comparedout to fleet of which owners) India as will havethe organised approxi sector- in India.tures. Globally, electronic components are [8] http://trak.in/tags/ compared to commercial vehicles, Some business models currently business/2015/04/09/7melectric-vehicles-2020-in- mately 40 mn cars [11]. expected to be 50 % of the value of a car taxi companies and fleet operators. prevailing in the industry use it centives-offered/ [16] However, the Indianfor telematics car rental andmarket self-driven by cars. 2030, from the current 30 % . Pres- [9] http://www.autocarpro.in/news-national/mahin- has only been exposed to basic telemat- ently in India, automotive electronics con- dra-reva-slashes-e2o-price-rs-177-lakh-8248 ics services such as GPS-enabled naviga- tribute around 10-15 % of the total cost of [10] Connected Car Forecast: Global Connected Car Market to Grow Threefold Within Five Years, [17] tion and vehicle tracking systems. In a car . February 2013 2012, out of the 2.6 mn new cars sold in Indian IT and software companies are [11] 2025 Every Car Connected: Forecasting the India, only 7,000 came with an embed- playing a crucial role in the development Growth and Opportunity, February 2012, SBD and [12] GSMA ded navigation system . Telematics of global automotive electronics industry, [12] http://www.infosysblogs.com/engineeringser- 20. 2025 Every Caradoption Connected: hasForecasting been the very 2less 1. http://www.infosysblogs.com/engineering- in the pas- considering the23. http://www.ibef.org/blogs/indian-car-rental- country is one of the larg- vices/2013/04/telematics_market_in_india_-_a.ht- Growth and Opportunity, February 2012, SBD services/2013/04/telematics_market_in_ industry-opportunity-to-build-and-indian-travel- ml and GSMA senger cars and trucks (dueindia_-_a.html to large est exporters ofbrand IT and software services [13] http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/GP- * Currency converted,number 1 EUR of = singleINR70.6942, truck owners for whom to the industry. Software companies part- Spanic-buttons-must-for-taxis-Government/article- RBI reference rate as on 13 July 2015, NSE 22. http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/GPS- installing high-cost telematics would ner with global automotive OEMs and show/46363591.cms ** Currency converted, I EUR = 68.8934, panic-buttons-must-for-taxis-Government/ Average rate affectfrom 1 January margins 2012 to as31 Dec compared articleshow/46363591.cms to fleet own- provide broad project implementation ser- [14] http://www.mynewsdesk.com/in/pressreleas- 2012, OANDAers) as compared to commercial vehicles, vices for electronic modules such as body es/india-telematics-marketestimated-to-reach- 301-23-millionby-2021-1115656 taxi companies and fleet operators. controls (electronic mirrors, chassis like [15] http://www.teleanalysis.com/analysis/whyauto- However, the usage of telematics in the electronic steering), infotainment, safety motive-electronics-contribute-majorityof-rs- Indian automotive industry has shown a and security (airbags), etc. The services 18000-cr-investment-11786.html [16] http://www.statista.com/statistics/277931/au- positive trend in the recent years. The provided by IT companies are software tomotive-electronics-cost-as-a-share-oftotal-car- government is also pushing the use of design and development, system integra- cost-worldwide/ telematics in vehicles by making it man- tion and testing, HIL, SIL, MIL testing, [17] Why automotive electronics contribute majori- datory for taxi owners, including those etc. The increase in embedded systems ty of Make in India investment? TeleAnalysis, 22 December 2014. who run on app-based services, to install and electronics in the next generation GPS and panic buttons in their taxis [13]. vehicles is expected to further boost the India has a huge potential in telemat- demand for software services. ics, as it has the world’s second and third Despite the fact that the average largest users of mobile phone and inter- electronic content per vehicle in India Read this article on net, respectively, with the Indian telemat- is still less compared to European and www.autotechreview.com

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©2012 National Instruments. All rights reserved. LabVIEW, National Instruments, NI, and ni.com are trademarks of National Instruments. Other product and company names listed are trademarks or trade names of their respective companies. 07926 Cover Story FUEL INJECTION SYSTEMS IMPROVED COMBUSTION IN DIESEL ENGINES BY INJECTION RATE SHAPING

The optimisation of fuel injection parameters remains a focal point in the further development of diesel engines. The Institute for Combustion Engines at RWTH Aachen University has developed a prototype injector that allows completely flexible injection rate shaping. Tests on the injector in a pressure chamber and on a single-cylinder research engine have shown the potential of improved injector needle opening times for achieving further reduc- tions in emissions.

Authors MOTIVATION injection system low. At the Institute for Combustion Engines of RWTH Aachen Efficient powertrain concepts represent an University (VKA), a prototype injector, the optimal solution to cope with the straight- HiFORS injector (HighPressure/Fast­ Open- ening of emission standard regulations ing/Rate Shaping), was designed to cope

regarding CO2 emission and soot/ NOx with a maximum injection pressure of trade-off. The intrinsic pollutant emis- 2,500 bar, continuous rate shaping and M. SC. BARBARA GRAZIANO is Research Assistant at the Institute sions of pose a great chal- fast needle opening. for Combustion Engines (VKA) at lenge to meet present and future Euro- The HiFORS injector was designed for RWTH Aachen University (Germany). pean emission standards. As an alterna- completely flexible continuous rate shap- tive to using complex and costly exhaust ing and shortest needle opening and clos- gas after treatment systems, pollutants ing times, in order to avoid needle seat can be reduced to a great extent by in-cyl- throttling. Although the automotive indus- inder emission reduction. try goes towards discontinuous injection A substantial measure to reduce emis- processes, a modular design overcomes sions is the improvement of mixture for- the drawbacks of needle seat throttling on DIPL.-ING. BENEDIKT HEUSER mation. This measure includes both air- mixture formation, which are present in is Research Assistant at the Institute [4] for Combustion Engines (VKA) at and fuel-path optimisation. Optimised directly controlled injectors . RWTH Aachen University (Germany). injection strategy coupled with digital rate shaping has led to a synergic reduction of both combustion noise and PM emissions MODULAR CONCEPT OF [1, 2]. It was shown by Matsumoto et al. THE HiFORS INJECTOR that the fuel injection system is one of the main determining factors in achieving The design of the HiFORS injector aimed these targets [3]. at coupling a modular concept, providing DIPL.-ING. PAUL GRZESCHIK The present study aims at integrating a high layout flexibility for the use of the is Team Leader Engine Design at FEV pressure modulation system into a stand- individual components with the func- GmbH in Aachen (Germany). ard-sized passenger car injector to over- tional flexibility of the injector. Thus, the come the challenge to realise rate shap- individual injector functions were carried ing, maintaining the complexity of the out by separate modules, 1. The HiFORS

24 www.autotechreview.com injector is sub-divided into three main ule as well. It is important to notice that control volume, determining the control parts: the actuation, the servo-hydraulics the nozzle was taken from a serial pro- pressure (Pcrtl). The control pressure and the nozzle assembly. Each module is duction injector. Inside the connector actuates the main valve, which supplies connected to the others with a clamping body, the extension of the piezo­electric the injection pressure (PInj) delivered into sleeve, ensuring a high contact pressure element is transmitted to the subse- the nozzle assembly. The nozzle assem- even at the maximum pressures. quent servo-hydraulics assembly by a bly consists of the nozzle module, the The actuation assembly is held by transmission module. adapter plate and the nozzle holder, the connector body, which carries the The servo-hydraulics assembly including the nozzle spring. In addition, hydraulic fittings for high pressure inlets depicted in 2 realises the injection free the nozzle holder has an integrated induc- and drains, the electrical connections of rate shaping. A pilot valve transmits the tive needle lift sensor and a strain gauge- the integrated sensors, and a piezo mod- movement of the piezo module into a based pressure sensor, enabling the rate shaping on the base of defined algo- rithms. The needle of the HiFORS always opens and closes very fast. In order to increase spray momentum and improve the mixture formation in particular at high load operating conditions, the throt- tle is located upstream of the needle.

MERITS OF FAST NEEDLE OPENING

The HiFORS injector was tested both in a high pressure vessel (HPV) and single cyl- inder diesel engine (SCDE) for research applications. In 3, a schematic of the HPV set-up is given. Details of the optical experimental set-up are given in former publications [5, 6]. The rate shaping experi- 1 HiFORS injector [1] ments were conducted at an air pressure autotechreview November 2015 Volume 4 | Issue 11 25 Cover Story FUEL INJECTION SYSTEMS

analysed for the same operating point, same injection profile and 1,200 bar injection pressure over different operat- ing conditions for a rectangular shaped injection rate. The first operating point (i.e. 50 bar at 800 K) corresponds to a PL engine-like operating condition at event of injection, while the others correspond to high PL operating conditions. Both injectors perform similarly in terms of LPL of the spray, but the faster needle opening of the HiFORS allows the spray plume to develop faster for the same injected mass. This trend is more remark- 2 Servo-hydraulics assembly of the HiFORS injector [1] able at higher loads. On the middle plot in ④, the LOL is depicted. In the first plot, the influence of of 50 bar and at an air temperature of 800 file is given for each measurement, the rate shaping on the LOL at different K, reproducing diesel-like engine bound- whereas on the right side a variation of rail pressures is given. For the highest rail ary conditions at the beginning of injec- the injection pressure and boundary con- pressure, the rectangle injection profile tion during part load (PL) operations. ditions is displayed. The energising dura- shows the longest LOL, due to the higher Ramp, boot and squared injection profiles tion for the HiFORS was calibrated to nozzle pressure. When adopting the other were tested for the HiFORS injector at dif- match the same fuel mass of the refer- injection profiles, a reduction in LOL is ferent pressure levels of 1,200 and 1,800 ence injector. observed; with decreasing injection pres- bar. The ramp profiles were shaped for a On the top in ④, the LPL at time of sure, the LOL becomes less sensitive to fixed ramp duration of 1 ms indepen- ignition is given. With small amounts of the injection profile chosen. As it can be dently of injection duration. fuel injected, the ignition occurs after concluded from the second plot from the The optical technique adopted con- the end of injection and no liquid fuel is left, the total LOL is predominantly influ- sisted of simultaneous OH*-chemilumi- present anymore. Generally, for the enced by the thermodynamic boundary nescence and shadowgraphy imaging in same injected mass, the duration of conditions in the HPV; behaviour order to detect the Liquid Penetration injection increases at given rail pressure, observed also in former works [5, 6, 7]. An Length (LPL), the Gaseous Mixing Length when shifting from a rectangular to the increase in the LOL with the HiFORS (GML) and the Lift-off Length (LOL) i.e. boot shape. When looking to the 1,800 injector is observable only in the lowest the distance of the first ignition kernel bar curves, all the different injection load condition. At higher pressures and downstream the injector nozzle. The profiles allow a comparable penetration temperatures, the spray of both injectors HiFORS injector was tested against a ref- of the spray, with the exception of the behaves almost equally. These measure- erence series production piezo injector. boot shaped profile. This is due to the ments also prove that the LOL is rather Thus, it was possible to point out the dif- significantly reduced nozzle pressure at independent of the injected fuel amount ferent injection performances of a stand- Start of Injection (SOI), which lowers and injection duration. ard needle seat throttling and the the nozzle outlet velocities. This trend is The GML, namely the difference upstream throttling featured by the not observable at lower rail pressures, between LOL and LPL is plotted in the HiFORS injector. where the different injection strategies bottom of ④. According to the third graph The results are presented in 4. On the show same results. from the left, high injection pressure and left side, a variation of the injection pro- On the right hand side, the LPL is the rectangular shaped injection promote an increase in the GML, enhancing the air/ fuel mixing process. This is due to the higher LOL achievable with the rectangu- lar injection profile. As depicted by the graphs on the right, the HiFORS injector contributes to higher GML at small amounts of injected fuel and low bound- ary conditions compared to the reference injector. This is caused by the faster nee- dle opening and closing. However, at higher boundary conditions in the HPV, the difference between both injectors is negligible. Only at the highest boundary 3 HPV set-up [5, 6] conditions the reference injector behaves

26 www.autotechreview.com LPL at beginning of the injection event. Shorter LPL has the benefit that the liquid core does not extend into the combustion region, leading to a greater GML. If that compensates, the advantages of a shorter injection duration with the HiFORS injec- tor cannot be stated on the basis of these optical measurements. For that reason, engine tests were car- ried out in succession. Engine investiga- tions were carried out on a four-valve SCDE, 390 cc engine with a compression ratio of 15. The HiFORS injector was tested over four engine operating condi- tions representative of PLs within the New European Driving Cycle (NEDC) for a C-class vehicle. The engine calibration featured fixed centres of combustion of the engine’s reference calibration with a close-to-production piezo-electrically driven servo injector, meeting EURO 6 NOx emissions. The details of the engine calibration are described in former authors’ works [7, 8]. The base investigations were carried out in the form of EGR sweeps at the four PLs, where the piezo-electrically actuated reference servo injector was tested with and without pilot injection (w/ PI and w/o PI) and the HiFORS injector w/o PI. The control of the refer- ence injector was done by an open Engine Control Unit (ECU). 5 lists the main engine calibration parameters. As ⑤ summarises, the soot/ NOx trade-off could be improved compared to the reference injector without having drawbacks in terms of combustion noise or indicated efficiency by utilising a rec- tangle shaped injection profile. At the same NOx level, the filter smoke number was reduced by up to 50 % with respect to those found with the reference injector. 4 HPV test results: LPL, LOL and GML at time of ignition The emissions of unburned hydrocarbons (HC) and carbon monoxide (CO) could be reduced up to 70 % at medium to high PL slightly better in terms of GML due to its At higher engine loads, the reference operation. In the trade-off of soot emis- throttle in the needle seat. injector will benefit from the throttle in sions and combustion noise, a more the needle seat, because of the shorter favourable calibration was obtained with-

BENCH TESTS ON A Rail Intake Center of

SINGLE-CYLINDER ENGINE Operating Engine pressure pressure combustion NOx target point [-] speed [rpm] IMEP [bar] [bar] [bar] [°KW nZÖT] [g/KWh] Based on these optical measurements, it is PL1 1500 4.3 720 1.07 5.8 0.2 expected that the HiFORS injector has PL2 1500 6.8 904 1.50 6.6 0.2 advantages at low engine load conditions PL3 2280 9.4 1399 2.29 9.2 0.4 compared to the reference injector with PL4 2400 14.8 1800 2.60 10.8 0.6 regards to the mixture formation process. 5 Engine load points of the SCDE [7, 8] autotechreview November 2015 Volume 4 | Issue 11 27 Cover Story FUEL INJECTION SYSTEMS

6 SCDE results at PL operation: HiFORS and reference injector compared for rectangular shaped injection profile

motors”, Graz, 2013 out forfeiting low NOx, HC and CO emis- engine testing has proved that the new [7] Heuser, B.; Kremer, F.; Pischinger, S.: Optimi­ sions and low fuel consumption. injector has a NOx/ soot trade-off on the zation of Diesel Combustion and Emissions with level of production piezo injector with a ­Tailor-Made Fuels from Biomass. SAE paper 2013- 24-0059, 2014 single main injection, a combustion [8] Grzeschik, P.; Laumen, H.-J.: A new passen- CONCLUSIONS sound level similar to production piezo ger car Diesel injector with continuous rate shap- injector with pilot injection and reduced ing for 2500 bar injection pressure. In: PTNSS The HiFORS injector is a highly flexible HC and CO emissions. Combustion Engines 157 (2014), No. 2 research tool to develop and test modern diesel combustion processes. The influ- ence of injection rate profiles at different References rail pressure on mixture formation and combustion was investigated at the HPV. [1] Grzeschik, P.: Dissertation, submitted inter- nally at Institute for Combustion Engines, RWTH The result of this investigation can be Aachen University, 2014 summarised as follows: [2] Kremer F.: Verbrennungsratenregelung durch :: The HiFORS injector allows a faster Mehrfacheinspritzung im Dieselmotor. Disserta- development of the spray at same tion, RWTH Aachen University, 2013 [3] Matsumoto S.; Date, K.; Taguchi, T.; Her- injected mass; rmann, O. E.: Der neue Diesel-Magnetventil-Injek- :: The HiFORS injector shows a positive tor von Denso. In: MTZ 74 (2013), No. 2, pp. 146- Thanks influence of the fast needle opening on 150 [4] Predelli, O.; Gratzke, R.; Sommer, A.; the mixture formation at 50 bar and Marohn, R.; Atzler, F.; Schüle, H.; Kastner, O.; 800 K; Nozeran, N.: Kontinuierliche Einspritzverlaufsfor- The research leading to these results has :: High injection pressure coupled with mung in Pkw-Dieselmotoren – Potenziale, Grenzen received funding from the 7th und Realisierungschancen. 31th International Vi- Framework Program [FP7/2007-2011] under square shaped profile enhances the enna Motor Symposium, 2010 air/ fuel mixing for the HiFORS injec- [5] Graziano, B.; Jakob, M.; Kremer, F.; Pisch- grant agreement No. 234032. The authors tor; and inger, S.; Lee, C.; Fernandes, R. X.: Investigation would like to thank Dr.-Ing. Markus Jakob, FEV, :: HiFORS injector contributes to higher on the Ignition Sensitivity of 2-MTHF, Heptane and for his support during the high pressure vessel Di-n-butylether. Proceedings “European Combus- investigations. gaseous mixing length at small tion Meeting”, Lund, 2013 amounts of injected mass. [6] Jakob, M.; Klein, K.; Graziano, B.; Kremer, F.; The impact of the HiFORS injector on Pischinger, S.: Simultaneous Shadowgraphic and Chemiluminescent Visualization to Determine the engine operation was analysed at a SCDE Mixture Formation Quality and Ignition Stability of against a piezo-electrically actuated servo Diesel Engine Related Surrogate Fuels. 14th con- Read this article on injector with identical nozzle layout. The gress “Der Arbeitsprozess des Verbrennungs­ www.autotechreview.com

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iglidur® bearings: low-weight and heat resistant. Compressive strength with high temperature up to 250 °C. Also available as individual parts and special solutions for the automotive industry. /automotive igus® (India) Pvt. Ltd. 36/1, Sy. No. 17/3 Euro School Road Dodda Nekkundi Industrial Area - 2nd Stage Mahadevapura, Bangalore - 560048, Karnataka, India Phone +91-80-45 12 78-00 The terms „igus“, „iglidur“, “dry-tech“and „plastics for longer life“ are legally protected trademarks in the Federal Republic of Germany and in case also in foreign countries. Cover Story FUEL INJECTION SYSTEMS LPG FUEL DIRECT INJECTION FOR TURBOCHARGED GASOLINE ENGINES

Repsol and AVL have carried out tests on a turbocharged direct-injection 1.4 l gasoline engine that was conver- ted from gasoline fuel to monovalent LPG operation. As the test showed, this fuel is suitable not only for meeting the required CO2 targets but also for complying with the forthcoming RDE legislation in a simple way, with con- ventional exhaust aftertreatment technology. A 15 % reduction in fuel consumption, related to the NEDC, was measured in the vehicle.

30 www.autotechreview.com Authors ADVANTAGES WITH DIRECT INJECTION

Forthcoming legislation is increasing

pressure to reduce CO2 as well as emis- sions for WLTP (World Harmonized Light Duty Vehicle Test Procedure) and DR.-ING. JAVIER ARIZTEGUI [1] is Senior Technologist at the for RDE (Real Driving Emissions) . Technical Centre of Repsol S.A. in (LPG), commer- Mostoles (Spain). cially known as offers a vast

potential to reduce CO2 emission and to meet Euro 6c PN (particle number) limits for gasoline engines. The scope of this article describes the technical solution and the results of an Autogas direct injection (LPG-di) applica- JAIME GUTIERREZ tion in a compact class passenger car. M. Sc. is Technical Director in Energy for Transportation at the Within this LPG monofuel prototype Technical Centre of Repsol S.A. development, the ambitious targets for in Mostoles (Spain). CO2 and PN emission reduction have been achieved without changing the base engine geometry. Using engine geometry modifications and the higher octane rat- ing of the fuel, LPG would even offer additional efficiency potential. LPG is an alternative fuel recognised DIPL.-ING. ALOIS FÜRHAPTER as such by the European Union prepared is Lead Engineer in the Department Development Gasoline Engines at the from a mixture of propane and butane AVL List GmbH in Graz (Austria). (hydrocarbons with three and four car- bon atoms) and substantially different to either compressed (CNG), cryogenic liquefied natural gas (LNG) or compressed (CBG), which mainly contain methane (a hydrocarbon with one carbon atom). A distinctive charac- DR.-ING. HUBERT FRIEDL teristic of LPG is that under moderate is Product Manager for Business Unit pressures (typically 300 to 1,000 kPa Gasoline Engines at the AVL List GmbH in Graz (Austria). depending on composition) and at ambi-

© Repsol 1 Historical evolution of worldwide LPG production (© Repsol) autotechreview November 2015 Volume 4 | Issue 11 31 Cover Story FUEL INJECTION SYSTEMS

cessing. This extra production alone rep- resents 11 % of the total European (EU- 27) fuel demand for automotive use (light-duty and heavy-duty) in 2015. HVO is a produced by hydro- genation of the molecules contained in oils. Its production has experienced an uptake in the last years with industrial plants growing around the world. During the hydrogenation process, approxim- ately 5 % of the oil mass processed ends up as propane, creating a bio-LPG.

SUPPLY INFRASTRUCTURE

Autogas is the more widespread altern- ative fuel in Europe. However, the sup- ply grid for the final user is very asym- 2 Prognosis of USA and Canada LPG production in horizon 2020 (© Repsol) metrical, with some countries having thousands of dispensing points and oth- ers with just some dozens [4]. Despite ent temperature, it is a liquid with sim- demand of LPG in Europe, (ii) natural these exceptions, in general, there exists ilar properties to gasoline. gas wells, (iii) production of hydro- a minimum infrastructure to support the Thus, the fuel may be stored in treated vegetable oil (HVO), and (iv) initial phase of a potential massive use liquid phase in the vehicle tank, conventional refining processes. of Autogas. enabling a range similar to that of gasol- According to ①, production of LPG As may be seen in 3, Autogas dis- ine. Even more importantly, Autogas in from natural gas wells has experienced a pensing units coexist with the rest of liquid phase may be used in modern dir- vigorous growth since 2010. This trend is the fuels in the same rack at the service ect injection gasoline engines with a expected to continue in the future caused station. The dispensing nozzle has a similar injection hardware as that used by the shale gas expansion in North design similar to that of conventional for gasoline. With the injection settings America, as 2 shows [3]. According to fuels. Also, the supply process takes a adjusted to the properties of the fuel, the latest estimates, USA and Canada similar time to that of conventional the engine may operate normally. In will increase LPG production by 30 × fuels. These characteristics guarantee a addition, the engine may be started dir- 106 t/year in the period from 2010 to seamless introduction of Autogas for the ectly with Autogas since this system 2020 due to additional natural gas pro- final user. does not require a prior vaporisation of the fuel.

AVAILABILITY OF LPG

When analysing the availability of LPG, several production routes should be con- sidered. Worldwide, there are three main sources of LPG: (i) oil refining processes, (ii) LPG associated with crude oil pro- duction, and (iii) LPG produced in nat- ural gas wells together with methane (accounting for up to 7 % of produc- tion). 1 shows the historical production of these routes [2]. It should be noted that alternative routes to oil refining accounted for 61 % of the total production in 2013. Looking ahead to the potential to provide an extra LPG for automotive use in the future, four main sources arise: (i) declining residential and commercial 3 Service station with Autogas dispenser (© Repsol)

32 www.autotechreview.com Even more important is the possibil- point of the European specification. injection, a particle filter will not be ity of a future growth of the grid. The necessary for future emission legisla- addition of Autogas to conventional ser- tions such as RDE. In fact, as 5 shows, vice stations does not require massive RESULTS FROM STEADY-STATE the reduction in PN emissions is equi- investments, with total costs below € ENGINE OPERATION valent to the efficiency required for a 100,000 and a standardised hardware. particle filter. The favourable mixing behaviour of Due to the higher octane rating of Autogas allows a calibration of the Autogas compared to gasoline, full load OBJECTIVES FOR THE engine for best efficiency without being operation advantages may be gained. PROTOTYPE DEVELOPMENT compromised by soot and particles. Due Autogas direct injection provided the to the better combustion stability, higher same full load performance with stoi- As a base for the prototype development, internal residual gas contents can be chiometric mixture and a significantly a standard VW Golf 7 with 1.4 l TSI gasol- applied by optimised cam-timing in part reduced knock limitation, which addition- ine engine (EA211, maximum power 103 load operation. This way, up to 5 % bet- ally delivered substantial fuel consump- kW and maximum torque 250 Nm) with a ter engine efficiency may be reached tion and CO2 reductions in this condition. six-speed manual transmission was with Autogas settings. chosen. The targets for the Autogas devel- Particle emissions with Autogas are opment were as appended: of lower magnitude compared to gasol- RESULTS FROM TRANSIENT :: Same performance, same transient ine operation, 4, despite the base gasol- ENGINE OPERATION response as base vehicle; ine application representing an already :: Euro 6 emissions (including particles Euro 6 optimised status with up to three Essential for Euro 6 compliance is an for Euro 6c) in NEDC; injections per cycle. With Autogas direct emission-optimised engine cold start and :: Efficiency optimisation for Autogas operation; and

:: Demonstration of CO2 benefit com- pared to base vehicle. Before the start of the development, the vehicle was carefully investigated to have an accurate assessment of the base engine and vehicle performance for later compar- ison. The modifications of the fuel system were accomplished with relative little effort and cost. For the fuel storage and supply system commercially available components were used. The fuel lines and high pressure (HP) pump were carried over from the base vehicle configuration. Only the direct injection injectors (provided by Delphi) were changed to approximately 30 % higher flow rate to compensate the lower density of Autogas. The engine control was completely transferred into a rapid prototyping engine management system (RPEMS). This RPEMS allowed full control for optimisation of engine maps as well as recalibration of vehicle operation with Autogas. The base mapping data from the original gasoline EMS was acquired by screening tests on a chassis dynamometer. For engine and vehicle testing during development, a defined LPG formulation with approximately 50 volume % pro- pane, 25 volume % isobutane and 25 volume % n-butane was chosen. This fuel formulation (in accordance to European Specification EN 589) reflected a central 4 Comparison of PN emission maps for gasoline and Autogas (© AVL) autotechreview November 2015 Volume 4 | Issue 11 33 Cover Story FUEL INJECTION SYSTEMS

pump with a separate purging valve would be a solution.

CONCLUSIONS

The use of Autogas in direct injection engines demonstrates potential advant- ages as an automotive fuel, including: :: Availability of LPG resources; :: Established refilling infrastructure and moderate cost for new points; :: Beneficial combustion parameters with respect to cold start as well as full load;

:: Substantial CO2 reductions due to chemical properties and favourable engine settings; and

5 Advantages of Autogas versus gasoline fuel for CO2 and PN emissions in NEDC (© AVL) :: Close to zero PN emission, in line with gaseous fuels. These advantages were demonstrated by an efficient catalyst heating phase to CHALLENGES FOR means of a prototype compact class car reach a fast catalyst light-off. With Auto- VEHICLE APPLICATION with a 1.4 l turbo direct injection engine gas, cold start and catalyst heating calib- running on Autogas with monofuel opera- ration is significantly easier compared to For stabilised operation conditions on the tion. A final CO2 improvement of 15 % gasoline operation and thus more robust. engine test bed no significant difficulties was achieved in NEDC with the demon- A full catalyst heating calibration was related to Autogas were experienced. strator car, with 11 % coming from the developed for Autogas, and emissions as However, some challenges arose in fuel chemistry and a further 4 % gained well as combustion stability proved to be vehicle application due to the specific from enhanced calibration. Autogas better compared to gasoline. physical properties of LPG. allowed stoichiometric operation within the complete engine map, which in turn provided substantial fuel consumption

FUEL ECONOMY EVALUATION CHALLENGES – INJECTION CONTROL and CO2 reductions in full load operation. FOR NEDC Due to excellent combustion perform- Autogas has a significantly greater density ance and very low PN emission, Autogas After refinement of vehicle driveability variation by pressure and temperature offers an extremely attractive solution to and emission calibration, the vehicle was than gasoline. Especially the liquid-gas meet forthcoming RDE regulations with tested on the chassis dyno. The positive phase transition is in the typical temperat- conventional three-way catalyst techno- impact from Autogas was finally proved, ure range of a warm engine, thus great logy at very moderate costs. and compared to gasoline operation, a 15 density changes were expected. To cope

% CO2 reduction was achieved at full with this, the standard gasoline injection References Euro 6c compliant emissions in a cold pre-control functionality was extended by [1] [1] Fraidl, G.; Kapus, P.; Schöggl, P.; Krapf, S.; Vidmar, K.; Wanker, R.; Weissbäck, M.: RDE – 5 NEDC test. As shows, this improve- a temperature correction model, which [2] Challenges and Solutions. 36th International ment can be attributed to the fuel chem- compensates the density differences in Vienna Engine Symposium, 2015 ical properties (11 %) and to the case of fuel cut-in after fuel cut-off and for [3] [2] European LPG Association: Autogas in enhanced Autogas combustion calibra- hot start. Europe, the Sustainable Alternative. In: An LPG In- dustry Roadmap, Edition 2013 tion (4 %). [4] [3] Hart, W. (IHS): Mind the Gap. 27th World The test procedure was performed LP Gas Forum & 29th AIGLP Congress, Miami, with fixed shifting points of the manual CHALLENGES – HOT START 2014 [5] [4] World LPG Association & Argus Consulting gearbox and without start/stop system. Services: Statistical review of Global LP Gas 2014

A further reduction of the absolute CO2 Due to the high volatility of Autogas, level down to 95 g CO2/km (EU 2020 restart after a hot soak proved to be chal- target) was predicted by simulation util- lenging. “Vapour lock” in the high pres- ising the additional benefits from cylin- sure pump prevented fuel to be delivered der deactivation, start/stop (base to the HP rail. A logical solution is to vehicle configuration) and a double purge the high pressure chamber of the clutch gearbox for free shifting points, pump with cold, liquid fuel from the Read this article on without cost-intensive hybridisation. tank. For this purpose, a modified HP www.autotechreview.com

34 www.autotechreview.com Your Partner in the Gear Industry

TYROLIT in India | +91 80 23121811 | [email protected]

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0589_15_MP_IN_Gear_Industry_210x279_RZ_PRINT.indd 1 19.08.15 15:52 Cover Story FUEL INJECTION SYSTEMS DEVELOPMENT OF A 3D SPRAY VISUALISATION METHOD FOR LOW-PRESSURE INJECTORS

Knowledge of spray targeting is of prime importance in designing and developing efficient spray-gas interaction systems. The combination of optical spray measurements and software computation studied at the Ecole Supé- rieure des Techniques Aéronautique et de Construction Automobile (ESTACA) enables the visualisation of low- pressure sprays as 3D datasets. The visualisation method developed is an innovative approach to determining the global spray parameters required to design optimum exhaust gas after-treatment and port fuel injection sys- tems. This work was awarded the Hermann Appel Prize by IAV in 2013.

36 www.autotechreview.com Author MOTIVATION STATE OF THE ART

The increasingly stringent exhaust gas Key spray parameters for PFI injectors and emission legislation for diesel vehicles in for low-pressure injectors [5] in general are recent years has pushed extensive devel- the spray cone angle (possibly the cone opment of AdBlue-based SCR systems [1]. bend angle), the spray pattern (spatial Spray targeting has been identified as a fuel mass distribution), spray tip penetra- DIPL.-ING. ARNAUD MUZARD studied at Ecole Supérieure des key parameter for maximising the effi- tion, and the droplet size distribution as Techniques Aéronautique et de ciency of SCR systems [2] and avoiding well as the characteristic diameters. Typi- Construction Automobile (ESTACA) the formation of deposits with a severe cal methods for measuring spray tip pene- in Levallois-Perret (France) and impact on global operation of the engine, tration and spray cone angle use spray now works as Test Engineer in the field of optical spray analysis in especially by increasing fuel consump- visualisation perpendicular to the injector the Department Fuel and Injection tion. Despite the growth in market share axis in general with scattered light or Systems, Testing and Application at of gasoline direct injection (GDI) backlit techniques. Mass distribution of IAV GmbH in Gifhorn (Germany). engines, port fuel injection (PFI) systems the fluid can be determined using a remain the most widely used technology mechanical or optical spray patternator; in the world due to simplicity and lim- the latter has the advantage of not being ited cost, as well as the quality of the intrusive. However, a patternator inte- mixture preparation [3]. However, spray grates droplet distribution over time in targeting still offers further optimisation only one plane. The set-up therefore has potential for PFI engines [4]. to be readjusted for every distance to be The respective optimisation process is measured. Mass distribution can also be usually a combination of experiments and obtained with high time and spatial reso- CFD (Computational Fluid Dynamics) lution using light sheet techniques per- modelling [2]. Measurements are used to pendicular to the injector axis, viewed in provide important input data for numeri- alignment with the injector axis as in [2]. cal models and for experimental valida- This can give rise to wetting of the optical tion of the simulation results. One funda- accesses. Moreover, the scattered light is mental spray characteristic of all systems only proportional to droplet mass, when with spray-gas interaction is the spatial using fluorescence techniques. distribution of droplets. This is character- Considering the nature of the sprays ised by the spray geometry, which is being investigated, a literature research ascertained by a combination of different reveals that stereoscopy is the most measurement techniques, resulting in appropriate albeit simple optical tech- costly and time-consuming measurement nique to be used here. Its principle is the series. The research thesis presented in same as human binocular vision: the two this article developed a method to deter- eyes of a human being allow a scene to be mine the geometry of the low-pressure observed from two different viewing sprays with just one measurement set-up. angles. The human brain is then able to

1: Spray chamber 2

2: Injector mounting

3: Left CCD camera

4: Right CCD camera 1

3 4

❶ Stereoscopic test setup autotechreview November 2015 Volume 4 | Issue 11 37 Cover Story FUEL INJECTION SYSTEMS

Movable calibration target Spray domain

Left CCD camera

Right CCD camera Glass window Spray chamber Integrating sphere with flash lamp

❷ Diagram of the optical test setup of the measurements carried out

generate a 3D image of the scene and to both cameras is located at a distance of The stereoscopic imaging system estimate depth. Similarly, if a spray drop- about 500 mm from the centre of the described above has to be calibrated in let is imaged from two cameras with spray chamber and the angle between the order to obtain a mapping function defined viewing angles, it is then possible optical axes of the two cameras is 15°. between points in the real world and pixel to calculate its position. One advantage of This kind of a set-up permits a viewing points on the images. For this purpose, a this method is the high time and spatial area of 50 × 90 sq mm with a resolution calibration plate composed of a pattern of resolution of the 3D droplet distribution, of 50 μm/pixel. Images are recorded using points (rows and columns) is mounted in which makes it possible to generate any the shadowgraph technique. An integrat- the spray chamber and precisely posi- given views and patterns. Furthermore, ing sphere with a flash lamp generates a tioned at different distances from the cam- the wetting risk of optical accesses is lim- bright, homogeneous background. The eras by means of an electronically actu- ited. The challenge is to identify corre- light from this lamp is distributed homo- ated stepper motor. An image is captured sponding droplets on both images. geneously in the sphere, which has an at each of these distances and used later opening on one side to let light come out. to compute the mapping function. The It thus creates a homogeneous back- positions of the calibration plate are cho- EXPERIMENTAL SET-UP ground at the rear window of the spray sen so that the entire spray volume is cov- chamber, which looks almost identical ered with calibration points. 2 shows a The injectors are mounted vertically on a from both camera views. The injector schematic diagram of the set-up, with the spray chamber with optical access for spray in the middle of the chamber gener- spray chamber in the middle, the stereo- spray analysis and observed laterally, 1. ates a shadow in front of the background. scopic imaging system on the left and the Injectors are electrically actuated by a flexible engine control unit. Injection pressure is generated by a fuel delivery pump for PFI injectors under inert envi- Real world coordinates ronment and by a membrane pump for Rotation and SCR injectors. Fluids used are n-heptane translation and AdBlue for PFI and SCR injectors Left camera Right camera respectively. The used stereoscopic imag- coordinates coordinates ing system consists of two CCD (Charge- Perspective Coupled Device) cameras with a 14-bit projection dynamic range and a resolution of 2048 Left undistorted Right undistorted image coordinates image coordinates × 2048 pixels. A 50-mm objective is used for both Radial lens distortion cameras and the relative aperture (f#) is Left distorted Right distorted set to 16, which is a compromise to guar- image coordinates image coordinates antee a sufficient depth of field and at the Pixel sampling same time let a sufficient amount of light come through the optical system. Both Left pixel Right pixel cameras are triggered together by image coordinates coordinates acquisition software that is also used for image processing. The optical centre of ❸ Diagram showing the structure of the camera model

38 www.autotechreview.com principle is to create a common image Rectified images plane parallel to the line that links the optical centre of both cameras (rectifica- Window shift to tion) [6, 8]. The advantage is that corre- compute the cross- correlation function sponding droplets necessarily lie on the same image row. The droplets are then detected on each image of the pair sepa-

Zoom Cross-correlation Zoom rately using a segmentation algorithm based on simple thresholding. The first step consists in obtaining a binary image by setting all pixels above a certain intensity to zero, which corresponds to the background, and the others to one Maximum of the cross- which corresponds to the droplets. A correlation function droplet can then be defined as a pixel or several connected pixels, the intensities Left image Right image of which are equal to one. As a result of this operation, the detected droplets for ❹ Schematic diagram of the droplet matching process each of the two images are listed with an index, the coordinates of their centre of gravity and their diameter. After detecting and inventorising the light source on the right. The calibration remove residual inhomogeneity in the droplets, the correspondence problem has target is held and moved from the side of background. The used image acquisition to be solved, i.e. corresponding droplets the spray chamber. and processing software includes a cali- in the image pair have to be found. Cross- bration tool, which adapts 12 physical correlation was used for this purpose [6]. parameters of a camera model using the The principle is to start from a droplet on IMAGE PROCESSING PROGRAMME image pairs [6, 7]. The structure of the the left rectified image of the pair and to camera model is illustrated in 3. search for the corresponding droplet on Despite the relatively homogeneous The most challenging problem in pro- the right rectified image. Because of prior background achieved with the illumina- cessing stereoscopic images is the search rectification, the corresponding droplet is tion method employed, it is necessary to for corresponding points in the two known to lie on the same row of the right normalise the spray images using an images of the pair, well known as the image. Cross-correlation is performed average background image. The reason correspondence problem [6]. It is basically between a window centred on a droplet of for this step that makes it easier to iden- a 2D search, which can be reduced to a the left rectified image and a window of tify corresponding droplets is to elimi- 1D search using the geometrical proper- the same size on the same row of the nate the intensity variation from one ties of a stereoscopic imaging system, the right rectified image. The result is a value flash of the lamp to another and to so called epipolar geometry [6, 7]. The that can be interpreted as a degree of similitude between the two windows. The window on the right image is successively shifted along the image row Calibration images Spray images to obtain a so-called correlation function for its window coordinates. The maxi- Image normalisation Image normalisation mum of the correlation function thus ascertained produces the most likely coordinates of the droplet corresponding Image rectification Calibration tool to the left image. This matching process :Mark detection in calibration is illustrated in 4. This is then validated images Droplet identification (segmentation) by performing the same operation start- : Optimisation algorithm to fit the parameters of the camera ing with the droplet found on the right model Droplet pairing (correlation) image and the corresponding line on the left image in order to reduce the risk of accidental matching. This step of image 3D reconstruction (triangulation) Mapping function processing concludes with a list of corre- characterised by twelve sponding droplets with their coordinates physical camera parameters 3D coordinates of droplets in both images. The DFT (Discrete Fourier Transform)- ❺ Flowchart of the image processing sequence based approach to cross-correlation [9] autotechreview November 2015 Volume 4 | Issue 11 39 Cover Story FUEL INJECTION SYSTEMS

Three-hole SCR injector 3D reconstruction Reconstructed 2D views of spray Fluid: AdBlue – pinj 0.5 MPa Front view Side view Spray pattern Atmospheric conditions 5 mm 5 mm Injector energising time: 10 ms Jet 2 Jet 3 400 images at 10 ms after SOI Injector nozzle Normalised images, single shot 10 mm 10 mm Jet 1 30 mm

50 mm Jet 2 Jet 3

Jet 1

Analysis of spray geometry Radial distribution of droplets Distribution of droplets with regards to vertical axis for each jet 0.12 0.14 0.10 Jet 1 0.12 Jet 1 Jet 2 [- ] 0.08 0.10 Jet 2 + Jet 3 0.08 Jet 3 0.06 0.06 0.04 0.04 0.02 Probability ❻

Probability [-] Results of 0.02 β1 0.00 0.00 ­stereoscopic δ γ1 060 δ1 120 180 2 240 300δ3 360 012345678910 Left image Right image δ [°] γ [°] ­measurements on a SCR doser (SOI = start of injection)

applied here drastically reduces computa- droplet seen from both cameras is there- RESULTS tion time for one image pair to about 1 s fore located at the intersection of the two (depending on the number of droplets). lines. Despite sub-pixel interpolation, a Quantitative evaluation of the visualisa- After identifying droplet pairs with their degree of uncertainty in the location of tion tool has been performed for valida- respective coordinates on each image, the the droplets may remain and these two tion. Reconstruction of the calibration 3D position of each droplet can be calcu- lines do not exactly intersect. In that case, plate reveals a high level of accuracy with lated using the triangulation principle. A the droplet is located in the middle of the an average error below 10 μm, achieving straight line is defined by the optical cen- segment that minimises the distance a level of precision (3 s) below ± 0.4 mm tre of each camera and a droplet on the between them. An overview of the image for the depth coordinate and maximum ± image plane. The 3D position of the same processing sequence is shown in 5. 0.04 mm for the other coordinates. This

Four-hole PFI injector 3D reconstruction Reconstructed 2D views Fluid: n-heptane – 0.5 MPa of spray pinj Front viewSide view Top view Atmospheric conditions Injector energising time: 10 ms 10 mm Injector nozzle 100 images at 10 ms after SOI position Injector Normalised images, single shot nozzle 10 mm 10 mm 10 mm Jet 2 Jet 1

10 mm

Analysis of spray geometry Radial distribution of droplets Distribution of droplets with regards to vertical axis for each jet 0.08 0.10 Jet 1 Jet 1 0.06 0.08 Jet 2 Jet 2 + 0.06 β1 0.04 0.04 γ 0.02

Probability [-] 0.02 Probability [-] β 0.00 0.00 0306090 120 150 180 0510 15 20 25 30 35 40 ❼ Results of Left image Right image δ δ δ γ γ 2 [°] 2 1 [°] ­stereoscopic ­measurements on a gasoline PFI injector

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REFERENCES [1] [1] Krämer, L.; Buschmann, G.; Stiegler, L.; Bunar, F.; Richardson, S.; Hansen, K. F.: Sulev: Diesel-Exhaust Gas Aftertreatment Heading to Su- per Ultra-Low Emissions. Wiener Motorensymposi- um, 2013 [2] [2] Maass, J.; Eppler, A.; Scholz, J.; Gentgen, H.; Grumbrecht, F.; Marohn, R.: Influences of Ad- blue Spray Targeting and Mixing Devices on the UWS Distribution Upstream of the SCR-catalyst. IMechE Fuel Systems Conference, London, 2012 [3] [3] Heiduk, T.; Kuhn, M.; Stichlmeir, M.; Un- selt, F.: The New 1.8 l TFSI Engine from – Part 2: Mixture Formation, Combustion Method and Turbocharging. In: MTZ 72 (2011), no. 7-8, pp. 58-64 [4] [4] Dufour, M.; Lorenzon, B.; Rebouah, L.; Asselin, P; Posselt, A.; Gougeon, D.; Zaragoza, L.: Advanced PFI System: Twin Injector on Turbo- charged Engine. SIA International Conference, Strasbourg, 2013 ❽ Application of 3D spray visualisation in a CAD program (detected droplets are displayed as spheres and [5] [5] N. N.: Gasoline Fuel Injector Spray Meas- scaled according to estimated diameters) urements and Characterizations. SAE J2715 2007, SAE International, Warrendale, Pennsylvania [6] [6] Jain, R.; Kasturi, K.; Schunck, B. G.: Ma- chine Vision. McGraw-Hill Inc., 1995 [7] [7] Hartley, R.; Zisserman, A.: Multiple View visualisation tool has been tested for dif- SCR catalyst. As a positive result, this Geometry in . Cambridge Univer- sity Press, second edition, 2003 ferent injector technologies. Experience improves the conversion efficiency of [8] [8] Fusiello, A.; Trucco, E.; Verri, A.: A Com- indicates that a minimum of 50,000 drop- nitrogen oxides. pact Algorithm for Rectification of Rectification of lets is required to obtain adequate repre- The 3D droplet coordinates can also Stereo Pairs. In: Machine Vision and Applications sentation of average spray distribution for be used in CFD simulation in order to (2000), no. 12, pp. 16-22 [9] [9] Bastiaans, R. J. M.: Cross-Correlation PIV; the evaluation of spray geometry. provide accurate input parameters for Theory, Implementation and Accuracy. Technische The results of the investigations are further spray simulation with hot Universiteit Eindhoven, 2000 PIV; Theory, Imple- shown in 6 and 7 for a three-hole SCR exhaust gas flow. The same combination mentation and Accuracy. Technische Universiteit Eindhoven, 2000 injector and a four-hole PFI injector of CAD design and CFD modelling shows respectively. Starting on the left, the similar potential in adapting a PFI injec- results represent one pair of normalised tor to the intake port in an optimum way, spray images based on 400 (SCR) respec- maximising vaporisation and minimising tively 100 (PFI) spray images. After com- wall wetting. putation, the spray data is available as reconstructed 3D droplet coordinates (centre of the figure). It is then possible to SUMMARY generate 2D views (right side), allowing further projections and spray patterns to Besides the development and increasing be produced. Geometrical spray parame- use of high-pressure injection systems for ters can be ascertained (at the bottom) by both diesel and gasoline engines, low- identifying the three main angles that pressure injection systems remain the characterise the spray: radial angle orien- mainstream technology for cost-effective tation of jets (δ), bend angle of jets in PFI gasoline engines and spray-based relation to injector axis (γ) and spray exhaust gas after-treatment systems. In Thanks opening angle (β). both cases, the optimisation of spray tar- Another possible application is to geting is key. This was the motivation The results presented here are part of a import the 3D droplet coordinates and behind the development of a time- and diploma thesis conducted at IAV: “Develop- diameters into CAD software. This is cost-saving stereoscopic measurement ment of a 3D Spray Visualization Method for illustrated in 8 for designing a mixer method, capable not only of determining SCR Injectors”. The author thanks his col- plate in SCR system development. This the main spray parameters but also sup- leagues at IAV, including his supervisor Dr. process facilitates the implementation of porting simulation and design. Jochen Maaß, for the support throughout the the injector spray in its environment. A further development step of this course of this work. Optimum spray targeting and mixer method would be to capture a double- design reduce deposits, maximise sec- frame image with a time shift in order ondary spray break-up on the mixer to calculate a real velocity field compris- plate and provide a more homogeneous ing 3D droplet coordinates and 3D Read this article on distribution of urea at the inlet of the velocity vectors. www.autotechreview.com

42 www.autotechreview.com technology SUSTAINABILITY SUSTAINABILITY TAKES ON A KEY ROLE IN THE AUTO INDUSTRY

Within the automotive industry, increased use of lightweighting technologies and sustainable products has be- come a key developmental aim coupled with the ever-present desire for more efficient production processes. Consequently, innovative solutions involving adhesives, sealants and functional coatings are also attracting in- creasing attention. Henkel has been working towards achieving sustainable development for over 135 years. This article looks at the new innovative solutions that address sustainability challenges.

Authors

MANISH DAVE is Country Manager, Automotive & Metals, India at Henkel Adhesive Technologies India is based in Bangalore (India).

INTRODUCTION gical limits. To be a leader in sustainabil- COMPOSITE SOLUTIONS FOR THE ity, we believe we have to continually AUTOMOTIVE INDUSTRY Sustainability is a firm component of our introduce pioneering solutions in the mar- corporate culture, and our commitment is ketplace that address sustainability chal- Automotive industry’s challenge: Pur- reflected in our corporate values. It is our lenges, which become the preferred sued both by the government and con- commitment to maintain a balance choice of our customers. sumers, the automotive industry is between economic success, protection of Henkel has been pro-actively working increasingly adopting lightweighting tech- the environment, and social responsibility on a number of cutting-edge technologies nologies. Lighter cars mean lesser Carbon – we aim to achieve more with less. In focused on sustainable lightweight solu- Dioxide emission and increased contribu- 2010 itself, we achieved the sustainability tions to help OEMs achieve their targets tion to a more sustainable environment. targets we had set for 2012, although we of weight reduction, cost efficiency and In addition, the industry is asking for had the best business performance that better fuel economy, while enhancing automated application processes in order year in Henkel’s 135-year history. safety and comfort of the vehicle. Our to ensure consistent quality, and to reduce Our leading sustainability performance global experience and market leadership process times and process costs. has been confirmed numerous times by places us in good stead to provide such Our contribution: With composite tech- external entities. However, the world innovative solutions, especially at a time nology, Henkel has immensely contrib- around us is changing: population is when the Indian automotive industry is uted in the areas of weight reduction and growing as is the per capita resource con- embarking on a phase marked by double sustainability. Henkel has developed a sumption – stressing the Earth’s ecolo- digit growth. polyurethane-based composite matrix

44 www.autotechreview.com resin that fulfils the performance criteria application – such as, headlamp, elastic, form of sound-damping materials that can of physical properties and process ability, instant or magnet bonding, potting, hot- be sprayed onto car bodies by robots. as well as static and dynamic behaviour melt moulding, retaining, gasketing, Liquid applied sound damping (LASD) in a composite part, which has already thread-locking, sealing, interior lamina- significantly reduces the structurally born achieved global success. We are in the tion, impregnation, weatherstrip, easy-to- noise generated by the engine and the process of developing the roadmap for use dispensing equipment for structural wheels during the drive and it absorbs this technology to be made available to adhesives, composites – our Loctite vibrational resonance, 3. LASD is applied the Indian OEMs. product portfolio provides sustainable and directly to the car body to keep away The benefits: With an OEM abroad, lightweight solutions for each of these unwanted noise from entering the vehicle Henkel used this technology to achieve applications, 2. passenger cabin. As LASD is more effect- a weight saving of 4.5 kg compared to a Our state-of-the-art instant bonding ive in sound damping compared to the conventional coil spring concept, mak- portfolio includes: traditional bitumen pads and melt sheets, ing the ride smoother and offering :: Comprehensive magnet bonding these are increasingly replacing bitumen improved NVH behaviour. It also means products; mats. Henkel developed LASD in the field faster and safer processing for automot- :: A large range of high performance of damping material for an efficient NVH ive mass production. liquid gasketing solutions; behaviour and better environment. We, in :: White-label anaerobic liquid and India, are in the process of developing the pre-applied thread-locking and sealing; road map for this technology to be made HIGH DAMPING FOAM (HDF) :: Porosity sealing service and resin for available to the Indian OEMs. castings and electronic parts; The benefits: Globally, this technology Automotive industry’s challenge: Apart :: Sustainable reactive hotmelts for has seen a significant weight reduction from the mega trends discussed above, interior lamination; compared to bitumen pads. Also, robotic- another important aspect that the OEMs :: Low-pressure hotmelt moulding for ally-applied LASD assures consistent and are increasingly focusing on is the reduc- electronic applications; reliable quality. The renewable and sus- tion of noise level vibrations. :: A variety of structural adhesives for tainable raw materials make LASD inde- Our contribution: Henkel took it upon metal and low surface energy itself to find a solution to this challenge, substrates; and has developed a technology, which :: Solutions for electrical and electronical also helps in weight reduction. Our parts’ potting; product, TEROSON® HDF, has been able to :: Composite matrix resin and bonding significantly improve panel vibrations and formulas; acoustic performance through its intrinsic :: White-label lamp bonding solutions; damping properties. It is designed as a :: Lightweight elastic bonding products; replacement for anti-flutter mastics and :: Rubber coatings and flock car 1 HDF can replace bitumen dampers bitumen dampeners by providing outstand- adhesive; ing acoustics, 1. The wash-out resistant :: A comprehensive retaining product material is formulated to expand and bond range for different car glues; and within the e-coat process. :: A variety of specialised automotive The benefits: The technology sees a adhesive dispensing equipment. major improvement in acoustics perform- Working with the Loctite range of ance by increasing the sound absorption products and solutions offers many bene- by up to 30 %. TEROSON® HDF also fits, including offering lightweight solu- helps in weight reduction, reduction in tions, white-label and low emission shop complexity and helps the OEMs products, reduced cycle time thanks to increase their process efficiencies. high-speed automotive adhesives and high performance products customised to 2 Loctite bonding helps lightweighitng industry requirements. ADHESIVE – LIGHTWEIGHT SOLUTION LASD – SOUND DAMPING MATERIAL Henkel has been developing strong solu- FOR A BETTER ENVIRONMENT tions for a variety of challenges for dec- ades. Our automotive adhesive portfolio Automotive industry’s challenge: Apply- ‘Loctite’ is a prime example, offering ing the traditional bitumen pad in many premium brands, OEMs and gar- vehicles is very tedious, and also hazard- ages strong and lasting car glue products. ous in nature. Benefitting from work-floor experience, Our contribution: A trend is taking hold our formulas complete all jobs. Be it any across the automotive industry in the 3 LASD can absorb vibrational resonance autotechreview November 2015 Volume 4 | Issue 11 45 technology SUSTAINABILITY

pendent from the traditional materials. reduce both volume take-up and weight, of development projects. but because of the increasing power dens- In keeping with the principles of ities involved, it has also led to higher local responsible resource management, Henkel NG MPT – SUSTAINABLE temperatures needing to be dissipated. utilises ingredients based on renewable LOW COST SOLUTIONS For these applications too, Henkel sup- raw materials to optimise product proper- plies an array of specialised potting and ties, where viable from an ecological, eco- Automotive industry’s challenge: With encapsulation compounds based on nomic and social standpoints. Thanks to a stricter norms for developing technology, epoxy, silicone and urethane technologies, combination of renewable, recycled and there was a need to develop new coating offering thermal conduction combined conventional raw materials, Henkel’s new technology with clear focus on sustainab- with electrical insulating properties. Technomelt 9800 series of hotmelts sets ility and low cost operations. The object- On the battery front, Henkel offers new standards in terms of both sustain- ive was to develop a technology with conductive primer coatings for the alu- able development and strength of per- reduced environmental impact. minium cathode of lithium-ion secondary formance. The Technomelt 9800 series Our contribution: Henkel has developed a batteries, which improve both, conduc- can be used in various processes, extend- low cost coating technology, which helps tion in the cell, and its service life. These ing from the press and vacuum lamina- in multi-metal corrosion protection prior products are also used for shielding tion of interior linings, to a wide range of to painting operations. Apart from this, plastic enclosures to prevent electromag- manual assembly operations. The the technology also helps in reducing: netic interference. To meet the application product, which can be applied under con- :: Environmental impact by replacing requirements of fuel cells, adhesives and ventional laminating conditions, is char- hazardous zinc phosphate technology; sealants have to offer certain specific acterised by exceptional strength values :: Process energy, and properties such as low permeability to right from the cooling phase. :: Overall process costs – smaller hydrogen and oxygen molecules. Here pre-treatment foot print. again, Henkel offers a wide range of The benefits: The technology helps in tailored products for use in different pro- PRODUCTS for POWERTRAIN TECH- lowering the process energy, while decreas- cess environments, such as those NOLOGY ing the cost by 10-20 %. It is a sustainable encountered in screen printing and injec- technology that cuts water consumption tion moulding. Henkel offers solutions for every stage of and waste water generation by half. The the value chain: cleaning, cooling and technology uses superior material, which lubrication in the manufacture of power- are free of Nickel and Phosphate. FOCUSING ON SUSTAINABILITY train components; as well as surface treat- ment, functional coating, bonding and When considering the issue of sustainabil- sealing during assembly. ELECTRIC WAY FOR SUSTAINABLE ity, the automotive industry not only looks Engine development effort is geared TRANSPORTATION at alternative drive concepts and lightweight not only to ensure sustainability aspects technologies, but also the wider range of such as reduced fuel consumption and

Automobile manufacturers are working products employed and the ingredients they lower CO2 emissions, but also to increas- hard to develop vehicles with drive sys- contain. Working closely with its customers ingly compact dimensions. With this tems based on alternative energies as a on various laminating and bonding applica- general trend, the ensuing small yet means to achieve sustainable, cli- tions for vehicle interiors, Henkel has powerful engines give rise to very high mate-friendly and environmentally-com- developed a range of innovative hotmelt joint stresses. To address this issue, Hen- patible mobility; that is, reduced CO2 emis- adhesives that are up to 60 % based on kel offers a solution in the form of Loc- sions as well as reduced dependence on renewable and recycled raw materials, tite 5189, a new, exceptionally flexible petroleum-based fuels. Globally, Henkel is while delivering results which, in terms of liquid gasketing compound. Gaskets are actively involved in these developments as performance, are at par with the conven- used in the production of engine com- a supplier of innovative product solutions tional products. Customers have been suc- ponents in order to prevent gas or liquid capable of meeting the various challenges cessfully using these hotmelts in a number from escaping. associated with electromobility, 4. The Loctite flange gasket developed by The company’s portfolio contains a Henkel, in close cooperation with Global range of especially adapted solutions. For OEM as a cost-efficient solution, offers a example, electrical and/ or thermally-con- reliable means of significantly reducing ductive adhesives together with Loctite both high blow-out rates and production gaskets for housing and casing applica- process costs. tions. Typical components for which Hen- kel products are used are connectors, sensors, inverters, converters, control units, secondary batteries, and electric motors. The miniaturisation of in-vehicle electrical Read this article on and electronic components has helped 4 Henkel is developing solutions for EVs as well www.autotechreview.com

46 www.autotechreview.com technology CHEVROLET TRAILBLAZER TRAILBLAZER – starts GM’S NEW INNINGS IN INDIA

General Motors India hasn’t had a great run in the market in the past few years. Even products it developed with its Chinese partner SAIC failed to appeal to the Indian consumers. Now though, it has announced 10 new products over the next five years along with an investment of $ 1 bn. The first of these new products is the re- cently launched Trailblazer SUV. But does this have the wherewithal to steer GM India’s future? We have re- viewed the vehicle, and have the details on our video channel. Here, we highlight the key technologies that dif- ferentiate the Trailblazer from its competition.

POWERTRAIN rail system, which pumps fuel at pres- cylinder head and cylinder block of the sures upto 2,000 bar, aiding power output 2.8 l Duramax engine was redesigned for The Trailblazer is powered by a 2.8 l and reducing fuel-consumption. Another better cooling. The variable-geometry tur- four-cylinder Duramax turbo-diesel factor helping the performance is the bocharger has been equipped with water engine, developing a segment-best 197 hp lighter weight of the engine, which has cooling, which should theoretically not and 500 Nm torque. The second-genera- been lowered by an optimised design and only help reliability but improve the tur- tion Duramax diesel engine focuses on a composite intake manifold. bocharging efficiency as well. While reli- improving performance by enhancing the A key factor in the development of the ability is too early to comment on, the efficiency of various parts within instead engine was to enhance reliability, and turbocharger’s efficiency is something we of increasing displacement. A key contrib- optimising the cooling is one of the main witnessed during our test. Even going utor here is the high-pressure common ways to improve reliability. Hence, the through hot temperatures, the turbo never

48 www.autotechreview.com reflected a drop in response. The trailblazer’s NVH levels are quite low by segment standards and that is partly down to the optimised balancer shaft that improves refinement. The engine control module now acts on basis of an upgraded software, which improves throttle response. Channelling power to the rear wheels is a six-speed automatic transmission, which we found to be a smartly integrated unit with the engine. This is mainly down to the transmission ratios being tuned to match the character- istics of the Duramax engine specifically. Claimed fuel-efficiency for the Trailblazer is 11.45 km/l. User-friendly central touch screen is nestled in a premium and well-appointed centre console On the dynamics front, Trailblazer is helped by TCS (traction control system), ABS, EBD, ESC, Hill Descent Control, Hill Start Assist and Panic Brake Assist. The last technology makes use of a sensing system that can detect if brakes have been applied suddenly like one would in a pan- icky situation and increase the braking intensity to minimise the braking dis- tance. Although, the Trailblazer isn’t offered in India in 4WD version for now, we found the rear-wheel drive one to be quite capable as well. That’s down to three main reasons: :: 253 mm ground clearance means most obstacles can be easily overcome; :: A linear torque curve with a lot to offer 2.8 l Duramax engine offers impressive performance and decent refinement in lower revs helps overcome inclines with ease; and :: Coil springs all-round help the Trail- touch screen, improving the ease of con- We were left impressed by the way the blazer achieve greater suspension nectivity on the go. Setting this system Trailblazer drives, making it a capable articulation, enabling the vehicle to go apart from its competition is its highway-cruiser and the refinement too through uneven surfaces. user-friendliness and impressive touch-re- was right up there with segment stand- Keeping its premium credentials intact is sponse. The only issue at times can be the ards unless pushing close to the redline. a well-sorted ride quality on the back of visibility under direct sunlight. The introductory price of ` 26.4 lakh, the usage of a five-link rear suspension. ex-showroom, isn’t a cracking price but This also helps offset some of the roll- isn’t bad either. As a product then, the friendly characteristics of the body-on- ROUND-UP Trailblazer gets a nod from us. In the end frame chassis architecture. though, the Trailblazer’s success will The Chevrolet Trailblazer is a good depend on the ability of General Motors vehicle when considered as an overall India to market the vehicle and also MyLink package. It has the looks that consumers improve its brand image actively through- demand in its segment and its powertrain out the country. The Trailblazer features the Chevrolet offers befitting performance too. The Our video review of the Chevrolet MyLink infotainment system, which uses cabin is spacious and feels premium all Trailblazer can be found at: https://www. a seven-inch colour touch-screen and a around with good material quality and a youtube.com/watch?v=ch415Zv_qlY six-speaker audio set-up. In line with seg- youthful design. Of special mention are ment standards, Bluetooth telephony, the cabin storage spaces, 32 to be precise. Text: Arpit Mahendra music streaming, Aux-in and USB are The last row too offers enough space for Photo: Bharat Bhushan Upadhyay standard. What MyLink adds to the exper- an adult of 5’8” to sit for a short while. ience is the ability to project pictures, Flexible seating means cargo capacity can Read this article on videos, phone settings and audio to the be extended up to 1,830 l. www.autotechreview.com autotechreview November 2015 Volume 4 | Issue 11 49 technology VOLVO XC90 VOLVO XC90 – REDEFINING LUXURY & INFOTAINMENT TECHNOLOGY

After Ford sold off Volvo Cars to Chinese automaker Geely, there were doubts about Volvo being able to have a free hand in maintaining its Swedish heritage and design. With the ownership musical chair having ended, Volvo found itself lacking access to existing platforms, forcing them to develop a new one, including everything within it ground-up. The new XC90 thankfully confirms that Volvo’s Chinese owners have not intervened in the brand’s vehicle development process. We highlight the key technical areas, where the XC90 sets new benchmarks.

50 www.autotechreview.com Drive-E engine displacing 2 l will power upcoming Volvo vehicles in different states of tune

SAFETY tions to power all upcoming Volvo vehicles globally, be it petrol or diesel. Volvo and safety are synonymous terms in The engine on offer in India is a tur- the automotive industry, and the XC90 is bocharged 2l four-cylinder diesel unit no different. While one would expect the developing 225 hp and 470 Nm of torque. XC90’s structure to be stronger than its A key characteristic of the Drive-E engine predecessor, stringent norms also require is the linear power curve it offers, making it to be lighter. A difficult task, but Volvo it suitable for the luxurious positioning engineers managed to hit the sweet spot Volvo aims for the XC90 and most of its in an unconventional way. upcoming vehicles. Instead of using more aluminium or its This lightweight forced-induced engine forms, the XC90 makes use of hot-formed uses a host of friction-reduction measures, boron steel, which Volvo claims to be the leading to higher output and lower emis- strongest type of steel presently used for sions and fuel-consumption. A key tech- making passenger vehicles. At about 40 nical inclusion in this engine is the i-ART % of the total body weight, this hot- direct fuel-injection, wherein each cylin- formed steel makes up the entire safety der has its own microchip and sensor for cage around the occupants. Compared to better fuel-metering. In a conventional the older XC90, that’s five times more fuel-injection system, the secondary injec- usage of such steel and possibly the tions tend to oscillate due to the influence highest in its segment, wherein alu- of the first injection. The i-ART, with an minium is quite popular. individual sensor and microchip, is able The rest of the safety kit in the XC90 is to monitor this influence better and elim- segment best with seven airbags, front inate it accordingly. seats whiplash protection, pyrotechnical The new eight-speed automatic seatbelt pretensioners, ABS & ESC, Geartronic transmission has been roll-stability control, a world-first run-off designed to maximise the efficiency of the road protection system, among many oth- Drive-E engine. One has access to five ers. Testifying that is a five-star rating driving modes – Eco, Comfort, Off-Road, from Euro NCAP. Dynamic & Individual. In Eco mode, the transmission and engine control systems are set for lowest fuel-consumption. One POWERTRAIN & SUSPENSION can engage the Off-Road mode to not only raise the vehicle height but also to auto- The XC90 is powered by Volvo’s new matically engage the Hill Descent Control Drive-E engine, which will be combined to negotiate steep gradients. The flexibility with various forced-induction combina- of these modes is aided by the air suspen- autotechreview November 2015 Volume 4 | Issue 11 51 technology VOLVO XC90

XC90’s interior design is the most sophisticated in its segment and the material finish is of top quality. Drive modes can be changed using the diamond-cut roller

sion with an electronically-controlled and offers a wide array of information range aluminium tweeters and Kevlar damper system. depending on driver requirement. mid-range units. Another first in the auto- The central touch screen offers execu- motive industry is the use of an air-ventil- tion of most commands in a couple of ated subwoofer integrated into the body INFOTAINMENT touch-based interactions, limiting driver of the car instead of being bolted onto it. distraction. The Sensus Connect system This allows the subwoofer to pulse more The dashboard design with the offers Bluetooth & WiFi tethering for air, leading to bass tones as low as 20 Hz. centre-console is a highlight of the streaming music or browsing the web and XC90’s interior. Doing away with but- applications. AUX and USB connectivity is tons, Volvo has replaced them with a also available through the system. ROUND-UP touch-based central display screen. With Of special mention in this package is just eight buttons on the dashboard, the the Bowers & Wilkins sound system, The all-new Volvo XC90 is an impressive central screen is the main human-ma- which packs in a big punch and could be vehicle from multiple perspectives and chine interface (HMI). Ensuring distrac- a key selling point for audiophiles. The more so a brave attempt by Volvo. Break- tion doesn’t creep in information such as system combines a 12-channel amplifier ing away from convention in multiple navigation is displayed on the heads-up with 19 speakers offering a 1,400 W out- areas, Volvo has introduced a new cabin display and the TFT instrument cluster put. The speakers themselves feature a experience to its customers like no other screen. The TFT screen is customisable low-distortion design along with extended competitor does presently. The rich interior, ample space, segment-leading audio system and the user-friendly central touch-screen set the cabin apart from everything else on sale in the country right now. In addition, it offers adequate performance, decent off-road capability and good efficiency, all key characteristics for creating a well-equipped luxury SUV.

The Volvo XC90’s detailed review can be read at: http://autotechreview.com/ reviews/item/2701-volvo-xc90-review. html

Text: Arpit Mahendra Photo: Naveen Arul

Read this article on Air-ventilated subwoofer is a first in the automotive sector & the overall sound quality is impressive www.autotechreview.com

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SHOPFLOOR MAGNETI MARELLI AMT IS A STEP AHEAD OF TRENDS & DEMAND FOR MAGNETI MARELLI

At close to a mere one per cent about a couple of years back, the market for automatic transmissions in India was too small to present a business case for local manufacturing. With the debut of AMT (automated manual transmission) though, this number is set to go up to as much as 30 % of the total sales by 2020. Italian supplier Magneti Marelli believes in this growth and recently inaugurated the first facility to locally assemble AMTs in Manesar, Haryana. We were invited to go around the facility and understand the technology, processes and the business better.

56 www.autotechreview.com INTRODUCTION ment of the clutch. This relieves the driver of having to control the clutch The lack of demand for automatic trans- and change gears, leading to a driving missions in India was primarily due to the experience similar to any other form of inability of technology and consumer automatic transmissions. expectations to meet at the same intersec- tion. It was more due to the limitations posed by the technology in the form of LOCAL ASSEMBLY AT MANESAR high-cost and lower fuel-efficiency; not because the consumers didn’t want it. Magneti Marelli’s plant in Manesar is its However, this trend started undergoing a 11th in the country, but more impor- change ever since AMTs were introduced tantly, it’s the first one in the industry in the country. And the supplier responsi- to locally assemble AMTs. The facility ble for introducing AMTs in India was also houses the assembly lines for the Italian major, Magneti Marelli. powertrain electronic control units used In simple terms, AMT is a regular in the AMT, but we got to go through manual transmission fitted with an elec- the AMT assembly line only. During the tronic control unit and a hydraulic sys- tour, Saju Mookken, Country Manager & tem, which controls the dis/ engage- Managing Director, Magneti Marelli

Break-up of various components that go into making an Automated Manual Transmission autotechreview November 2015 Volume 4 | Issue 11 57 SHOPFLOOR MAGNETI MARELLI

High automation on the assembly line and adequate space to expand position the plant well for capacity increase as planned

India and Fabrizio Righetti, Managing duction process of washing the AMT assembled to this point for any leakages. Director, Magneti Marelli Powertrain assembly. Known as deburring, this pro- An intermediate test also ensures that India & Magneti Marelli Electronic Sys- cess involves washing the parts with defects do not get passed further, limiting tems India helped us understand the water at pressures up to 500 bar. the fixing/ rejection cost for the company. 7,500 sq m plant better and shared Hereon, the washed parts are subjected Once the unit passes this stage, it moves insights on its future roadmap. to another round of washing in electro- up for tube assembly followed by the The facility will achieve full produc- lyte to further clean the burr. From here, valve block assembly. The latter process tion capacity by the end of 2016, a time the cleaned parts move to ultrasonic involves a camera check for orientation of at which it will manufacture 280,000 cleaning, wherein high-frequency sound various parts, acting as a poka-yoke. This AMT units per annum with the help of waves completely remove contaminants is also the stage where the crucial Trans- 115 employees. At the time of our visit in the parts. mission Control Unit is installed in the though, the achieved capacity stood at The next step in the facility is to AMT assembly. about 10,000 units per month, while send these decontaminated parts to the Hereon, the oil tank is assembled into undergoing a constant ramp-up. Models assembly line, which is mostly the unit and moved on to the end of line, already being supplied by the company automated. The assembly line presently where about 80 parameter tests are con- include Maruti Suzuki Celerio & Alto involves putting together about 90 parts ducted to ensure quality. Once laser and the Tata Nano & Zest. This list in the AMT assembly. Mookken told us marked for traceability, the AMT unit though is expected to grow, a key rea- that about 20 % of the parts in the AMT moves to the last process of visual inspec- son which prompted the company to are electronic and understandably most tion, also one of the few processes involv- localise production. of the critical ones are imported. The ing decisive human involvement. Off to The facility was built in a short span of assembly line follows a guided cycle the shipping area, the AMTs are delivered just about nine months with an invest- process, wherein a screen moves along to customers in ready-to-install condition. ment of around ` 150 cr. Production from the assembly line, informing the operator this plant is largely aimed at the local of the particular process at that point. market but if required, the company can First up on the line, the base plate for the R&D & GREEN CREDENTIALS also use produce from here to meet export AMT is assembled, progressing further demands. The only other Magneti Marelli for the clutch piston assembly. The engineering work for AMT in the plants to manufacture AMTs are in Italy, Moving ahead, we witnessed the non- Manesar plant is carried out by a power- Brazil and China. return valve assembly process, followed train application engineering centre. This Moving into the facility, we passed by the motor and pump assembly. Further set-up mainly works along with custom- through the warehouse first, the details up, the accumulator assembly is incorpo- ers to get the calibration and final set- of which we won’t dwell into given the rated into the unit, bringing up the crucial tings right for the AMT for any particular obvious purpose it serves. Parts from process of Intermediate End of Line test- vehicle. The technology was developed the warehouse move to the first pre-pro- ing. This test involves checking the unit long time back in Italy by the company

58 www.autotechreview.com and continues to be honed for market- AMT and its future, especially in respect specific requirements based on inputs to the Italian supplier. The most important from local engineers. thing is the early-mover advantage the A key progressive activity for the com- company holds by having introduced the pany at this plant is localisation of com- technology to masses in India. With this ponents in the AMT. Although, we plant now, the company has further weren’t given any specific number, the extended its advantage over its competi- company claims it’s constantly evaluating tors by becoming the only one to locally suppliers and increasing the local content. assemble AMTs and that too with local The focus presently is to get the simpler content, which is set to increase in com- parts localised, gradually moving to more ing times. complicated ones. For Magneti Marelli, this would offer A key requirement for any plant today a huge advantage, when OEMs request is to be environment-friendly and Magneti for RFQs (request for quotations) during Marelli’s Manesar plant isn’t any differ- the supplier selection process. Not only ent. The main building has been designed would Magneti Marelli be in a better to diffuse natural light during the day, position to offer competitive pricing, the eliminating the need for artificial lighting. OEM would also have a better sense of In darker times of the day, the plant uses security due to a supplier having a flexi- low-consumption LED bulbs, which ble production line and not being solely derive a part of their power requirement dependent on imports. This naturally from solar panels. Even the exterior of the gives an OEM more flexibility to change building is designed aerodynamically, aid- production based on consumer demand ing internal ventilation. Other usual envi- quickly, something a purchase manager ronmental measures include rain-water considers deeply. harvesting and waste-management. Beyond the company, the AMT itself has good potential in India and if Magneti Present production is 10,000 per month and counting Marelli is to be believed, the technology ANALYSIS could claim as much as 30 % of the total passenger vehicle sales by 2020, of which price than conventional automatics, along Magneti Marelli’s Manesar plant for sure the company expects to command about with an increase of about five per cent in left us impressed with its high-automation 50 % marketshare. The fundamental fuel-efficiency. level and use of advanced manufacturing requirements of an average Indian con- In addition, the unit is lighter than processes. That, however, isn’t the main sumer too are well-satisfied by an AMT. in other automatic transmissions, smaller to point to consider when thinking about some cases, it offers up to 75 % lower package and doesn’t require any major structural/ design changes to the vehicle. Righetti told us that these factors make the technology an attractive proposition for vehicle owners and OEMs in turn. There is no doubt that Magneti Marelli is playing it smart instead of safe. Instead of taking the safe route of increasing capacity as demand increases for a new technology, the company is already ready to meet demand for the next few years. It is this thoughtful approach, along with the first-mover advantage that could cata- pult the company to its goals and beyond.

Text: Arpit Mahendra Photo: Bharat Bhushan Upadhyay / Magneti Marelli

Read this article on The building's exterior has been designed to maximise internal ventilation www.autotechreview.com autotechreview November 2015 Volume 4 | Issue 11 59 NEW VEHICLE MARUTI SUZUKI BALENO MARUTI BALENO RAISES THE HEAT IN THE PREMIUM B-SEGMENT

Maruti Suzuki India’s introduction of its premium hatchback, Baleno, in many ways redefines the premium hatchback segment for the carmaker. It was in 2005 that the company had positioned and launched the Swift as a premium hatchback. But a decade in the automobile sector today is indeed a really long time. Competitors have been able to introduce more appealing products, with much better value, albeit at a higher price. With the Baleno now, can Maruti get back to its winning ways in the premium hatchback segment? We bring you this re- view from our drive around the Pink City of Jaipur in Rajasthan. Read on.

60 www.autotechreview.com The fact that Suzuki chose India as the entirely by Suzuki Japan, with inputs debut location for the Baleno reiterates from Maruti Suzuki engineers. The plat- the importance of India as a leading mar- form development focussed on reviewing ket for for the Japanese car- the basic structure of the vehicle under- maker. Also, it complements the Indian body, with an aim of reducing weight unit’s manufacturing capabilities, as the and improving vehicle performance. India will be the sole location for the pro- In doing so, Suzuki has been duction of the Baleno, which will be able to enhance body rigidity by exported to over 100 countries globally. approximately 10 % as compared to That’s how important the Baleno is for the platform currently used in the same the country’s largest carmaker. vehicle class. Total vehicle weight, on Post its showcase at the Frankfurt the other hand, has been reduced by Motor Show in September this year we approximately 15 %, or 100 kg. were one of the first publications in the Normally, for every 100 kg reduction in country to be able to drive the vehicle vehicle weight, a 5-6 % improvement in around the Jaipur-Ajmer highway. Before efficiency can be achieved. we get into the details of the three vari- Suzuki followed a basic philosophy in ants the Baleno will be introduced in, we developing the Baleno platform. First, the can tell you that there is a lot of excite- focus was on creating simple shapes that ment in the Maruti camp. And we share resists deformation. Hence, the Baleno some of that excitement too, but could platform has a smoother shape with no this become another megahit for MSIL? bends, thus creating a stronger structure We find out. even without reinforcements. The front section has a revised layout for engine, transmission and suspension, while the PLATFORM rear section has a new suspension and fuel tank configuration. Minimising rein- This is the second essay for the Baleno forcement components led to further sav- nomenclature in India. The earlier foray ings in weight. as an executive sedan, which Maruti had Secondly, engineers have used rigid introduced in 1999, had a decent eight- areas in the Baleno platform for joints. year run till it was discontinued in 2007. Rigid areas in a vehicle are usually used The company though believes the average to concentrate components. In using these success of the Baleno sedan would have existing areas for joints, Suzuki claims to absolutely no bearing on the new pre- have built a highly-efficient structure, mium hatchback it is bringing in. while securing rigidity. While the Baleno badge has been re- Third, Suzuki decided to focus on the introduced – Baleno in Italian means flash whole rather than parts. Vehicle rigidity of light – the hatchback has been built on and crash safety has been considered in a completely new-generation platform. In the light of the totality of all parts making fact, the Baleno has been developed up the vehicle, and not just individual

1.2 l petrol & 1.3 l diesel engines powering the Baleno are the same units found in the Swift autotechreview November 2015 Volume 4 | Issue 11 61 NEW VEHICLE MARUTI SUZUKI BALENO

Minus the Swift-like headlamp design, the Baleno bears no similarity to any other Suzuki cars, reflecting an all-new design language

components. For instance, the suspension high boot-lid raise the overall presence of and voice control system. frame and body framework were con- the car. The wider stance, further accentu- Steering mounted audio controls, tilt & ceived as a single component. This ated by the pronounced chrome element, telescopic steering, reverse parking cam- resulted in minimisation of the body and gives the Baleno a distinct identity. The era and voice recognition are some of the suspension frame reinforcement – another LED tail lamps look proportionate with other features that make the Baleno interi- innovation to further lighten the vehicle. the overall styling of the rear. ors an exciting experience. The higher The top-end Baleno we drove had models also get climate control, rear park- 16-inch alloys, while the lower variants ing camera and satellite navigation sys- EXTERIOR DESIGN get basic 15-incg steel wheels. Customers tem. Another interesting addition to the would have the option of choosing from feature list is the UV Cut Glasses that The Baleno design isn’t the loud design seven colours, including a Autumn have been introduced on the Baleno. language you’d see on the Hyundai i20 Orange, Ray Blue, Pearl Arctic White, These glasses help cut harmful UV rays by Elite or the Jazz. In many ways, it Granite Gray, Fire Red, Premium Urban up to 85 %! looks like an evolution of the Swift. But Blue and Metallic Premium Silver. The cabin overall is spacious. There that in no way is meant to be read in a is ample leg, knee and shoulder room negative light. The design is subtle, yet for the rear passengers and the front strong enough to lend it a lot of road pres- INTERIORS seats are large and comfortable. The ence. The flowing lines and smooth cor- driver’s seat gets the height-adjustable ners across the vehicle are derived from The interior of the Baleno is one area we function. The boot offers 339 l of space, Suzuki’s new ‘liquid flow’ concept. were fairly impressed with, and that is not which we think is ideal for a family’s The Baleno has got a new grille, which simply restricted to the way the dash- weekend run. You would find the load- is striking, unlike any other you’d see in board or the instrument cluster looks. The ing height in the boot taller than some the company’s portfolio. There’s a chrome all-black look that Maruti has opted for of the other cars in the segment, but outline that runs from the grille upwards gives the cabin a premium and sporty that has been primarily done to keep in and integrates neatly into the headlamp. feel, attributes we believe would be wel- sync with European regulations. It is in The headlamp unit of the top variant we comed by potential customers. There is no way a hindrance though. drove houses projector lamps clubbed no leather upholstery, as some might with LED daytime running lights, and the expect in a premium product, but the ‘follow-me-home’ feature. On the lower materials used and the fit & finish are POWERTRAINS variants though, it is a much simpler unit. good for the segment it will play in. The side profile of the Baleno is where Some components, including the 4.2- The Baleno will come with two engine you see most evidence of the liquid flow inch TFT screen, have been borrowed options – the proven 1.2 l K-Series VVT concept. The lines on the side flow in from the S-Cross, for instance. The metre petrol and the 1.3 l DDiS DOHC diesel sync with the overall design, and the console is freshly designed, and small ele- units – that are mated to five-speed man- bulges around the Baleno waist add to the ments therein have been beautifully done. ual transmissions. The petrol Delta vari- character of the car. The windows and For the first time in the country, Maruti , in fact, also comes with a CVT unit – handles get the chrome treatment, and has introduced the Apple CarPlay system, the company’s first in India. Both engines they sit well with the overall look of the which allows the driver to connect an are well-refined and respond very well to car. At the rear, the smaller window and iPhone through the car’s in-built display throttle inputs. Internationally, the Baleno

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xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx will come with a new 1 l turbocharged Boosterjet engine. The power delivery in the petrol engine is linear, and we loved its rev- happy and peppy characters. This engine displaces 1,197 cc and produces approxi- mately 83 hp of peak power and 115 Nm of torque at 4,000 rpm. The CVT works well, and is well packaged. However, overtaking meant the engine had to be revved to its maximum – the lop-side of course being the noise it creates. The fuel efficiency claimed is a best in class 21.4kmpl. The diesel engine on the Baleno is the 1.3 l DDiS unit that delivers 74 hp of Cabin design & feel is pleasing and sporty, especially due to the all-black interior scheme power and 190 Nm of torque. This is one engine that we have always admired, and the one on the Baleno didn’t disappoint either. Touching speeds of about 150 km/h seemed effortless. What we also loved is the way the engine sounds – a nice hum, but no unpleasant engine clatter. Overall, Suzuki has once again deliv- ered engines that are smooth and spirited. We just hope that at some point in time, Maruti also decides to get the CVT in the top variants. That would make for an LED DRLs add to the premium quotient of the car. Loading lip of the boot is a bit high but space is generous exciting combination.

tion of the entire vehicle, including com- Dual airbags, ABS, EBD and seatbelts RIDE & HANDLING ponents attached to the underbody. That with pre-tensioners are standard fare has helped in keeping NVH in check, across all variants – a move that should The ride quality of the Baleno is an abso- while maintaining good riding comfort. upset the competitor’s strategy. The lute highlight of the car. The suspension higher trims also get fog lights, auto head- set-up – McPherson Struts in the front lamps and parking sensors. and Torsion Beams at the rear – is well Round-Up So, in terms of overall packaging of tuned for Indian roads. On a certain sec- the vehicle – powertrain, including the tion of road in Jaipur, we deliberately Maruti will retail the Baleno through its CVT, safety, interior space & features, drove the car over potholes, and it premium network, NEXA. In fact, the and looks – the Baleno has the elements returned un-scraped – thanks to the 170 company would be hoping to bolster the to deliver a strong product this festive mm ground clearance. We didn’t experi- NEXA network through the success of the season. Add to that the assurance that ence any body roll, and the stability of the Baleno. The S-Cross premium the company brings to prospective cus- car in high speeds is praiseworthy. The hasn’t truly set the sales charts on fire, tomers in terms of reliability, serviceabil- steering is light and communicative, and and Maruti would be aware of that. How- ity and hassle-free ownership experience the brakes have adequate bite. ever, what is commendable for Maruti is – the Baleno could just be the next win- Through its development process, the right intention it has portrayed in ner from the Maruti stable. Suzuki put a lot of emphasis on optimisa- offering safety as standard on the Baleno.

Text: Deepangshu Dev Sarmah Baleno Prices (in ` lakh) Photo: Arpit Mahendra VVT Petrol 1.2 l DDiS Diesel 1.3 l Sigma 4.99 Sigma 6.16 Delta 5.71 Delta 6.81 Zeta 6.31 Zeta 7.41 Alpha 7.01 Alpha 8.11 Read this article on Delta (CVT) 6.76 www.autotechreview.com DECODING TECHNOLOGY

MÉLANGE OF NETWORKS

Mobility and social networking are com- works and the consumer demand has plementary! Actually, social media fra- helped OEMs in understanding con- DR ARUN JAURA ternity is the expanded footprint of sumer needs to develop the right prod- Board of Directors, SAE International mobility practitioners. Mobility net- uct for the right market efficiently at a works have existed for centuries, when faster pace. goods and people moved from one point Social connectivity on the other hand to another through various forms of vastly expanded due to mobility, in innovation and intellectual property transportation. During these moves great part. The more the individuals growth. In India, only recently did inter- individuals interacted and met continu- networked, the more they travelled and net patent search go live for easier ally to discuss business as well as set- invested in industrialisation and trans- access to India specific patents. Of late, tlement opportunities. Historical face- portation. On the personal front, at knowledge sharing platforms it is to-face social networking began in this although individuals are virtually con- common to see mobility engineers dis- fashion centuries ago, attributed mainly nected perennially and can transmit any cussing patents and innovations with to mobility. This followed by written & kind of data across the globe, the emo- greater transparency. This has helped oral networking, and now the virtual tional quotient and societal connect are improve awareness in better technolo- channels with innumerable gizmos have only valorised on meeting in person. gies, features and frugal product devel- also added connectivity. Today, there are more travel avenues at opment. Going forward, it will increase As mobility and pertinent patterns an affordable price for personal and the pace of rapid deployment of newer evolved through innovation and societal public transportation. Social connectiv- affordable technologies without infring- needs, so did its growth through social ity between cultures and businesses ing on existing intellectual property. networking. Individuals in one part of could not have materialised without Mobility practitioners are delighted the world are updated about a new mobility. Better the mobility connection that social networking has been a big vehicle model release and its features in better is the social connectivity and bet- enabler for percolation of safety and another part of the world through social ter is the business sustainability. emission norms along with carbon foot- networking at the click of a button. The Another interesting phenomenon print discussions. The standardisation of new models and variants, critiquing of impacted by social networking and norms, relevant technologies, creating their features and their evolution grew noticed in product development is the forums for alignment and opportunities immensely due to social networking. has helped rationalise strategic intents This resulted in growth of engineering and tactical deployment. centres to develop sustainable products Simultaneously, to enhance social and manufacturing facilities in different networking and security, mobility regions of the world creating huge practitioners have deployed intelli- socio-economic changes globally. gent transportation systems These changes ranged from (ITS) and telematics for ‘vehi- housing development, infra- cle to vehicle’ and ‘vehicle structure, manufacturing, to remote’ communication. education, health and the Through telematics, entire umbrella of societal movement of cargo and macro-economics. public transportation Social networking has has become efficient been instrumental in and flexible. Telematics growing advanced mobil- and social networking ity infrastructure and have transformed vehi- technologies, and has cles into comfortable enabled implementing ‘living rooms on the safer, fuel-efficient and wheels’. cleaner mobility solutions In conclusion, the for consumers. Technologies exponential growth of inter- and mobility product develop- twined networks of mobility ment that were taking long for and social media are continu- introduction in global and Indian ously improving sustainable markets are now developed in much mobility solutions. shorter time horizons. The awareness of features has exploded due to social net-

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