Q4, 2009 RicaRdo QuaRteRly Review t u r b i n e s on the seabed Ricardo helps OpenHydro’s radical renewable energy source become real interview Dr Thomas Weber, head of Mercedes-Benz R&D Stored energy How flywheels can boost efficiency in cars, trucks, trains – and even elevators ocelot Innovative thinking enhances defence vehicle safety and service ALTERNATIVE THINKING ABOUT COMPUTER MODELING AND SIMULATION To achieve precise simulations, sharpen your tools. Alternative thinking is realizing that advanced simulations are impossible HP BladeSystem Enclosures without advanced tools. 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To learn more, visit www.hp.com/go/optimize-cae www.ricardo.com © 2008 Hewlett-Packard Development Company contents Ricardo Quarterly Review Q4, 2009 10 16 22 06 News Features 04 Industry news 10 Protect and survive Honda prioritises hybrids over electrics; stop-start reaches In the unpredictable conditions of today’s counter- the scooter and motorcycle market; key carmakers work insurgency campaigns, all vehicles are targets and all need on thermal energy recovery; EV excitement brings energy- to be protected against explosive devices. This calls for a supply backlash; Porsche offers lithium ion battery option wholly new generation of military vehicles, as to save weight Farah Alkhalisi found out when she spoke to the Ricardo team developing the radical new Ocelot platform 28 Ricardo news SARTRE project aims to develop platooning technology; 16 Power from the bottom of the sea new transmission for Russia’s KATE; test facility upgrade OpenHydro’s mighty undersea turbines tap ocean currents for Chicago, and; new fuel efficient demonstrator vehicle to provide reliable renewable energy irrespective of for US Army the weather. Anthony Smith tells the story of Ricardo’s assistance in this remarkable programme Questions and answers 22 Flywheels for the future 06 The battery is the key technology High-speed flywheels are a cheap and efficient way to Daimler and Mercedes-Benz Cars research chief Thomas hybridise vehicles – yet until now their development has Weber gives a wide-ranging interview to Tony Lewin been hindered by the lack of suitable transmission systems. Jesse Crosse reports on ingenious developments at Ricardo that could have wide-ranging applications in public transport too Head office: Conceived and produced $" Ricardo plc, Shoreham-by-Sea, for Ricardo by: "! " # ! ! ! " West Sussex, BN43 5FG, TwoTone Media Ltd ### ! % ! !# " United Kingdom Editor: Tony Lewin Tel: +44 (0)1273 455611 Contributors: RQ magazine is printed on paper Ricardo contacts and locations: Farah Alkhalisi, Jesse Crosse, Anthony Smith certified as being in compliance www.ricardo.com/contacts TwoTone Media Ltd contacts: with the environmental and RQ subscriptions: www.ricardo.com/rq Anthony Smith: [email protected] social standards of the Forest Sales enquiries: [email protected] Tony Lewin: [email protected] Stewardship Council. industry News Honda prioritises hybrids attery-powered cars will be concept, both using a hybrid drivetrain. conducting research on battery electric Blimited to city commuting duties A series production version of the CR-Z vehicles as short-distance commuter while hybrids will expand to become is expected in the first quarter of 2010; vehicles,” he said. mainstream transport, says Honda. the Skydeck is a show-only model. “We believe that Honda should Speaking at the 2009 Tokyo Motor Public attention, however, was most prioritise the more widespread use show, Honda president closely focused on a second concept, of gasoline-electric hybrid vehicles and CEO Takanobu Ito the EV-N. Styled as an affectionate at this stage in the advancement of introduced a near look back to the Honda N600 of the electromotive technologies,” he added. production-ready 1960s, the EV-N is a tiny four-seater Also displayed by Honda were the version of the powered by lithium ion batteries. Yet EV-Cub, an electric version of the classic compact CR-Z despite the positive reaction, Ito was light commuter bike, and the sports- hybrid sports quick to express caution about any tourer VFR1200, marking the return of coupé, as well production EV: “At this moment, the V4 engine and a world first in the as the six-seater considering the level of battery shape of a dual clutch transmission for Skydeck family performance, Honda is a motorcycle. station wagon Honda Skydeck is a concept for a six-seater family hybrid xxxxxx Hybrid power for hybrid trike Bridging the gap between equivalent performance to a the scooter and car worlds is conventional 500 cc motor. Peugeot’s HYbrid3 Evolution, a Three drive modes are offered: three-wheeler concept displayed zero-emission electric, gasoline at the Milan bike show in only and hybrid. In ZEV mode the November. range is 10 km, while as a hybrid The concept’s name refers the machine, assisted by a stop- not just to its configuration but start system, achieves 48 g/CO2 to its propulsion system: the per 100 km. 3 kW electric motors in each With no direct connection of the front wheel hubs are between the two power sources, supplemented by a supercharged the gasoline engine cannot 300 cc gasoline engine driving recharge the lithium ion traction the rear wheel. batteries. Instead, these rely The forced-induction unit gives on braking energy harvested 41 hp, says Peugeot, providing through the front wheel motors. Porsche’s lithium ion Dana keeps batteries cool Kia’s first GDI engine Lightweight less effective Porsche is the first company Tesla’s 2010 Roadster Sport Kia has launched its first Engine technologies such as to offer a lithium ion starter incorporates a Dana heat gasoline direct injection engine variable valve lift are more battery. The unit, which is 10 exchanger system to keep its – a 2.4 litre four-cylinder – on the effective at reducing CO2 than kg lighter than a conventional traction batteries at optimum Korean market. The Theta II GDI lightweight construction, battery, is a €1900 option on temperature to help maximise develops 201 hp and is expected materials supplier ThyssenKrupp the new 911 GT3 and Boxster their operating life, while also to appear in Europe-bound Kia said at the end of its three-year News in brief Spyder. assisting cabin climate control. products in 2011. InCar research programme. 4 RICARdo QUARteRLY Review • Q4, 2009 RicaRdo GM explores narrow hysteresis QuaRteRly SMA wire exhaust Review heat recovery stream The task of RQ is to highlight the latest thinking in automotive engineering and technology engine recovered worldwide – both within Ricardo and among waste heat electrical power other leading companies. By presenting an up-to-date mix of news, profiles and interviews with top business leaders we paint an interesting and exciting picture of R&D activity at a world-class automotive engineering services provider. It is a formula that has certainly been a hit with the worldwide automotive community: in the electric eight years since RQ was launched we have had to increase our print run to 14,000 copies generator to keep pace with the demand to read about Ricardo and its activities. Client confidentiality is of the utmost cooling air SMA engine importance to Ricardo, which means that we can only report on a small fraction of the work carried out by the company. So we are eneral Motors, freshly emerged energy capable of powering your especially grateful to those Ricardo customers Gfrom Chapter 11 bankruptcy, has vehicle’s stereo, power seats and air who have kindly agreed to co-operate with RQ received Federal research funding to conditioning,” said the company. and allow their programmes to be highlighted explore methods of capturing heat BMW, too, is working on thermal in print: without such help from customers energy wasted in the vehicle’s exhaust energy recovery and featured a it would not be possible to present such a fascinating insight into the way vehicles are and cooling system. thermo-electric generator system on conceived and developed. GM’s project involves shape memory its Vision EfficientDynamics showcar alloy (SMA), a material that shrinks as in September 2009. In contrast to the it is heated. This movement could be GM system, the BMW generator works company officials declined to go into used to generate electricity, says GM, on the Seebeck principle, which relies more detail. and the unit could be installed in the on the current generated between two Up to 27 per cent of the energy vehicle’s exhaust to drive an electric metal-based semi-conductors when the content in a vehicle’s fuel is wasted in generator and charge a battery. temperature changes between them. the form of heat escaping through the “The day is coming when the heat “This system alone generates exhaust system, according to EE-VERT, from your car’s engine exhaust is