UK AUTO SECTOR
WHILE ENVIRONMENTALLY-FRIENDLY
motor racing might seem a contradiction in
terms there is a groundswell of opinion that
motorsport can and should use energy-efficient
technologies, not just to clean up its act but to
24
MUSIC TO THE EARS
IT IS A TRUISM in the automotive industry that the big technical breakthroughs
tend to be made by those who have the least to lose.
Thus, while the huge research and development budgets of the big
car-makers are typically used to fund expensive, but essentially incremental,
improvements to existing technologies — the academic world, free from many
of industry’s constraints, is often where it’s all happening.
Academia’s freedom to pursue a more adventurous path is illustrated by the
work of a group of Coventry University engineers who have developed a new type
of petrol engine that is claimed to match, and potentially improve on, the fuel
efficiency of the diesel engine.
Developed by Dr Dan Merritt, the Merritt Unthrottled Spark Ignition
Combustion (MUSIC) engine is a newly designed cylinder head with an external
combustion chamber. Improved air flow around the combustion chamber is used
to achieve an optimal stoichiometric mix at the exact point where ignition
occurs. This is partly achieved by a novel helical ramp mechanism at the opening
of the chamber, which forces the air round a helical path and helps stratify the
gases rather than create a random mix of gas and air.
Merritt believes the system has huge potential and claims the engine could
help lower carbon emissions from cars by at least 20 per cent. But despite
repeatedly demonstrating the engine’s performance to the auto industry, the
lukewarm reception from European vehicle manufacturers has left Merritt
somewhat exasperated. ‘If you could buy a petrol engine which is as efficient
as a diesel, would you buy a diesel?’ he asked. ‘It’s very odd that in days of
carbon footprints and rising fuel costs we don’t get much co-operation. If
Racing green
Biofuel: the A1 Grand Prix competition was the first global motorsport series to switch
stimulate engineering developments that can
be transferred into road vehicles. Many UK
companies are rising to the challenge.
The kinetic energy recovery systems under
development for F1 by Torotrak, Xtrac and
Efficiency: petrol engine cylinder head with external combustion chamber
people are trying to lower carbon emissions from cars, MUSIC is by far the
most logical way to do it.’
Automotive management consultant Brian Knibb is investigating commercial
opportunities for the engine. He is still in the early stages of trying to capture a
market for the system and agreed that the responses of European
manufacturers are not promising. However, he believes the technology may be
better received in the US and the emerging markets in Asia, where the
commitment to diesel technologies is not deeply entrenched.
In the meantime the group is pressing ahead with the development of the
technology. With the help of Norfolk-based engine developer Powertrain
Technologies, it has developed a prototype four-cylinder version of the engine
that will be fitted to a test car within the next few months,
Flybrid Systems (see Insight, page 30) are one
notable example. Banbury engineering firm
Zytek is also working with an F1 team on the
development of an energy capture device.
Away from F1, other areas of motorsport are
also going green. The A1 Grand Prix competi-
tion, for which Zytek is the engine developer,
recently became the first global motorsport
series to switch to biofuels. All its cars now run
on a bio-ethanol fuel mix estimated to cut CO 2
emissions by up to 21 per cent per car.
Meanwhile Drayson-Barwell, the British GT
sports car team owned by former government
defence minister turned race-car driver Lord
Drayson, is also gaining a reputation for its
pioneering use of green technologies.
At last year’s British GT championship the
team became the first to win a sportscar race
outright with a bio-ethanol fuelled vehicle and
it recently announced a collaboration with JCB
to investigate the development of further
energy-saving technologies. Unfortunately the
team could not build on its reputation at the
2008 US Le Mans Series as prior to one of last
month’s races, a gearbox failure caused the V12
bio-ethanol powered Aston Martin to pull out
of the competition.
the EnGIneeR 21 APRIL–4 MAY 2008
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