Methodologies to Achieve Highest CO₂ Emission Reduction in Automotive Systems to Meet Global CAFE/CAFC Norms

Abstract

Automotive world is about to have a new revolution with a tremendous phase of technology shift toward electric vehicles. The century-long evolution of the engine has been subjected to the threat of being extinguished because of stringent norms coming up every now and then. Over the last decades, in the refrigeration and air-conditioning systems, the refrigerants have gone from natural refrigerants like NH3, H₂O to multiple generations of technologies starting from CFC to HCFC and then HFC to HFO and now moving back to natural refrigerants like CO₂ and H₂O to reduce the impact of ODP and GWP of emission of these refrigerants to atmosphere. Need of the hour is to deliver the advanced powertrain solutions with highest CO₂ Emission reduction which can extend the life of internal combustion engines before the EV to takeover completely. In this paper, various potential light weight piston design solutions using aluminum alloy, NCI, and Steel (for PCP > 20 MPa) as base materials for passenger car, LCV, and MHD Diesel (highway and off-highway) engine applications and ring pack with high wear-resistant coating and low tangential load designs are discussed with summary of CO₂ reduction potential in terms of g/km. The benefits of laser-welded steel pistons for passenger car, LCV, and MHD Diesel engines are explained with % of CH reduction and CO₂ reduction potential derived from frictional mean effective pressure (FMEP).