Use of EGR e-pump for Dual-Mode Dual-Fuel engines in mild hybrid architectures

Abstract

Highway transport sector is still expected to be dominated by internal combustion engines in the future, especially due to limitations in the introduction and applicability of full electrification for heavy-duty propulsive systems. Nonetheless, this sector is still under the objectives imposed in the roadmap towards carbon neutrality. For this, engine efficiency and low-emission combustion modes must be improved, and the introduction of synthetic fuels, low electrification levels and devices for engine optimization and energy management have proven to be a great advance towards these objectives. This work studies the application of an EGR e-pump for energy recovery and combustion optimization on a powertrain running on Dual-Mode Dual-Fuel combustion mode as a substitute of a complex dual route EGR system. The results include the evaluation of the impact of using energy recovery devices on combustion performance and emissions levels, as well as a numerical evaluation of driving conditions considering a medium-duty application in the transport sector under different driving scenarios. The results point out that the inclusion of the EGR e-pump can contribute to mitigate the drawbacks of removing the complex dual route system in terms of equivalent fuel consumption without greater impact in terms of emissions. Additionally, its application in mild hybrid platforms can promote a significant improvement in CO2 emissions, especially for urban areas (20% compared to a conventional powertrain based on HP EGR).