Problem: With the proliferation of electric powertrains, a crucial problem is created, especially in cold climates as there is very little waste heat to be used for heating. Automotive vehicle heating is an important point of consideration when designing a vehicle, but commonly both the efficiency and emissions implications of heating solutions are overlooked. For Electric Vehicles (EV), many OEMs must install auxiliary heater unit (which are either fuel-burning or electric) to accelerate the heating of the cabin. This need is much more acute across alternate powertrain vehicles - Electric Vehicles (EV) such as Hybrid Electric Vehicles (HEV), Plug-in Hybrid Electric Vehicles (PHEV), Battery Electric Vehicles (BEV).
It is not only about passenger comfort, but cold climates also affect vehicle performance in terms of reduced efficiencies for both conventional ICE (Internal Combustion Engines) and EVS. The fuel efficiency of conventional ICEs can drop by up to 22% and those for PHEV/HEV can drop by up to 34%. The range of BEVs can drop by up to 60% in cold temperatures of -7°C (which are common rather than extreme) compared to standard temperature of 25°C. For example, a Nissan Leaf with a certified range of 84 miles can be completely depleted in just 36 miles in cold temperatures.
A potential solution is to run an electric heater but as the power source is shared (the same battery used to power the electric motor is used to power the heater), the driving range on a single charge is vastly reduced and aggravate the cold temperature performance drop-off rate.
Conventional Auxiliary fuel-operated heaters avoid reducing electric range, but as these are fuel-operated they increase the vehicle emissions. Recent changes to emissions monitoring and regulations such as the Real Driving Emissions (RDE) testing, now take into account all aspects of the vehicle and various driving conditions in all-year round temperatures when measuring emissions. These new tests in combination with the strict emissions targets, are forcing OEMs to take action to improve efficiency.
This is also a core problem in the commercial truck market – until recently, truck regulations on emissions were scant. However, trucks must meet Euro VI emissions standards at present, and from 2019 must meet even stricter post Euro VI standards. From 2019, a number of tools and tests will be implemented for trucks to monitor CO2 emissions – this will also consider all aspects of driving from low to high load and hot and cold temperatures. A new tool VECTO (Vehicle Energy consumption Calculation Tool) will take account of all components and variables when calculating emissions and efficiency. This will mean that all the systems implemented to achieve Euro VI standards such as SCR (Selective Catalytic Reduction) which uses chemicals (Urea) to reduce NOx emissions from truck exhaust gases. However, while these have proven useful for Euro VI – these systems need to be made more efficient in all driving conditions to meet post Euro VI standards required from 2019.
The z-BURN project focuses on commercialising our novel solution to the problems described above. We have developed a novel burner that uses catalytic combustion which offers a clean, flame-less and complete combustion. Our burner can be fuelled with any liquid fuels including biofuels and boasts a superior efficiency rate and achieves zero emissions. Our burner can be used in automotive heaters – to avoid the increase in emissions from using off-the-shelf auxiliary heater and to avoid the rapid battery depletion caused by electric auxiliary heaters. For passenger vehicles, z-BURN offers a world-beating solution that can minimize the impact of cold climates on passenger comfort and vehicle performance. For commercial vehicles, z-BURN provides a solution across multiple applications: cabin heating, battery heating as well as heating of exhaust aftertreatment systems.
The overall objective of this Phase 1 Project was to strengthen the z-BURN business case through developing a broader and deeper understanding of the market opportunity. The project aims were to: complete a detailed market analysis including voice of customer discussions; gain a clear understanding of the legislative influences on the market opportunity; investigate the manufacturing options and determine the best route forward; identify future supply chain partners and potential project collaborators.
