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TURBO ELECTRIC TAXI WITH LOW ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT

Objective


The TETLEI project has demonstrated a fully functional Diesel Series Hybrid Vehicle which could be suitable for a Gas Turbine Engine, The Series Hybrid concept does offer very significant reductions in emissions and improvements in fuel economy in both cars and heavier vehicles, because of its ability to manage the energy on the vehicle.

The Gas Turbine Engine destined to be fitted to the vehicle proved to be unsuitable because of the high exhaust wxit temperature and flowrate which can be directly attributed to the lack of a heat exchanger. When tested the engine did prove that exceptionally low emissions are possible without any need for post gas treatment devices.

It is clear that a Gas Turbine Engine needs to be specifically designed for the automotive industry to avoid compromise. Ideally an engine needs have 25 to 50kW output, low weight and a heat exchanger fitted.

There is currently no manufacturer in the world that is indicating a volume application for a Series Hybrid Vehicle for sale in the car market. It does seem more likely that the series Hybrid concept will be taken up first by the Bus/Light Truck industry in an effort to reduce their emissions and improve their fuel economy.

Public transport and other inner city utility vehicles do seem to be the easier vehicles to legislate against and the benefits on emissions and efficiency do justify them as being a suitable initial target from a regulatory point of view. This would also indicate that this market is possibly the target from a regulatory exploitation of the gas turbine. The cost of the Hybrid powertrain would be high in low volumes but the initial high cost of large vehicles could feasibly absorb the cost.

The industrial objectives of the project are to increase European competitiveness in the field of clean vehicles,promote their adoption and advance several candidate technologies.The technical objective is to develop and integrate these technologies in a test vehicle with low environmental impact and prove its viability in an operational context.

More specific aims are to:

1-reduce atmospheric and noise pollution;
2-reduce the consumption of exotic materials;
3-improve the potential for recycling;
4-enhance user acceptability of clean vehicles.

A selection of advanced technologies and techniques will be developed and integrated into an operational prototype vehicle.A taxi sized test bed vehicle will be developed using innovative solutions in the following areas:

1-compact radial gas turbine technology;
2-high speed,light weight disc geometry alternator technology;
3-advanced thin element batteries;
4-integrated control,management and monitoring systems.

Initially the requirements of users in Athens will be obtained and legislative aspects determined.In parallel with this the vehicle and the hybrid drivetrain will be specified.Users and car manufacturers will be present at both of these key stages of the project.The main research thrusts will be directed at development of the components themselves,their interrelationships and their integration in the vehicle.

The integration is a key issue requiring an analysis of the demands placed on each component by the dynamic automotive environment.

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Call for proposal

Data not available

Funding Scheme

CSC - Cost-sharing contracts

Coordinator

Rover Group plc
Address
Fletchamstead highway canley
CV4 9DB Coventry
United Kingdom

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EU contribution
€ 0,00

Participants (6)

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Last update: 19 September 1994

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Permalink: https://cordis.europa.eu/project/id/BRE20999

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