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TOKYO -- Honda Motor Co has unveiled a range of next-generation engine
technologies as part of its global initiative to reduce CO2 emissions, including
a next-generation diesel engine, an Advanced VTEC engine, a new fuel-cell
vehicle and a Flexible Fuel Vehicle (FFV) capable of running on ethanol.
Advanced VTEC engine
Honda has further advanced its VTEC (Variable Valve Timing and Lift
Electronic Control System) technology with the development of the Advanced VTEC
engine, which achieves high performance along with outstanding fuel economy and
lower emissions. The new engine combines continuously variable valve lift and
timing control with the continuously variable phase control of VTC (Variable
Timing Control). Honda plans to release a production vehicle equipped with the
new engine within three years.
This new system permits optimum control over intake valve lift and phase in
response to driving conditions, achieving improved charging efficiency for a
significant increase in torque at all engine speeds. Under low to medium load
levels, the valves are set for low lift and early closure to reduce pumping
losses and improve fuel economy.
In combination with optimized intake components, these advances in control
technology result in world-class dynamic performance along with approximately
13%* improvement in fuel economy. The new engine is also exceptionally clean,
with exhaust emissions that meet both U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
LEV2-ULEV regulations and Japanese Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and
Transport requirements for Low-Emission Vehicles, with emission levels 75% lower
than those required by the 2005 standards (based on Honda calculations).
* Engine only, as compared to production 2.4-liter i-VTEC engine (Honda
calculations)
Flexible fuel vehicle (FFV)
Honda has developed a new flexible fuel vehicle (FFV) system that enables
petrol engine-based power plants to operate on either 100% ethanol or a wide
range of ethanol-petrol fuel mixtures.
Up to now, variations in the ratio of ethanol-to-petrol have affected
low-temperature startup performance, and caused variations in air-fuel ratio and
engine output. This has made it a challenge to maintain stable dynamic
performance, fuel economy and emissions levels. The new Honda system adapts to
different ethanol-to-petrol ratios by estimating the concentration of ethanol in
the ethanol-petrol mix in the fuel tank based on measurements of exhaust gas
concentration in the vehicle’s exhaust system. This provides the flexibility to
adapt to ethanol-to-petrol ratios of between 20% and 100%, while achieving
outstanding fuel economy and dynamic performance on a par with a 100%
petrol-powered vehicle. In addition, a cold-start system utilizing a secondary
fuel tank ensures reliable starts even at low ambient temperatures.
Bioethanol fuel, as used in Brazil and other countries, is made from plant
sources such as sugar cane. Because plants absorb CO2 via photosynthesis, the
amount of CO2 released into the atmosphere from burning bioethanol fuel does not
increase atmospheric CO2. This makes bioethanol fuel an effective means to
combat global warming as well as an alternative to petroleum.
In late 2006, Honda plans to begin sales of FFVs in Brazil, where bio-ethanol
has gained in popularity.
Honda Australia currently has no plans to introduce the Honda flexible fuel
vehicle into Australia.
Fuel cell powered vehicle
Honda Motor Co has conducted a demonstration drive of the next-generation FCX
Concept fuel cell vehicle. The FCX Concept features a newly developed compact,
high-efficiency Honda FC Stack as well as a low-floor, low-riding, short-nose
body. It offers a comfortably large cabin and futuristic styling along with
significant improvements in power output and environmental performance.
To meet Honda objectives for significant gains in both environmental and
driving performance, the FCX Concept is equipped with a V Flow1 fuel cell
platform consisting of a compact, high-efficiency fuel cell stack arranged in an
innovative center-tunnel layout. This has allowed designers to create an
elegant, low-riding, sedan form that would have been difficult to achieve in a
conventional fuel cell vehicle. This new fuel cell stack is 20% smaller and 30%
lighter than the current FCX FC Stack, yet its power output is 14kW greater. The
drive motor has been positioned coaxially with the gearbox for a more compact
design, with output increased by 15kW. Overall, the power plant is about 180kg
lighter than that of the current FCX and about 40% smaller in volume. The result
is improved energy efficiency and performance along with a more spacious
interior.
While with previous fuel cell stacks the hydrogen and the water formed in
electricity generation flowed horizontally, the new FCX Concept features
vertical-flow design. This allows gravity to assist in discharging the water
that is produced, resulting in a major improvement in water drainage, key to
high-efficiency fuel stack performance. The result is stable power generation
under a broad range of conditions, and higher output from a smaller package.
Low-temperature startup has also been significantly improved, enabling
cold-weather starts at temperatures 10˚C lower than the current FCX— as low as
minus 30˚C.
Limited marketing of a totally new fuel cell vehicle based on this concept
model is to begin in 2008 in Japan and the U.S.
| Number of passengers |
4 |
| Motor |
Max. Output |
95kW (129PS) |
| Max. Torque |
256Nm (26.1kgm) |
| Type |
AC synchronous motor (Honda mfg.) |
| Fuel Cell Stack |
Type |
PEFC(proton exchange membrane fuel cell, Honda
mfg.) |
| Output |
100kW |
| Fuel |
Type |
Compressed hydrogen |
| Storage |
High-pressure hydrogen tank (350atm) |
| Tank Capacity |
171l |
| Dimensions (L x W x H) |
4,760 x 1,865 x 1,445mm |
| Max. Speed |
160km/h |
| Energy Storage |
Lithium Ion Battery |
| Vehicle Range* |
570km |
* When driven in LA4 mode (Honda calculations)
Next-generation diesel engine
September 25, 2006—Honda Motor Co., Ltd., today announced it has developed a
next-generation diesel engine that reduces exhaust gas emissions to a level
equal to a petrol engine. Honda’s next-generation diesel engine employs a
revolutionary NOx catalytic converter that enables a great reduction in NOx
emissions sufficient to meet stringent U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
(EPA) Tier II Bin 5 emissions requirements (based on Honda’s internal
calculations). This catalytic converter features the world’s first innovative
system using the reductive reaction of ammonia generated within the catalytic
converter to “detoxify” nitrogen oxide (NOx) by turning it into harmless
nitrogen (N2).
The new catalytic converter utilizes a two-layer structure: one layer adsorbs
NOx from the exhaust gas and converts a portion of it into ammonia, while the
other layer adsorbs the resulting ammonia, and uses it later in a reaction that
converts the remaining NOx in the exhaust into nitrogen (N2). Ammonia is a
highly effective reagent for reducing NOx into N2 in an oxygen-rich, lean-burn
atmosphere. This ability to generate and store ammonia within the catalytic
converter has enabled Honda to create a compact, lightweight NOx reduction
system for diesel engines. The system also features enhanced NOx reduction
performance at 200–300ºC, the main temperature range of diesel engines.
Honda designed the catalytic converter for use with its 2.2 i-CTDi diesel
engine, which has earned widespread praise for quiet, clean operation and
dynamic performance since its introduction in 2003 on the European Accord model.
By further advancing combustion control, the 2.2 i-CTDi delivers cleaner exhaust
to the NOx catalytic converter. Honda achieved this by optimizing the combustion
chamber configuration, reducing fuel injection time with a 2,000-bar common rail
injection system and boosting the efficiency of the EGR (exhaust gas
recirculation) system. Thanks to these improvements, Honda has reduced the
amount of NOx and soot normally found in engine exhaust, while increasing power
output.
Along with developing superior technology for cleaning exhaust gas, Honda
plans to address other technical challenges in developing clean diesel engines,
such as handling diesel fuels with different cetane numbers and meeting U.S.
On-Board Diagnostic System requirements.
Petrol engines presently employ three-way catalytic converters that offer NOx
reduction rates as high as 99%, but this performance is possible only at the
stoichiometric air-fuel ratio. In the oxygen-rich environment of a lean-burn
diesel engine, three-way catalytic converters only reduce NOx levels by
approximately 10%. Honda’s new catalytic converter efficiently reduces NOx in a
lean-burn atmosphere, enabling diesel engines to rival petrol engines in
cleanliness. The compact system is also easy to install in passenger vehicles.
As an auxiliary power source, the FCX Concept carries a compact,
high-efficiency lithium ion battery, contributing to increased power output and
a more compact power plant. These efficiency improvements to major power plant
components give the vehicle a travel range approximately 30% greater than the
current FCX. The vehicle is also highly efficient, with an energy efficiency of
around 60%—approximately three times that of a petrol-engine vehicle, twice that
of a hybrid vehicle, and 10% better than the current FCX.
Other features include seat upholstery and door linings made from Honda Bio
Fabric, a plant-based material that offers outstanding durability and resistance
to sunlight damage. Other improvements such as Shift-by-Wire and a newly
designed instrument panel with easy-to-read display of hydrogen fuel consumption
facilitate improved ease of operation.
The new fuel cell vehicle currently under development for release in 2008,
will feature the principle technologies of the FCX Concept to achieve a new
dimension in environmentally friendly driving pleasure not found with
petrol-engine vehicles.
Honda plans to introduce its next-generation diesel engine in the U.S. market
within three years.
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