General Motors first showed off its prototype Homogeneous Charge Compression Ignition (HCCI) engines last summer in an Opel Vectra and a Saturn Aura. We had the opportunity to drive these vehicles at GM's Milford Proving Ground at a very early stage of development. Because HCCI only works at part throttle conditions (while engines in cars have to work under all conditions), these new power plants have the ability to switch modes on the fly between HCCI and spark ignition. When we drove the cars, the HCCI only operated when driving at up to 55mph. At higher speeds or loads or when idling, the engine was in normal spark ignition mode.

GM's researchers continued developing the HCCI engine over the intervening 10 months and it is now able to operate in HCCI mode at idle as well. They demonstrated the HCCI Aura to journalists in California earlier this week and, according to Mike Levine of PickupTrucks.com, it's making good progress. The basic hardware to make HCCI work exists with direct injection, variable valve timing and pressure and temperature sensors in the combustion chamber. The key now is to develop the control algorithms to manage the sparkless combustion. The beauty of HCCI is the potential to improve fuel consumption to almost diesel levels without the expensive aftertreatment systems. HCCI engines can also operate on conventional gasoline or even ethanol.

[Source: General Motors]

Click on the HCCI equipped Opel Vectra for a high-res gallery

There are rumors floating around the interwebs today regarding the Opel Insignia being the first official product from General Motors using its highly-efficient homegeneous charge compression ignition, or HCCI for short. We can't confirm these rumors at this point, as GM has made no official announcements at all regarding the future of its HCCI engines. We do, however, know that engineers in crisp white lab coats are currently hard at work perfecting the technology. Therefore, we'd expect their efforts to bear fruit sooner or later. Exactly what vehicle the HCCI engine will first appear in, though, remains a mystery.

While we're on the subject of the HCCI engine, why not go ahead and peruse our explanation of how the technology works. GM's FYI blog also has a bit of a primer on the technology that may be worth a look too. Because an HCCI engine can provide a fifteen percent boost in fuel economy to go along with reduced emissions, we're rather excited about the prospect of seeing this technology in production as soon as possible.

[Source: Motor Authority and Auto Express, thanks for the tip, gmcbob]

Photo by Marcin Wichary. Licensed under Creative Commons license 2.0.

Live mileage updates are probably best known from the Prius dashboard, but the world's best-selling hybrid is not the only vehicle with a real-time MPG display. Whether its a detailed display like on the Prius, an "eco light" like on the Malibu hybrid, or the very cool Ford Escape PHEV prototype screen, telling the driver how efficient their driving is at any given moment is the new black.

Ecomodder recently spoke with some GM engineers about HCCI technology when the discussion turned to MPG displays. The engineers realize that these displays can make driving into a bit of a game and that the knowledge pretty much automatically makes people greener drivers. Even with that assumption, the engineers acknowledge that whether or not these displays are installed in every GM vehicle is "a marketing decision." It seems like a no-brainer to me (but I'm not an engineer or in marketing) because if the automakers are going to spend untold millions on designing more fuel efficient cars, why not tack on the few extra dollars to "design" more fuel efficient drivers?

[Source: Ecomodder, h/t to Darin]

Last summer we had the chance to meet up with GM powertrain researcher Paul Najt and drive GM's prototype HCCI engines. Homegeneous charge compression ignition engines basically take some of the technical concepts behind diesel engines and combine it with a gasoline engine. The result is a new power system that achieves most of the benefit of diesel efficiency without the problems of soot and NOx emissions. As features like variable valve timing, direct fuel injection, cylinder pressure sensors and more powerful control systems have become available in engines, HCCI has become more practical. HCCI doesn't work well under all operating conditions, but engineers are learning how to blend HCCI and normal spark ignition operation seamlessly. The guys at Popular Mechanics had a chance to visit the GM research lab where the HCCI engines are being developed. There is a good interview with Najt and some explanation of how the engines work in a video on their site.


[Source: Popular Mechanics]

Click on the image to view high-res shots of the Mercedes F700 concept

Homogeneous Charge Compression Ignition, or HCCI, holds out a great deal of hope for green automotive enthusiasts. Mercedes-Benz has shown concept vehicles using the technology, which they refer to as DiesOtto, in their F700 concept vehicle pictured above. Like diesels, HCCI engines eschew spark-plugs in favor of compression ignition. Unlike diesels, HCCI burns gasoline, which could make them a popular choice in countries like the U.S. where gasoline is more widely available than diesel (and, currently in most areas, cheaper). HCCI engines could potentially allow for the emissions levels of gasoline with the efficiency of diesel and could be cheaper to produce than a comparably-powered diesel engine.

Over the hump to Number 5.

Click on the image to view high-res shots of the Mercedes F700 concept

As part of an annual meeting held in Berlin, Daimler CEO Dieter Zetsche says that the company will increase its R&D spending to $21 billion for the year 2010. A major part of those expenses will go towards alternative powerplants. Hydrogen and lithium ion batteries will make up a good chunk of these charges, and Zetsche claims that Daimler has made "a major breakthrough in battery technology." Regarding the heat generated by lithium ion batteries, Zetsche adds, "Daimler has solved the problem. Thanks to the integration of the vehicle's cooling system, the batteries can now operate continually at optimal system temperatures. This maximizes their power output; extends their service life, and make it possible to use this high-performance technology in automotive applications. We've protected this innovation with 25 patents."

Mercedes-Benz will continue to offer large, powerful and luxurious vehicles in each of the market segments in which it competes. What's more, Dr. Z adds, the company "aims to offer at least one model in each of the Mercedes-Benz core model series that is a leader in fuel consumption." We're reminded of the F700 concept that the company recently introduced. We would add that DiesOtto, or HCCI engines, could make a dent in Mercedes' overall fuel consumption statistics.

[Source: The Car Connection]

Until electric cars and their associated technologies (motors, batteries, controllers etc.) become mainstream, the internal combustion engine will need to be further refined in order to meet upcoming fuel economy requirements and current emissions regulations -- while still producing the power that consumers have come to expect. HCCI is one technology currently being developed to make these goals possible, while direct injection and turbocharging are simply becoming quite common.

Ricardo has developed a new prototype engine called 2/4SIGHT which could give HCCI a run for its money. An engine equipped with this new system is capable of running on either the 2 or 4 stroke engine cycle, allowing their V6 test-bed to be downsized from 3.5 liters to 2.0 liters while making the same power output. This downsizing leads to a 27 percent reduction in fuel consumption and correspondingly lowered emissions.

Ricardo believes that their 2/4SIGHT technology will be cost effective and easy to package for vehicle use. A video of the test engine switching from 2 to 4 stroke can be seen here.


[Source: Ricardo]

At their annual award ceremony, British magazine AutoCar singled out the Mercedes-Benz DiesOtto engine concept for recognition. The DiesOtto is a turbocharged homogeneous charge compression ignition (HCCI) engine. It first appeared in the F700 concept at the Frankfurt Motor Show in September. HCCI runs essentially as a diesel engine under certain operating conditions but runs on gasoline and produces far fewer emissions than a diesel without expensive after-treatment systems. The 1.8L engine produces the power of a 3.5L V-6 while achieving 44.3mpg.

Related:

• ABG Tech analysis and driving impression: GM's HCCI Engine
• Frankfurt 2007: Mercedes-Benz F700 research vehicle with DiesOtto

[Source: Mercedes-Benz]

We've featured Orbital Corporation and their unique engine technologies before. It turns out that one of those technologies allows a four-stroke engine to run on multiple different fuels. Polaris, the manufacturer of snowmobiles, ATV's and Victory motorcycles is using this technology in their Patriot engine. This engine is designed to use military-grade JP8 fuel, but is also capable of running on regular diesel or even gasoline. The technology in use is reportedly similar to HCCI, but is apparently somewhat different. The fuel is directly injected into the combustion chamber along with a low-pressure stream of air. Orbital is calling the system air assisted direct injection. Orbital claims that an engine using their technology can reduce fuel consumption by 20 percent while still achieving Euro III emissions standards.

The Patriot engine is available in Polaris' MV800 ATV, which was developed for the military. The engine is 760ccs and produces 40 horsepower. Take a look at the press release after the break.

Related:

• Adding E100 to the turbo-direct-injection mix could greatly improve efficiency
• Bajaj auto-rickshaws to get fuel injectors for LGP, CNG models

[Source: Polaris via The Kneeslider]

If you happen to listen to the AutoblogGreen podcast, you already know how we feel about the potential of HCCI engine technology. If you don't listen to our podcast, (first of all, why not?) you can learn about the new engine type in our entire category dedicated to HCCI. Being that this is a new technology, not much is filed away under that HCCI tag though, so you might be wondering what all of the fuss is about. If that's the case, consider heading over to GM's FYI blog where they have a primer on HCCI and the benefits that are possible with it. [Editor's note: let's not forget AutoblogGreen's own HCCI primer]

Here is a taste of what the technology can do for you: "With Homogeneous Charge Compression Ignition, a variety of advanced engine technologies combine to allow for lower temperature fuel burning, which is more complete and more efficient and cuts vehicle emissions. It also cuts the amount of heat energy that is lost with traditional combustion. HCCI creates the same level of power as a traditional engine system, but it uses less fuel to create that power."

Interested now? You should be. Follow the progress that GM and the other automakers make on HCCI engines here at AutoblogGreen.

[Source: GM's FYI Blog]

There's a video out of the Mercedes-Benz F700 concept being prepped for the Frankfurt Motor Show while Daimler's Thomas Weber is being interviewed. Unfortunately the audio is in German, but you can get an early glimpse of the big luxury sedan with the tiny turbocharged HCCI engine. Evidently it's also equipped with a hybrid drivetrain and gets 44 mpg. Mercedes is also apparently going to start series production of fuel cell vehicles in 2010. What kind of vehicle and how many is still unknown at the moment.

[Source: eGMCarTech]

We were there but we thought you might like to take a look at what Medialink saw at GM's coming out party for HCCI. The video includes some shots of the car driving around and interviews with the engineers. The idea behind HCCI is basically, kill the spark plug. It's not a new idea at all. I think we are seeing this because presidential candidates are talking about a 40 MPG CAFE standard in less than ten years. Maybe we will see a gas vaporization test drive soon?

[Source: Youtube]

As we head toward the Frankfurt Motor show, AutoblogGreen Podcast #11 is filled with talk about what we'll see at the show. There've been lots of developments from European manufacturers, and we're eager to see those cars up close. Sam also got the chance to attend a GM Powertrain event at their Milford proving grounds where he was able to drive some of the new engine technologies around, including HCCI. While there, he also snagged interviews with Paul Najt and Uwe Grebe talking about the work they've been doing developing new GM powertrains. It's 36 minutes this week, and we've fixed the RSS and audio issues from the last couple episodes. Thanks for listening!

SUBSCRIBE to the AutoblogGreen Podcast in iTunes
LISTEN to the show now
ADD the AutoblogGreen Podcast feed to your RSS aggregator

Click on the HCCI equipped Opel Vectra for a high-res gallery

At the General Motors Proving Ground in Milford, MI on Friday, the company provided their first public presentation of HCCI engines. Most of the major automakers, in addition to researchers at universities around the world have been experimenting with HCCI for much of the last three decades and now it's finally driveable. As part of their 2007 Powertrain technology show, GM brought a Saturn Aura and an Opel Vectra, each equipped with a 2.2L HCCI engine.

Dr. Uwe Grebe gave the assembled media an introduction to HCCI before we got to drive. Ever since Karl Benz's first MotorWagen in 1886, automotive engines have been dominated by the four-stroke cycle which consists of intake, compression, power and exhaust. All four-strokes operate on the same basic principals of opening a valve and drawing in the intake mix as the piston descends and compressing that mixture as it goes back up. The air fuel mixture is then ignited which pushes the piston down as the mixture burns and expands and then the exhaust valve opens as piston goes up and pushes out the exhaust. The ignition part is one of places where things vary.

Read on after the jump to learn how HCCI fits into the process.

Mercedes is bringing the green to the upcoming Frankfurt Motor Show with their new sedan concept car, the F700. Remember that DiesOtto engine that we told you about a while back? It's making its debut in this new luxury sedan. To refresh your memory, that engine produces 238hp and 295ft-lb. of torque from just 1.8 liters of displacement using some new technology known to many as homogeneous charge compression ignition, or HCCI, which "operates in compression ignition mode under light loads and spark ignition at other times" according to our own Sam Abuelsamid. The fuel mileage of the car with the DiesOtto engine is expected to be almost 40 miles per gallon, which is excellent for such a large vehicle.

The new F700 concept is just one of 18 vehicles that Mercedes is expected to showcase, including new Bluetec diesels and hybrids with both gasoline and diesel engines.

[Source: 4 Cars via Autoblog]