Filed under: Ford, Autoline on Autoblog
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FORD REPORT: DIESEL VS. HCCI VS. STRATIFIED CHARGE
To hear Ford's CTO tell it, all these painful layoffs and budget cuts going on at the company can actually be beneficial. "It gets you really focused on what's really necessary," says Gerhard Schmidt, the Chief Technology Officer at Ford.
Ford now evaluates its R&D efforts by comparing the money it spends to the percentage of fuel economy improvements it gets. "This makes you structure your portfolio for what's really key, not just what's interesting to explore," he says.
So Ford is taking a very safe, but very sound approach to the technology it's developing. And its goal is to make that technology affordable for the masses. "Henry Ford didn't invent the combustion engine," says Schmidt, "but he made it available to everybody."
John McElroy is host of the TV program "Autoline Detroit" and daily web video "Autoline Daily". Every week he brings his unique insights as an auto industry insider to Autoblog readers.
Driven by this philosophy, Ford is not that keen on diesel engines for the American market, or HCCI, or CVT transmissions, and believes that plug-ins have a long way to go. Instead, it's taking a simpler approach.
BTW, Gerhard Schmidt joined Ford in 2000, after an illustrious career at BMW where he rose to become senior vice president in charge of all vehicle integration and powertrain development. So his credentials are impeccable.
While Ford will offer diesels in its full-size trucks and SUVs, Schmidt says the company will take a wait-and-see approach for diesels in passenger cars in the American market. The high cost of diesel fuel and emission standards are the reasons. "We'll watch our competitors," he says. If diesels catch on in mass-market numbers, Ford can quickly bring its European diesels over here. "We have all the technical solutions for Tier II Bin 5 and Bin2, but it won't be cheap," he warns.
He's also skeptical of homogeneous charge compression ignition (HCCI) engines, which are gasoline engines that act like diesels. They start up using spark plugs, then switch over to compression ignition to provide fuel economy improvements that approach a diesel.
At the present stage of development, HCCI only works well at low speeds and light loads. The challenge of going beyond this to the full RPM spectrum is seamlessly switching from spark to compression. The key word is seamlessly. It requires enormous complexity to achieve this and there are significant NVH issues to overcome.
Instead, Schmidt likes using partial stratification in direct injection, turbocharged engines. Stratification provides a rich mixture at the spark plug with a very lean charge - mostly air – in the rest of the combustion chamber. The idea is to use a stratified charge only at idle or part load. This provides nearly the same fuel economy as HCCI, but at much lower cost.
There is still a place for HCCI technology in Ford's portfolio. Schmidt says it makes more sense in hybrids and extended range EVs, where batteries and electric motors can help ease transitions from one mode to another. And series hybrids (like the Chevy Volt) are the best application, where the engine would pretty much run at a constant speed.
This also relates to why he's not that keen on continuously variable transmissions (CVTs). The advantage of these transmissions is that they allow engineers to map their engines to run at their most efficient range. But Schmidt claims that turbocharged, direct-injection gas engines already do that, so coupling them to a CVT doesn't make them more efficient. Besides, he adds, step-gear transmissions are mechanically more efficient than CVTs, and he sees a glowing future for dual-clutch automatics.
He says that using hydrogen as a fuel could have a chance depending on government policies, but in the meantime he prefers ethanol. "The goal of producing 37 billion gallons (by 2017) may be difficult to achieve," Schmidt observes, "but having 5% to 10% ethanol is a credible solution, it takes the pressure off oil demand. We have the farmers and the refineries to do it. It helps our energy diversity."
Some researchers are proposing using gasoline engines with a separate system to inject pure ethanol at wide open throttle or heavy loads to suppress detonation. Schmidt sees problems with this approach. "You need two systems of injectors and two tanks. You must have E100 available everywhere and that infrastructure isn't there," he points out. "If we can get to E25 we can get almost all the same benefits. We can raise the compression ratio and get more power and fuel efficiency."
The topics covered here merely skim the surface of all the research work taking place at Ford. But it's valuable to understand the thinking that's driving Ford's R&D.
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To hear Ford's CTO tell it, all these painful layoffs and budget cuts going on at the company can actually be beneficial. "It gets you really focused on what's really necessary," says Gerhard Schmidt, the Chief Technology Officer at Ford.Ford now evaluates its R&D efforts by comparing the money it spends to the percentage of fuel economy improvements it gets. "This makes you structure your portfolio for what's really key, not just what's interesting to explore," he says.
So Ford is taking a very safe, but very sound approach to the technology it's developing. And its goal is to make that technology affordable for the masses. "Henry Ford didn't invent the combustion engine," says Schmidt, "but he made it available to everybody."
John McElroy is host of the TV program "Autoline Detroit" and daily web video "Autoline Daily". Every week he brings his unique insights as an auto industry insider to Autoblog readers.
Driven by this philosophy, Ford is not that keen on diesel engines for the American market, or HCCI, or CVT transmissions, and believes that plug-ins have a long way to go. Instead, it's taking a simpler approach.
BTW, Gerhard Schmidt joined Ford in 2000, after an illustrious career at BMW where he rose to become senior vice president in charge of all vehicle integration and powertrain development. So his credentials are impeccable.While Ford will offer diesels in its full-size trucks and SUVs, Schmidt says the company will take a wait-and-see approach for diesels in passenger cars in the American market. The high cost of diesel fuel and emission standards are the reasons. "We'll watch our competitors," he says. If diesels catch on in mass-market numbers, Ford can quickly bring its European diesels over here. "We have all the technical solutions for Tier II Bin 5 and Bin2, but it won't be cheap," he warns.
He's also skeptical of homogeneous charge compression ignition (HCCI) engines, which are gasoline engines that act like diesels. They start up using spark plugs, then switch over to compression ignition to provide fuel economy improvements that approach a diesel.
At the present stage of development, HCCI only works well at low speeds and light loads. The challenge of going beyond this to the full RPM spectrum is seamlessly switching from spark to compression. The key word is seamlessly. It requires enormous complexity to achieve this and there are significant NVH issues to overcome.
Instead, Schmidt likes using partial stratification in direct injection, turbocharged engines. Stratification provides a rich mixture at the spark plug with a very lean charge - mostly air – in the rest of the combustion chamber. The idea is to use a stratified charge only at idle or part load. This provides nearly the same fuel economy as HCCI, but at much lower cost.
There is still a place for HCCI technology in Ford's portfolio. Schmidt says it makes more sense in hybrids and extended range EVs, where batteries and electric motors can help ease transitions from one mode to another. And series hybrids (like the Chevy Volt) are the best application, where the engine would pretty much run at a constant speed.
This also relates to why he's not that keen on continuously variable transmissions (CVTs). The advantage of these transmissions is that they allow engineers to map their engines to run at their most efficient range. But Schmidt claims that turbocharged, direct-injection gas engines already do that, so coupling them to a CVT doesn't make them more efficient. Besides, he adds, step-gear transmissions are mechanically more efficient than CVTs, and he sees a glowing future for dual-clutch automatics.
Having 5% to 10% ethanol is a credible solution, it takes the pressure off oil demand.
Schmidt is also a big supporter of plug-in hybrids, but says the value-for-the-money proposition is not quite there yet. "We need the battery costs at $200 per kilowatt-watt hour, which will come maybe after 2011. Right now it's between $650 and $1000," he says. Ford has a plug-in pilot program underway in Europe, and is working with a handful of battery makers from the US, Japan and Korea. And obviously, the same cost issues affect pure EVs.He says that using hydrogen as a fuel could have a chance depending on government policies, but in the meantime he prefers ethanol. "The goal of producing 37 billion gallons (by 2017) may be difficult to achieve," Schmidt observes, "but having 5% to 10% ethanol is a credible solution, it takes the pressure off oil demand. We have the farmers and the refineries to do it. It helps our energy diversity."
Some researchers are proposing using gasoline engines with a separate system to inject pure ethanol at wide open throttle or heavy loads to suppress detonation. Schmidt sees problems with this approach. "You need two systems of injectors and two tanks. You must have E100 available everywhere and that infrastructure isn't there," he points out. "If we can get to E25 we can get almost all the same benefits. We can raise the compression ratio and get more power and fuel efficiency."
The topics covered here merely skim the surface of all the research work taking place at Ford. But it's valuable to understand the thinking that's driving Ford's R&D.
Autoline Detroit
Airs every Sunday at 10:30AM on Detroit Public Television.
Autoline Detroit Podcast
Click here to subscribe in iTunes
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)
TKE 12:42PM (12/04/2008)
Interesting as always. Is it not true that when CVTs are fitted with "faux" gears that they lose much of their purpose, too? The phrase wait-and-see, I would add, is frightening. Either you get it very right by way of caution or you fall way behind.
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BigMcLargeHuge 12:46PM (12/04/2008)
Isn't this the exact same press conference a year ago when they decided Ecoboost was the way to go?
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Ligor 12:46PM (12/04/2008)
makes me wanna plea to join his R&D team
very interesting stuff
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Alex 12:55PM (12/04/2008)
Ford seems to be taking the most sane and practical approach to future engines and fuels. Their methods for surviving the poor market right now and bringing new vehicles and technology to the masses are definitely the best of the big three.
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zamafir 1:03PM (12/04/2008)
Yup, diesel cars that meet emissions standards take R&D, just as hybrids did. I'm discouraged to hear ford is averse to them and would rather take a lazier or as mentioned 'simpler' route. VW doesn’t seem to have any issue providing passanger cars around 22k that meet the standards, hell they can't even keep the wagons in stock (a bit pricer with more space, currently there's a 3-6 month waiting list), and Mercedes isn't having problems leasing their cars, and I doubt BMW or Audi are going to be struggling.
Every time ford takes two steps forward it's one back. yes, do bring European models over, especially the fiesta/focus, but instead of looking to see how your competitors fair in the diesel sales for the next 3 years, then spending another 3-5 developing a US compliant mill, just get with the program now. Design a diesel engine for most of your passenger cars with America in mind, and put it on the road. It's not cheap, it's not easy, but then again most business decisions with a an outlook down the line aren't instantly profitable.
I’m just not used to reading these sorts of BS ‘let’s drag our feet’ excuses from ford, Normally it’s Lutz.
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mkovac1 1:30PM (12/04/2008)
I think Ford's plan here is pretty smart. Yes VW is offering a small diesel here, but it is far from certain if they're going to make any money off it. There's a difference between a niche product flying off the lot and a profitable vehicle. And as it says in the article, they already have the tech to meet the requirements, they just doubt they market will pay for the costs. They'll let VW and others take that risk, and then come in with their ready to go mills from Europe if it proves profitable. I didn't see anywhere that he said they'd wait 3-5 years.
zamafir 1:50PM (12/04/2008)
VW had no issues selling the MkIV TDIs, they too were flying off the shelves. It takes a couple years to develop, test, and certify a brand new diesel set up for north America. It took VW two years and they're pretty much the best at it as far as our market goes (in terms of price, frugality, consistency in our market - only pausing to reengineer for new standards etc), they're also flushed with cash. Ford doesn't have any north American diesel passage cars, doesn't have a healthy almost uninterrupted history of selling them here, and isn't flushed with cash. If ford decides to do it I doubt we'd see a diesel 50 state compliant passenger car in the 2 years it took VW, 3-5 doesn't seem crazy, it seems quite reasonable given their experience, cash reserves, etc.
why not the LS2LS7? 1:49PM (12/04/2008)
I support Ford holding off on Diesel in the US.
Yes, VW can't make enough. But there's a huge pent-up demand, because they haven't made one for a bit. VW does this all the time, make a Diesel, fulfill demand, then stop making it for 5 years. And it's not just due to CARB, the Rabbit D came and went too.
Waiting 1 more year before deciding whether to jump into Diesel won't present a huge issue I don't think.
jamie 1:56PM (12/04/2008)
Could it be that the diesel engines Oldsmobile cranked out 1978-1985 were poor sellers?
Yeah, gas prices were much cheaper then also. But today, diesel #2 is usually considerably higher (50 cents or more a gallon) than regular gas. Not many customers would want to put up with higher prices at the pump along with diesel emissions and knock even though much of that has been alleviated. It's the perception here in America that is radically different from that in Europe.
I don't think diesels in cars will ever be a viable option in the U.S.
Alex 2:11PM (12/04/2008)
zamafir, thats just it though. They know exactly what needs to be done to make their deisel engines Tier II Bin 5 compliant. They are just holding off on the actual work to see if the demand is there.
FTA: "We have all the technical solutions for Tier II Bin 5 and Bin2, but it won't be cheap"
So they can make their diesels 50 state compliant, but they are not going to spend the money on the work if it won't pay for itself. I think it is a smart move for a company that can't afford risks. They may fall behind in the diesel market but VW is the only other company that Ford directly competes with that is making diesels, so catching up wouldn't be hard.
Menice 1:08PM (12/04/2008)
my chainsaw is a 'stratofication' engine.
its awesome, much lighter then compared 40cc and not a smell of exhaust at all.... esp compared to ANY other chainsaw.
i'm not sure how it relates to his idea, Schmidt seems to speak of a partial strat but it would seem efficent at more then just idle or partial load.
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BigMcLargeHuge 1:21PM (12/04/2008)
What type of chainsaw? I might need one soon.
Menice 1:50PM (12/04/2008)
well, redmax makes the GZ400 its about $230
http://www.redmax.com/node3937.aspx?nid=90274
I bought the Ryobi 40cc 18".. SAME SAW, different plastic.
taken apart and proven to be a rebadged, stamped inside Zenoah America(Redmax) by the guys at arboristsite.org.... bought mine on sale home depot on sale @ 105.00. with carry case and oil.
http://www.homedepot.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/ProductDisplay?storeId=10051&langId=-1&catalogId=10053&productId=100653862
if you buy one you may need to push the fuel line to the back of the tank with your finger. it comes too close to the cap and will bog when you cut sideways.
LOVE this saw, cut 6 cords in as many months no issue.
and no oil stink.
dyoung 1:24PM (12/04/2008)
while their pragmatic angle is laudable especially in the near term, they really ought to have a more radical mid-long range strategy. considering the wave of interest (and no doubt investment) in EV, i think its foolish to believe the infrastructure for EV wont be in place in the next 10 years. while the cleaner burning of fossil fuels is great for the next 3 years (assuming they can bring these technologies to market that soon) the next 5-7 years will see a dramatic shift away from these types of cars. i'm not saying that by 2015 the combustion engine will be a thing of the past, but i wouldn't be surprised if full EV or hybrid vehicles achieve 30-40% market share by then. i wouldn't be waiting for the cost of investment to drop substantially. get the technology in place now. these other manufacturers are already doing this. when the infrastructure catches up and the cost does eventually fall, they will have a head start of nearly a decade. people will be driving the 4th and 5th generation hybrids and second generation EVs by the time ford plunges in, at this rate. while i respect their position and can certainy understand why they're choosing the route they are, i disagree. while the economic downturn may be temporary the industry is facing permanent change. And in the face of drastic permanent change, drastic radical adaptation is required. this is not the post-war world, the game is different now. its not whoever innovates best wins. its whoever innovates best survives.
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Rajiv Sinha 2:35PM (12/04/2008)
Nowhere does Ford say that it will not invest in the electrificantion of their vehicles. In my opinion, they have the most comprehensive and pratical plan towards it. Short term - EcoBoost and MM Hybrid (50000 for 2009 model year), PHEV by 2010/2011 (commericial/Sedan) and continue research towards full electrification.
They probably have one of the best Diesels out in Europe - it is purely economics around bringing it in the good old US of A. Acooridng to them, in near term gasoline has a better payback than Diesel and in the med/long term (oil price shoots back up) eletrification would have a better payback here.
They definitely have the technology.
why not the LS2LS7? 1:40PM (12/04/2008)
HCCI, stratified charge and swirl combustion are virtually the same thing.
I don't see a big issue making HCCI work. You can fire the spark plug every time if you want, making it essentially a spark engine. The only real change is when you inject the fuel. You don't inject it until when you want it to ignite, just in case it knocks. If it knocks or doesn't knock, who cares? The key is that you can use higher compression ratios than you otherwise could, because the knock can't happen until the beginning of the power stroke, where it's indistinguishable from normal combustion.
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halogenrep 1:52PM (12/04/2008)
What about stop-start system like they have in BMWs(Europe)?
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why not the LS2LS7? 1:57PM (12/04/2008)
Stop-start sucks. Read any review on cars that use it. The disable switch is well used in these vehicles.
Will 2:55PM (12/04/2008)
This is one of the most reasoned and even-headed discussions I've ever read in the Autoblog comments.
i also think Ford's plan is the most intelligent and the most likely to succeed out of the three. They're not trying to jump a canyon by going straight from existing gas-fueled engines to full EV's or by counting on a $40,000 plug-in flagship to save their skins. Seriously, how many people are actually going to buy a Volt or a Chrysler EV? These cars aren't the bread and butter of the product line, where profit is made and market share is maintained.
They're simplifying and globalizing their product line, developing proven technologies like direct injection and introducing efficient and desireable new models at the bottom end of the range. Good job, Ford. By not trying to rewrite the rule book, they'll avoid over-extending themselves.
Next reasonable step would be to replace the Fusion with the Mondeo after three or four years of the refresh, with an available EcoBoost turbo four, a direct-injected V6 and a hybrid option.
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Carlos 3:53PM (12/04/2008)
Is direct injection a form of stratified charge?
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