Industry News
NexxtDrive SuperGen i-Hybrid system undergoes testing at Integral Powertrain
14th July 2006
A test programme shows that new 'Boosted Hybrid' technology offers strong-hybrid fuel economy at a fraction of the cost, according to the UK’s Integral Powertrain and transmission engineer NexxDrive, whose new approach to hybrid powertrain design, combining advanced pressure boosting technology with electric torque assist in one compact unit, is claimed to offer a low cost route to CO2 and performance improvements.
By combining hybrid capability with advanced pressure boosting technology, automotive engineering specialist Integral Powertrain and power transmission developer NexxtDrive have created a system that will allow a petrol C segment vehicle to deliver 170bhp with CO2 emissions of 120g/km.
The system, called the SuperGen i-Hybrid, is currently undergoing hardware testing at Integral Powertrain's Milton Keynes facility. Designed to be fully compatible with conventional petrol powertrain architecture, it promises car makers all the benefits of a hybrid transmission at around one third of the cost of a conventional hybrid solution. With substantially reduced energy storage requirements, the system is said to provide robust performance, responsiveness and driveability independent of battery condition or state of charge. SuperGen i-Hybrid can be applied to all mainstream petrol engines and also diesels, acting as a pre-booster.
The core of the SuperGen technology is a unit connected by belt to the engine crankshaft, which contains a compressor, two electric motor/generators and an advanced gearing system that allows the speed of the compressor to be varied from zero up to 150 times crank speed. Depending on vehicle mode, a set of control algorithms determines the energy flow between the electrical machines and a capacitor bank capable of storing 300kJ. When needed, up to 14kW of electrical energy is dynamically allocated between direct torque assist and pressure boosting to improve torque output from the engine.
In addition to continuous torque augmentation, the i-Hybrid system also captures energy from braking, enables stop/start and provides torque assistance at launch.
With a similar diameter to a high output alternator, its developers say the SuperGen system can be integrated with existing engine designs with no redesign or retooling required. Initial results from hardware testing, based on the use of a 1.4 litre petrol engine in a C segment car, demonstrate that the SuperGen i-Hybrid system will deliver 0-100kmh in 7.7 seconds acceleration and CO2 emisisons of 120 g/km) in a ‘cost-effective’ package.
Dynamometer testing of the SuperGen system, in both conventional and i-Hybrid variants, is scheduled to continue until the autumn. Its developers say there has been a great deal interest in the system from major automotive OEMs. "Our technologies offer significant benefits for all kinds of vehicle hybridisation programmes from stop-start and power take-off solutions to full hybrid drivetrains," says Rod Keech, chairman of NexxtDrive
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