17.8.2005
GM, Bosch and Stanford University announced joint development of efficient and cost-effective engines

It was announced today that GM, the Robert Bosch Corp. and Stanford University are developing a cost-effective engine technology that makes gasoline engines much more efficient and diesel engines much cleaner, for both conventional and hybrid propulsion systems.

Under a three-year, $2.5 million program GM, Bosch and Stanford researchers will work to accelerate the development of Homogeneous Charge Compression Ignition, or HCCI, which is a research technology that has the potential to improve the efficiency of gasoline and hybrid propulsion systems by more efficiently burning the fuel. HCCI contributes to a further improvement of the gasoline engine's efficiency by 20 per cent , while achieving near-zero oxide of nitrogen (NOx) emissions and particulates.

It is GM’s goal to develop and demonstrate the viability of HCCI -- a clean, efficient combustion process -- within the next few years. This technology is attractive, as HCCI engines have the potential to provide a significant increase in fuel efficiency over conventional port fuel-injection spark-ignition engines and can run with diesel-like efficiency, but produce near zero particulates and very low NOx emissions. Gasoline engines could achieve 80 percent of diesel engine efficiency for about 50 percent of the cost.

Due to the ‘cold’ HCCI combustion, engine raw emissions can be drastically reduced, offering the potential to meet emission standards with a cost effective three-way catalyst. However, controlling HCCI combustion in the real-world environment versus the laboratory environment is a major hurdle for its commercialization. Stable and satisfactory operation of an HCCI engine requires further development and sophistication of sensors, actuators and feedback control systems. The goal at the end of the day will be to suggest a complete engine controls solution that is both robust and cost effective.

The Bosch Group, specifically the Bosch Research and Technology Center (Bosch RTC) in Palo Alto, CA, in conjunction with Stanford, have already been working on advanced system technology for HCCI combustion control. During the same timeframe, GM’s global research and development team, in cooperation with a number of other universities and suppliers in both North America and Europe, has developed an HCCI combustion system concept, base engine architecture, and operating strategy that allows the operation of HCCI over a broad engine speed and load range.