MethMag project – Development of a highly efficient combustion engine

In order to be able to offer our customers sustainable solutions and applications for future mobility and new, innovative manufacturing processes, we are actively involved in some research projects and working groups. If you want to offer your customers added value in testing technology, you have to be innovative, interdisciplinary and agile. For this reason, we want to introduce you to our latest project.

In our MethMag project, we are developing a highly efficient combustion engine for use in light commercial vehicles together with @Fraunhofer ICT, @Ford-Werke GmbH, @Rosswag GmbH and @Research Institute for Automotive Engineering and Vehicle Engines Stuttgart. An innovative lean-burn process is used in connection with synthetic methane. How does it all work?

For this purpose, a single-cylinder test engine and components relevant to the combustion process are designed, set up as a test demonstrator and tested on our own test bench. Numerous simulations are carried out at the same time, including 1D gas exchange and performance simulations to estimate the operating ranges and optimization of engine parameters as well as 3D flow simulation to design the cooling water jacket. Subsequent CHT and FEM simulations ensure the thermal and mechanical durability of the test vehicle. The project has a total duration of three years and is funded by the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy (BMWi).

The test concept developed by us enables the operation of methane gas-powered engines. A specific gas consumption measurement with conditioning is one of the key components here. In addition, with a small conversion, operation with hydrogen would also be possible. In addition to modernizing the infrastructure, BRIGHT was also responsible for the procurement of components for the single-cylinder engine in this project.

You can find more information here: https://www.ict.fraunhofer.de/de/projekte/MethMag.html