UK's Loughborough University improving Ford's 1.0-litre EcoBoost engine
Wed, May 21 2014
There will be a total of four professor-type positions in the new Center, including the chair, all focused on teaching students about low-carbon vehicle technologies, specifically electric and hybrid ones. The school is investing 1.5 million pounds ($2.5 million) for the new positions. There is a bigger picture as well, a 26-million pound ($44 million) Advanced Combustion Turbocharged Integrated Variable-valvetrain Engine (ACTIVE) project, which uses funds not only from the school but also from Ford and others. The point of ACTIVE is to study Ford's 1.0-liter EcoBoost engine and "improve further its efficiency and ensure it exceeds 2020 emission regulations." This is already a popular engine for the automaker, and it will need to stay at the bleeding edge of efficiency to remain as important in 2020 as it is today.
Loughborough University has been working with automakers on advanced energy technologies for years, for example with Rolls-Royce and fuel cells in 2007 and the Lotus Hotfire engine in 2008.
University invests GBP1.5M in advanced propulsion research to advance zero emissions vehicles challenge
Loughborough University is investing GBP1.5M over five years in strategic research appointments, inspired by the global challenge to develop the new advanced propulsion technologies required for the move to zero emission vehicles.
These appointments reinforce the University's world-class research in low-carbon vehicle technologies, adding new dimensions concerned with electric and hybrid drives.
Four appointments will be made, including a Chair in Advanced Propulsion Systems, supported by a number of PhD studentships.
The GBP1.5M investment is part of the University's commitment to the recently announced Advanced Propulsion Centre (APC) to support the development of new supply chains for low carbon vehicles. APC is an initiative established by the Automotive Council that will see GBP1 billion of investment from government and industry over the next 10 years.
The University is a partner in MIRA Technology Park's bid to host the APC Executive Hub, and is leading a proposal to create a satellite of the APC hub at its new Olympic Park campus in London.
The University is also part of the Advanced Combustion Turbocharged Integrated Variable-valvetrain Engine (ACTIVE) project, a GBP26M APC collaboration led by Ford, to advance next-generation low carbon technologies. The project focusses on further development of Ford's award winning 1.0-litre EcoBoost engine to improve further its efficiency and ensure it exceeds 2020 emission regulations. Loughborough is providing expertise in engine thermodynamic design and optical measurement techniques to work with Ford, Continental and Unipart on improving combustion processes.
Loughborough University Vice Chancellor, Professor Robert Allison, said: "Loughborough University has been training automotive engineers since 1919 and our research in powertrain engineering and propulsion, and in powertrain manufacture is recognised as world-class. We are excited by the opportunity to collaborate with industry and academic partners right across the UK and delighted both to be partnering with MIRA in the Midlands and to be leading the complementary satellite bid from our new Olympic Park campus, which Mayor Boris Johnson has declared as his preferred London location."
Loughborough University is investing GBP1.5M over five years in strategic research appointments, inspired by the global challenge to develop the new advanced propulsion technologies required for the move to zero emission vehicles.
These appointments reinforce the University's world-class research in low-carbon vehicle technologies, adding new dimensions concerned with electric and hybrid drives.
Four appointments will be made, including a Chair in Advanced Propulsion Systems, supported by a number of PhD studentships.
The GBP1.5M investment is part of the University's commitment to the recently announced Advanced Propulsion Centre (APC) to support the development of new supply chains for low carbon vehicles. APC is an initiative established by the Automotive Council that will see GBP1 billion of investment from government and industry over the next 10 years.
The University is a partner in MIRA Technology Park's bid to host the APC Executive Hub, and is leading a proposal to create a satellite of the APC hub at its new Olympic Park campus in London.
The University is also part of the Advanced Combustion Turbocharged Integrated Variable-valvetrain Engine (ACTIVE) project, a GBP26M APC collaboration led by Ford, to advance next-generation low carbon technologies. The project focusses on further development of Ford's award winning 1.0-litre EcoBoost engine to improve further its efficiency and ensure it exceeds 2020 emission regulations. Loughborough is providing expertise in engine thermodynamic design and optical measurement techniques to work with Ford, Continental and Unipart on improving combustion processes.
Loughborough University Vice Chancellor, Professor Robert Allison, said: "Loughborough University has been training automotive engineers since 1919 and our research in powertrain engineering and propulsion, and in powertrain manufacture is recognised as world-class. We are excited by the opportunity to collaborate with industry and academic partners right across the UK and delighted both to be partnering with MIRA in the Midlands and to be leading the complementary satellite bid from our new Olympic Park campus, which Mayor Boris Johnson has declared as his preferred London location."
By Sebastian Blanco
See also: Ford turns Navistar from truck business customer to rival, Long winter means most automakers won't curb summer shutdown, 2015 Ford Mustang EcoBoost.