VHE-P - Variable High Efficiency Pump

Project name

VHE-P - Variable High Efficiency Pump

Project duration

01.07.2008 - 31.12.2010

Brief description

The aim of the project was to develop and test a switchable water pump for commercial vehicle engines to minimize fuel consumption. The elimination of the rigid coupling of crankshaft and water pump primarily enables direct savings through demand-based control of the water pump speed and thus the power consumption by the water pump. Through the symbiosis of the two components water pump and manual gearbox into one system, an overall design solution was developed which provided for the complete integration of the switching function into the housing installation space of a series water pump. The prototype of the switchable water pump manufactured according to this concept was subjected to extensive functional tests on a test engine on a highly dynamic engine test bench. During these tests, the suitability and stability of the selected design was demonstrated.
An important focus of the project was the development and optimization of parameters influencing the operating strategy of a switchable water pump in order to achieve maximum consumption benefits. Using a special test setup for the engine speed-independent drive of the water pump, the cooling power requirement of the test engine was determined under defined conditions by simultaneously recording component temperatures in the cylinder head. Based on these results, a simulated circuit drive on a highly dynamic test bench demonstrated a consumption saving potential of 1.7% for a switchable water pump simulated with the external water pump drive using a temperature-controlled operating strategy.
The results of this project showed that the savings that can be achieved in a real vehicle are highly dependent on ambient conditions, such as the outside temperature and vehicle speed. The precise coordination of the cooling circuit components ultimately defines the possible increase in efficiency of an optimized cooling circuit. The switchable water pump is only one part of the overall system, and a corresponding operating strategy cannot be developed in isolation from the other components. Rather, it has been possible to determine the relevant influencing parameters and correlations that lead to maximum efficiency when using a switchable water pump.
The future field of application envisaged for the switchable water pump is primarily commercial vehicle engines in the transportation sector. The prototype of the switchable water pump can be used in the test vehicle without any problems. The basic aim is to start series production within the next five years by continuing the development started in the research project.

Cooperation partner

• MBM Maschinen- und Metallbau GmbH & Co KG, - (Germany)

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