Centre of Excellence for Hybrid Thermal Propulsion Systems

The scale of the investment (in power generation, transmission and charging infrastructure) that is required to support the widespread adoption of Electric Vehicles (EVs) is massive. This, combined with natural delays associated with fleet turnover and consumer acceptance and adoption of new technology, suggests that the transition to a predominantly grid-supplied EV fleet will be gradual and often infrastructure-limited.

This Prosperity Partnership proposes a new and faster route to full fleet electrification. We propose to develop a Thermal Propulsion System (TPS) that, combined with a matched hybrid energy recovery system, will be capable of powering an EV from an energy dense liquid fuel at the same or lower economic and environmental cost than would be incurred by importing electricity to the vehicle from the grid.

By utilising a globally established refuelling network of proven capacity, the TPS technology that will be delivered by this partnership will enable the widespread adoption of zero-emissions capable, electrically driven, vehicles ahead of the required infrastructure developments of the grid-dependent Battery Electric Vehicle (BEV) and the hydrogen Fuel Cell Electric Vehicle (FCEV). This will lighten the burden on the UK's electricity generating capacity and distribution network as BEV and FCEV usage increases, allowing valuable time for the required development of grid and charging infrastructures while simultaneously providing an option for low carbon transport at times of low renewable input to the grid.

This work is of substantial national importance to the UK's manufacturing sector. The research will protect the role of the TPS, and the UK's well-established engine manufacturing expertise, within the rapidly growing low-emission vehicle sector of the automotive market. The UK government predict that the global market for these low-emissions vehicles could be worth £1.0-2.0 trillion per year by 2030, and £3.6-7.6 trillion per year by 2050. The UK's automotive supply chain as a whole would benefit from the world leading technology that this Partnership seeks to provide.

This Partnership combines the industry knowledge, design and manufacturing resources of Jaguar Land Rover (JLR), with the academic expertise of two of the UK's leading TPS research groups. The University of Oxford are world-leaders in the development of optical diagnostics and the study of in-cylinder phenomena: sprays, combustion and emissions. The University of Bath are similarly expert in the study of air handling, waste heat recovery and the systems-level analysis and modelling of vehicle powertrain.

The research is divided into interrelated "Grand Challenges". Jaguar Land Rover will lead the TPS concept design and evaluation. The University of Oxford will perform fundamental experimental studies on mixing, ignition, combustion and emissions formation under extreme lean-burn and highly dilute conditions relevant to hybrid-focused TPS operation. The data from these experiments will be used at Oxford to develop and validate new predictive models that, in turn, will feed back into concept design process at JLR and systems models at the University of Bath. Oxford will also develop new and improved measurement tools and methods for the experiments. The University of Bath will investigate low-grade and high-grade heat recovery, air-handling and boosting systems--demonstrating and evaluating concepts on a prototype multi-cylinder TPS and feeding back in to JLR's concept design process. Bath will also perform extensive systems and vehicle modelling of the TPS system (using models validated against Oxford's data) in a hybrid powertrain to optimise system-level energy balance and demonstrate the target systems-level energy recovery in a virtual environment.

The direct beneficiaries of this research include the academic community as described in the previous section of this form and the UK automotive industry (in particular, Jaguar Land Rover and their Tier 1 and Tier 2 suppliers). Significant indirect beneficiaries of the research include urban populations and national and local public health services, energy companies and the National Grid.

The potential impact on the UK automotive industry is substantial. It is estimated that the global market for low emission vehicles could be worth £1.0-2.0 trillion per year by 2030, and £3.6-7.6 trillion per year by 20501, and the strategic vision of this Prosperity Partnership is to establish JLR and UK industry as the undisputed world leaders in hybrid thermal propulsion system technology within this market. According to the Automotive Council, there are over 3,000 companies involved in the UK automotive sector and it is to be expected that the UK's automotive supply chain as a whole would benefit from the world leading technology that this partnership seeks to provide. For example, JLR's sourcing for the XE, XF, and F-Pace models supported 120 UK Tier 1 suppliers and over 200 UK 2nd Tier SMEs, resulting in £13bn of supply contracts to UK component suppliers. The new TPS and HPS technologies that will be developed from this Prosperity Partnership will generate similar levels of new procurement.

The indirect benefits of the proposed research are no less impactful than the direct impact on the automotive industry. By utilising a globally established refuelling network of proven capacity, the technology that will be delivered by this partnership will enable the widespread adoption of zero-emissions capable, electrically driven, vehicles well ahead of the infrastructure investment that will be required to support widespread use of grid-dependent BEVs and hydrogen FCEVs. The associated improvements in urban air quality and the benefits to public health will be similarly accelerated. The technology developed in this research will lighten the burden on the UK's electricity generating capacity and distribution network as BEV and FCEV usage increases, allowing valuable time for the development of grid and charging infrastructures while simultaneously providing an option for low carbon transport at times of low renewable input to the grid.

The direct and indirect impacts of the research will be maximised by the prompt commercialization of the developed TPS. The prototype TPS technology that will be developed and evaluated in this project will feed directly into Jaguar Land Rover's future powertrain planning. In addition, the tools and techniques, validated models and modelling methodologies-at all levels, from sub-model to full vehicle system-will be made available through the open literature and will influence and aid the work of other groups developing future powertrain solutions.

This Prosperity Partnership proposes a truly disruptive technology in the transition to a largely electrified light duty fleet. The findings of the proposed research have the potential to change the landscape of future light-duty transport.