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Development of Efficient Internal Combustion Engines and Vehicle Powertrains: 2nd Edition

A special issue of Energies (ISSN 1996-1073). This special issue belongs to the section "B3: Carbon Emission and Utilization".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (25 March 2025) | Viewed by 1780

Special Issue Editors


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Guest Editor
Vehicular Systems, Department of Electrical Engineering, Linköping University, SE-58183 Linköping, Sweden
Interests: control and estimation; applied thermodynamics; combustion; thermal management; electromobility; batteries
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Guest Editor
Department of Energy Sciences, Faculty of Engineering, Lund University, P.O. Box 118, 221 00 Lund, Sweden
Interests: internal combustion engines; combustion control; combustion diagnostics; alternative fuels

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

The goal of this Special Issue on “Development of Efficient Internal Combustion Engines and Vehicle Powertrains: 2nd Edition” is to highlight how optimization and control techniques are bringing us toward the clean and efficient transportation of the future. There are many emerging tools and technologies for both ICE and hybrid electric powertrains that are worth highlighting, as they contribute to increased powertrain and transportation efficiency. Moreover, the ability to connect vehicles and infrastructure, which are now becoming components of the Internet of Things (IoT), enables many opportunities for planning to avoid losses and thereby improve system efficiency.

This Special Issue aims to illustrate the challenges and opportunities in vehicle powertrain development. This is achieved by showcasing the wide range of developments, from hardware and physics to software, through control and optimization to the planning of future trajectories, which are ongoing and that rely on optimization and control techniques.

The main theme is advancements in energy efficiency, while considering and meeting emission legislations. Under this wide umbrella, the topics of interest for the Special Issue include, but are not limited to, the following:

  • Engine development:
    • Combustion processes and their controls;
    • Combustion modeling and control: spark ignition, compression ignition, low-temperature combustion;
    • Gas exchange processes: turbocharging, supercharging, variable valve technology;
    • Combustion engine system control;
    • Biofuels and biogas alternatives;
    • Engine control—alternative fuel;
    • Dual fuel control;
    • Engine interaction with after treatment;
    • Alternative power systems for powertrains.
  • Energy management:
    • Waste heat recovery;
    • Energy storage systems: electrochemical systems, supercapacitors, hydrogen storage, charging and infrastructure;
    • Fuel cells, hydrocarbon fuel reforming, hydrogen combustion;
    • Battery model and battery control;
    • XEV (HEV, EV, FCEV, etc.)/solar-powered vehicles;
    • Alternative hybrid vehicles: hydraulic hybrids, air hybrids, kinetic energy hybrids (e.g., flywheel).
  • Methodological areas:
    • Plant modeling and system identification;
    • Physical and/or data-driven models;
    • System simulation and optimization;
    • Model-based control;
    • Control optimization, optimal control, and model predictive control;
    • Rapid control prototyping;
    • AI and big data.

Prof. Dr. Lars Eriksson
Prof. Dr. Per Tunestål
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Energies is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2600 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • internal combustion engines (ICE)
  • combustion engine system control
  • energy management
  • waste heat recovery
  • hybrid electric powertrains
  • alternative hybrid vehicles

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Related Special Issue

Published Papers (2 papers)

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20 pages, 1759 KiB  
Article
Knock Detection with Ion Current and Vibration Sensor: A Comparative Study of Logistic Regression and Neural Networks
by Ola Björnsson and Per Tunestål
Energies 2024, 17(22), 5693; https://doi.org/10.3390/en17225693 - 14 Nov 2024
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 862
Abstract
Knock detection is critical for maintaining engine performance and preventing damage in spark-ignition engines. This study explores the use of ion current and knock indicators derived from a vibration sensor (KIv) and ion current (KIi) [...] Read more.
Knock detection is critical for maintaining engine performance and preventing damage in spark-ignition engines. This study explores the use of ion current and knock indicators derived from a vibration sensor (KIv) and ion current (KIi) to improve knock detection accuracy. Traditional threshold-based methods rely on KIv, but they are susceptible to mechanical noise and cylinder variations. In this work, we applied both logistic regression and neural networks, including fully connected (FCNN) and convolutional neural networks (CNN), to classify knock events based on these indicators. The CNN models used ion current as the primary input, with an extended version incorporating both KIv and KIi into the fully connected layers. The models were evaluated using area under the curve (AUC) as the primary performance metric. The results show that the CNN model with additional inputs outperformed the other models, achieving a better and more consistent performance across cylinders. The dual-input logistic regression and CNN models demonstrated reduced cylinder-to-cylinder variation in classification performance, providing a more consistent knock detection accuracy across all cylinders. These findings suggest that combining ion current and knock indicators enhances knock detection reliability, offering a robust solution for real-time applications in engine control systems. Full article
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34 pages, 13658 KiB  
Project Report
Clean Propulsion Technologies: Securing Technological Dominance for the Finnish Marine and Off-Road Powertrain Sectors
by Maciej Mikulski, Teemu Ovaska, Rodrigo Rabetino, Merja Kangasjärvi and Aino Myllykangas
Energies 2025, 18(5), 1240; https://doi.org/10.3390/en18051240 - 3 Mar 2025
Viewed by 536
Abstract
The Clean Propulsion Technologies (CPT) project, established in 2021, brought together 15 research partners and original equipment manufacturers. The goal was to create a common vision and sustainable business solutions so that the worldwide technological leadership of the Finnish powertrain industry is secured. [...] Read more.
The Clean Propulsion Technologies (CPT) project, established in 2021, brought together 15 research partners and original equipment manufacturers. The goal was to create a common vision and sustainable business solutions so that the worldwide technological leadership of the Finnish powertrain industry is secured. With a EUR 15.5 M budget, CPT brought early-stage innovative concepts towards technology readiness level (TRL) 6. The project’s particular significance was its unique cross-coupling of marine and off-road sectors, which have similar emission reduction targets but which do not compete for similar customers. The project yielded 21 innovative solutions, from accelerated model-based design methodologies and progress in combustion and aftertreatment control to hybrid energy management solutions. These were encapsulated in four ground-breaking demonstrations, including a next-generation marine engine working in low-temperature, reactivity-controlled compression ignition (RCCI) mode and a hydrogen off-road engine. An advanced close-coupled selective catalyst reduction (SCR) system and a hybrid wheel-platform with digital hydraulics were also demonstrated. The University of Vaasa led the consortium and was responsible for coordinated model-based rapid prototyping. This report examines University of Vaasa’s achievements during the CPT in terms of 26 milestones, 13 deliverables, and 32 research papers. It focuses also on other aspects, including lessons learned from managing large-scale academic–industry research. Full article
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