Advanced Engines Technologies

Dear Colleagues,

In recent years, the development of internal combustion engines, particularly for the transportation sector, has been pushed by the need to reduce tailpipe pollutant emissions. National and international regulations have been imposed to limit the most harmful pollutants and to preserve the air quality, in particular for urban areas. Moreover, the recent awareness around climate change and the need to also reduce greenhouse gases has stimulated the release of specific regulations to limit CO₂ emissions, which can definitively be obtained by decreasing fuel consumption and increasing overall engine and vehicle efficiency.

These limits are progressively more stringent and call for innovative technologies able to reduce the environmental impact of engines. Hence, a portfolio of several technical solutions is under investigation, with the final purpose to increase engine efficiency and reduce pollutants emissions. Therefore, they can be categorized or compared to each other in terms of amount of fuel saved on a specific operating point or driving mission. The effects on specific emissions should also be assessed. These two contributions (fuel and emissions reduction values) participate in the definition of market readiness of the technology proposed, being related to the operating cost of the engine and the avoidance of fines related to exceeding CO₂ emission limits.

In this topic, papers related to technical solutions proposed to reduce fuel consumption and/or tailpipe emissions from engines are welcomed. They can be related to mechanical innovations, thermal management, lubrication, aftertreatment devices, sustainable fuels and fuel handling, turbocharging, combustion improvement, powertrain hybridization, auxiliaries’ and components’ electrifications and efficiency increase, energy recovery and integration of energy subsystems, optimized control strategies, and sustainable design. Both theoretical and experimental works will be considered, in transportation applications and other relevant economic sectors, which could help the transition toward the sustainable engines of the future.

Dr. Davide Di Battista
Dr. Fabio Fatigati
Dr. Marco Di Bartolomeo
Topic Editors