LEMONT, Illinois - Diesel engines never have quite caught on with the American public, even though they've been more than popular in Europe for decades. As one step in reviving interest in diesels, a Green Car Tour took place late this summer, making a stop at the renowned Argonne National Laboratory, southwest of Chicago.
Ron Cogan, long-time editor and publisher of Green Car Journal and editor of GreenCar.com, set up the Tour, which brought several diesel-powered vehicles for journalists and invited guests to test-drive.
Cogan cites a tempting list of advantages for diesel car engines, led by high fuel-efficiency. Diesel fuel is readily available, at least in many areas, and subject to strict 50-state emissions certification. A diesel-powered car delivers "loads of low-end torque for a fun-to-drive experience," Cogan advised, "in ways that are seamless to consumers."
Argonne Laboratories has been around since 1946, having grown out of the Manhattan Project at the end of World War II. "Peaceful use of the atom" was a core mission, said Don Hillebrand, director of the Argonne Center for Transportation Research:
"We don't have pet technologies that we want to support," Hillebrand explained. Scientists at Argonne don't know what will be "the perfect technology [though] diesels are very competitive." In fact, "some of the most exciting advances" are in diesel. Hillebrand acknowledges that a "negative history" exists, both in policy and products, but points out the 30-percent mileage increase that diesel can provide. "That's a huge apple, hanging low on the tree," he concluded.
Dr. Steve Ciatta, an engine research specialist, has been working on diesels for 20 years. When in college two decades ago, he drove a Volkswagen Rabbit diesel, which he says was "not all that user-friendly." Back then, "clean diesel would have been an oxymoron." Ciatta has seen a 99-percent reduction in nitrous oxide since 1988, while particulate matter has dropped by 98 percent.
Argonne uses a huge photon setup to test diesel fuel spray - the first one in the world. Their theme: "dynamic imaging leads to combustion discoveries." Extreme microscopes and other test equipment let scientists observe details of how diesel fuel burns, which would have been impossible not long ago. Their investigative methods are improving all the time, too. Lately, they've been trying to run a diesel engine on low-grade gasoline, to help find ways to improve its functioning. "We're always trying to press that envelope on science and technology," Ciatta said, testing a wide range of fuels, including coal and wood chips.
Our tour was led by Forrest Jehlik, who works on racing applications at the Advanced Powertrain Research Facility. Two forms of testing are employed: Level 1 and Level 2. In the first, a lightly instrumented vehicle is put on the dynamometer. Level 2 is far more complicated, requiring teardown of the vehicle and placing a torque sensor on the flywheel, to try and "globally understand the whole energy pathways."
In the Chassis Dynamometer Control Room, a four-wheel-drive dynamometer is motored on both ends. Argonne scientists look at energy consumption foremost, but also at emissions. One large test vehicle, essentially a versatile chassis, can be tested in various configurations. "It's like a big science project," Jehlik said.
Plug-in hybrid conversions also are tested. A red Saturn Vue at the facility arrived as a mild hybrid; but adding an electric motor and battery pack transformed it into a plug-in hybrid with a 20-mile range. In the hydrogen research engine room, tests are undertaken with a one-cylinder engine; then, experiments can expand to multi-cylinder configurations.
Among the guests was Bradley Stertz, from Audi, which supplied vehicles for test-drives. Diesel penetration in the U.S., in 2009, was 3.7 percent, Stertz said; and that figure includes trucks up to medium-duty (3500-pound). Audi introduced its first TDI (turbodiesel) vehicle in May 2009: the Q7 SUV. That was followed by the compact A3, promising highway mileage of 42 mpg. Now, Audi is seeing a 40-50 percent mix of TDI models. "We just view diesel as a piece of the puzzle," Stertz said.
"We all got big, our cars got big," said Forrest Jehlik. So, fuel economy suffered. Energy security "is something our generation has to face."
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