IFPEN Transports Energie Carnot Institute

Connected mobility         
OVERVIEW AND CHALLENGES

At a time when mobility is evolving to address the objectives of decarbonization, mobility data represent crucially important resources. Even before the advent of driverless vehicles, it is necessary to be able to understand, analyze and, indeed, predict major events (Covid-19, natural disasters, pollution, etc.) in order to adjust the movements of people and goods and encourage best practices. 

For the same vehicle and the same journey, NO_x emissions can vary by up to 400% and CO₂ emissions by up to 20%: optimizing driving style is thus a major factor in reducing NO_x emissions (source IFPEN).

For several years, IFPEN has been exploiting the potential offered by digital technology to reduce the environmental impact of transport. It is contributing to the improvement in air quality in towns and cities by developing connected tools, for the regions, the general public and road professionals, capable of measuring their environmental footprint (CO2, energy and pollutants) and offering advice to help them improve their behavior at the wheel.

Two families of web services are emerging. One proposes journey analysis indicators: energy, pollutant emissions, safety, etc. The second makes it possible to analyze a large number of journeys in order to create aggregated indicators related to a geographical reference or a usage segment.
 

Our solutions             Our networks             Our strengths

The IFPEN Transports Energie Carnot Institute, a member of the Carnot network for more than 15 years!

The IFPEN Transports Energie Carnot Institute was awarded the “Carnot Institute” label by the French Ministry of Higher Education, Research and Innovation as soon as it was launched, in 2006. It has been pursuing its mission within the Carnot network for more than 15 years now. Today, the network is made up of 39 Carnot. The objective is to pool the resources of research structures and develop partnership research to support innovation within companies - from SMEs to major groups - and among socio-economic players.

IC powertrains      
OVERVIEW AND CHALLENGES

In addition to electrification, achieving the ambitious CO₂ emission reduction targets for the transport and off-road sector by 2030 requires a significant improvement in IC engines using environmentally-friendly  fuels or renewable hydrogen, in such a way as to:

• make clean, efficient technologies accessible to all usages 
• progress towards ever greater hybridization as a function of application type 
• target IC engines with a high average efficiency and near-zero emissions
• accelerate the use of renewable hydrogen

Four main objectives will address these challenges:

1 - Significantly improve the thermodynamic efficiency of IC powertrains:
•    via the optimization of existing or emerging technologies
•    as well as the introduction of disruptive solutions
•    while maintaining a simple and effective pollution control system across its operating range.

2 - Achieve levels of pollutant emissions with zero impact on air quality in actual use and throughout a vehicle's lifespan, focusing on three priority areas:
•    the development of innovative after-treatment systems 
•    the accurate assessment of the impact of emissions on air quality
•    the real-time control of pollutant emissions

3 - Develop hydrogen engines that allow the use of existing industrial production means:
•    design optimized combustion systems 
•    adapt the air loop and control
•    identify post-treatment systems for zero impact on air quality

4 - Identify fuels with a double impact to reduce CO₂ emissions:
•    due to their non-fossil origin (biofuels and synthetic fuels or E-Fuels)
•    and thanks to their favorable properties in terms of increasing engine efficiency
 

The proportion of liquid fuels in land transport will remain significant in the coming years. By 2040, it will be over 80% worldwide (source: BP) and between 60 and 70% in Europe (WAPO scenarios).

Electrified Mobility    
Overview and challenges

Globally, the transport sector is responsible for 24% of greenhouse gas emissions (GGEs) (31% in France). To reduce them on a local level, recourse to electric energy is intensifying across all market segments and in every country, from private vehicles to the public transport and haulage sectors. 

 In addition, the electrification of transport makes it possible to: 

• significantly reduce local pollutant and CO₂ emissions,
•  improve the energy footprint of vehicles, thanks, for example, to braking energy recovery.

 
The technological efforts required concern:

• electric machines and their associated power electronics (inverters and control),
• electrochemical storage solutions (batteries) and their control,
• fuel cells as an alternative to batteries,
• the electrification of powertrain functions such as the turbocharger,
• energy recovery systems, based on organic Rankine cycles (ORC) for example, to reuse the thermal energy lost in the exhaust gases of hybrid IC engines or the cooling system of IC engines, or even fuel cells.
   

A substantial reduction in sales prices, the roll-out of rapid recharging infrastructures and the development of government incentive policies to increase market shares are the three principal challenges to be met to ensure electric engines become a sustainable and large-scale alternative to IC engines in the global vehicle fleet.
 

Electric vehicles could make up between 6 and 9% of the global vehicle fleet by 2030 (compared to less than 1% in 2016) – Source Foley.