Woodward Super Turbo
VW builds engines that use a supercharger and a turbocharger to combat low-speed turbo-lag, and now an engineering firm out of Loveland, Colorado, proposes combining the two functions into one unit. The display stand model is sized for a 12.0-liter industrial engine, which powered the turbine at low speeds using hydraulic power from a special power steering pump that's also capable of returning hydraulic power generated by the turbo to the engine. By giving power back to the engine at higher turbo speeds a waste-gate is not needed, and the hydraulic supercharging negates the need for variable geometry. An automotive-grade unit in development supplants the hydraulics with a toroidal CVT and a massive gear reduction to connect the 250,000-rpm turbine with the crankshaft. Woodward claims to be working with a manufacturer toward high-volume production in 2014 and expects to have low-volume niche aftermarket units on sale by 2011.
Yazaki IntelliTow
Electrical-system supplier Yazaki aims to reduce complexity and improve safety with an intelligent trailer-wiring connector. It's simple because it taps into the vehicle's data bus to know when to light the various trailer lamps. Intelligent circuitry allows the connector to determine when a bulb is burned out, and it can then transmit a warning to the vehicle's information center. The connector also prevents a short on the trailer from blowing a fuse on the vehicle. Brake-controller signals pass directly through the connector, which integrates both a four-pin and a seven-pin connector (one key difference between this system and a similar one shown by Lear a few years back). It seems a good idea, but neither supplier has any manufacturer contracts to announce yet.
Lear Hybrid and Fuel-cell EV Controller
Vehicles with partial or full electric propulsion today generally employ several power converting devices to convert high-voltage DC energy to AC for propulsion, or to low-voltage DC, to handle incoming regenerated electricity, etc. Lear is developing a box that incorporates all these functions into a single, compact unit with a one heat-exchanger. The single heat exchanger, single point of communication with the vehicle network, and lack of redundant voltage regulators promises to simplify vehicle architecture and development of hybrid and fuel-cell electric vehicles while reducing both cost and weight.
TARDEC Patrick Power Rotary Diesel Engine APU
Idling the 1500-hp engine in an Abrams tank consumes about 13 gallons of diesel-like fuel per hour, which is mighty thirsty if you're only trying to run some electrical gear. This auxiliary power unit is designed to fit in a 13-inch-deep on-board storage bin and provide between 2 and 10 kW of on-board power at a consumption rate of just 1-1.6 gallons/hour. The engine is a 330cc Wankel from a Norton motorcycle, converted to burn diesel fuel (the inherently low-compression Wankel requires a glow plug to remain on). Max speed in this application is 6000 rpm (down from 10,000 in a gas-fired Norton). Cooling issues are still being worked out.