Reducing emissions
Reducing pollutants is a major challenge for the automotive industry, especially for suppliers of heavy diesel vehicles. Component supplier Hydraulik-Ring GmbH provides remedies – with exhaust gas treatment systems based on the SCR process and software know-how from Tieto.
Company
Hydraulik-Ring GmbH is part of the American Hilite Group, a leading development partner and supplier to the global automotive industry. In Germany, around 600 employees develop hydraulic and electromagnetic components and systems for drive trains and motors. Supplying manufacturers such as Audi, BMW, Mercedes-Benz, Porsche and Volkswagen, main products include diesel injector pumps, control blocks for double clutch transmissions and, increasingly, exhaust treatment systems for reducing nitrogen oxides.
At its Marktheidenfeld site, Hydraulik-Ring develops emission systems based on SCR (selective catalytic reduction) technology and supplies customers with total solutions. In addition to precision components, these also consist of control electronics, dosing systems and the corresponding software. The systems are primarily used in trucks and commercial vehicles with heavy diesel engines.
Challenge
In 2008, Hydraulik-Ring was faced with the task of developing a flexible system for reducing pollution emissions for a wide range of vehicles in a very short space of time. The legal limits for diesel vehicles set by the Euro V emission standard, which would come into force on the 1st of September 2009, could only be achieved through exhaust gas treatment. Due to the limited time available, Hydraulik-Ring came to a pragmatic decision to draw on Tieto for know-how and important areas of project coordination. The main goal of the joint development was a precision dosing system for chemical exhaust gas treatment using hydrolysis. To reduce nitrogen oxide, it was planned to add a urea solution to the exhaust before the catalyser and set in motion an evaporation reaction. Ammonia would be released by the reaction and react with the nitrogen oxide, leaving only harmless steam and nitrogen oxide. For this, the dosage must always be in the correct proportion to the engine speed and its nitrogen oxide emission. Temperature management is also critical for success here because hydrolysis must function under extreme climatic conditions. Reliable fault detection is therefore of decisive importance.
Solution
To achieve exact dosing, an airless direct injection system mounted directly on the exhaust is used. An independent control system, with sensitive error detection, controls the functions for the injector, pumps, pressure and temperature sensors and heating element. This control is connected to the other car electronics via the CAN bus and ensures that the dosing system works correctly together with the other exhaust sensors and supervisory engine control.
Result
Tieto managed the project to successful completion within the planned timeframe and budget and, at the same time, passed on their software development expertise to the Hydraulik-Ring employees. The first generation of the emission system is in serial production with various manufacturers in Europe, America and Asia. The systems can reduce nitrogen oxide emissions by 90% and thereby fulfil the legal requirements that come into force in 2016. Further development is proceeding rapidly thanks to the transfer of Tieto's know-how. The next generation of SCR systems for complying with new, stricter emission standards will go into production with Hydraulik-Ring's customers at the beginning of 2011
