ENVIRONMENTAL

Environmental efficiency covers the limitation of energy consumption and the emissions of pollutants

Emissions, performances, consumptions and thermal control are all parts of the same goal, environmental efficiency. According to ARIAMIS, thermal engineering makes it possible to create all improvement solutions, whether for oil viscosity or passenger compartment temperature management. This is possible in all circumstances and in the case of new hybrid type motorisations.

LESS FRICTION MEANS LESS RESISTANCE AND LESS WASTE

Keeping the oil at the right temperature makes it possible to have the ideal viscosity to best limit mechanical resistance and thus energy consumption at equivalent output.  However, that is not the only virtue of thermal optimisation:

Two types of pollutant emissions are directly linked to temperature:

Two types of pollutant emissions are directly linked to temperature:

> Emissions related to premature part wear. Pistons, connecting rods, cylinders... these moving elements that are under significant stress and cause ceaseless friction form micron-sized, but very real, filings.

> The emissions caused by oil oxidation and the “coke-ification” of the fuel.

This waste is found in the used engine oil or, even worse, directly released into the atmosphere. Despite all the precautions, an engine is never fully leak tight and some particles are released through the exhaust.

In combustion engines, the creation of heat naturally has less impact than the creation of cold

COOLING OR HEATING THE PASSENGER COMPARTMENT WHILE CONSUMING MINIMUM ENERGY

The passenger compartment temperature fulfils an expectation of comfort that is not without consequences from an energy point of view. There are two key situations: heating when starting the vehicle in winter, and cooling in summer.

Thermal engineering will provide different solutions depending on the cases. We can optimise the calorie contribution from the combustion engine for heating, but also size the air conditioning components as accurately as possible. All this obviously taking into consideration the equipment and volume of the passenger compartment.

Heat creation naturally has less environmental impact because it involves transferring calories from the engine to the passenger compartment.

THE SPECIAL CASE OF NEW MOTORISATIONS THAT GENERATE LESS HEAT

The will to reduce fuel consumption implies new motorisations that generate less, or even no heat. Even so, the comfort requirement means it should be possible to have an acceptable temperature inside the vehicle in the minimum amount of time.  Amongst the solutions proposed and implemented on certain hybrid vehicles are heat accumulation systems. The principle is to collect the calories coming from the engine. Even hybrid engines always produce heat. The storage of this heat in an insulated container makes it possible, on cold starts, to limit the use of electric heating elements to heat the inside of the vehicle.