SuperTurbo Technologies has announced a collaborative agreement with Ricardo Performance Products. The deal will see Ricardo support the first phase of commercial industrialization of the Super Turbo system.
The planetary traction drive, which enables high-speed power transfer to and from a turbocharger shaft, is claimed to offer significant driveability and fuel efficiency benefits for large trucks.
The SuperTurbo differs for the traditional turbo in that it features a mechanical transmission that links the turbo shaft to the engine drive. This enables power transfer to and from the turbo shaft that is not possible with a normal turbocharger.
During transient operation, the SuperTurbo behaves like a supercharger and draws mechanical energy to accelerate the turbomachinery for improved engine response, but unlike a traditional supercharger, the SuperTurbo receives transient power from its turbine.
The net effect is a fast transient response and a more efficient power draw for supercharging. The system also provides efficiency benefits to the engine. During operation at higher engine power levels, the turbine captures excess energy from the exhaust above that needed to drive the compressor to provide boost pressure to the engine. In this operating condition, the system operates in turbo-compound mode, providing surplus power to the engine crankshaft, thus improving fuel efficiency.
The precise control over air flow allows the engine manufacturer to tune and control the optimal combustion parameters and reduce particulate emissions. Likewise, NOx emission reduction is enhanced through bypass-enabled higher aftertreatment temperatures and improved transient and steady state EGR control.
Martin Starkey, managing director for Ricardo Performance Products, said, “Ricardo has extensive experience in this field, including the establishment and management of robust global supply chains. We look forward to assisting SuperTurbo Technologies with these crucial steps toward the commercial introduction of this impressive fuel-efficiency and cleaner-air technology.”
