Delphi's Said New Stop-Start System To Boost Fuel Economy.(Brief Article)

As fuel prices continue to escalate domestically, and around the world, Delphi Automotive Systems said its new stop-start system could help increase the urban fuel economy of smaller vehicles by more than five percent. The technology, dubbed Energen 5, uses a combined starter/alternator in the conventional generator position, allowing the engine to be automatically stopped when the vehicle idles and restarted almost instantaneously when the accelerator is pressed.

Compared with conventional in-line stop-start solutions, Energen 5 is quieter, weighs less, has fewer components and requires almost no additional packaging volume, GM said. "Combining the alternator and starter in a single unit, driving the engine through the accessory belt, gives us a very neat, compact and affordable solution for smaller vehicles," says Dr. Jean Botti, director of the customer solutions center for Delphi Energy & Chassis Systems, in Europe.

"We already have demonstrated a five percent fuel economy improvement and expect to be able to increase this significantly with further development. The elimination of the starter motor and ring gear also reduces weight, packaging, complexity and cost and allows a reduction in starting noise of at least 3 decibels."

Energen 5 is suitable for gasoline engines up to 1.6 liters and diesels up to 1.2 liters, with either 12-volt or 42-volt architectures and an electrical requirement of up to 5kW. The base system is air cooled, but it also is available with liquid cooling of the stator and electronics. This can provide almost immediate heat to supplement cabin heating and will further reduce emissions by accelerating the rate of engine/catalyst warm-up, GM said.

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