Leeds’ holistic approach to ‘green’ engine oils


A research project headed by the University of Leeds is set to ensure that attempts tomake greener engine oils do not jeopardise the chances of meeting targets for CO2 emissions and fuel economy. Additives to protect against


wear and reduce friction help extend the life ofmoving parts and cut fuel consumption, but many poison catalytic converters, so there is a search for “greener” lubricants. But the Leeds engineers are


instead advocating amore holistic approach that looks at the lubricant and the surfaces it coats at the same time. All reactions between the oil and any parts it touches – the interface – will be taken into account during the design of a whole new lubrication system. “This concept of ‘interface


design’ is central,” said Professor Anne Neville, who is coordinating the 2020 Interface project. “In the past,


work in this area has focused either on the relatively good design of the lubricant or the development of functional coatings – not the relationship between the two. “While relatively good


progress has beenmade, if we are going tomeet EU targets, we now need amajor improvement in efficiency.We believe that our approach is the best way to achieve that. By designing the interface, rather than the separate components, we can be sure to get the properties we want in terms of engine efficiency,” she said. In this new project, co-


ordinated by Leeds, European universities and companies will investigate how the use of advanced diamond-like carbon (DLC) surfaces can help optimise engine performance. Teammembers will study how binding between the lubricant and DLC surfaces can be controlled by altering the


design of the surface. The “interface” – the distance between themoving parts of an engine – is just 20nmthick, so skills in nano-engineering will be required. The researchers will also


draw on the latest lubricant additive technology using, as far as possible, formulations that do not contain any sulphur or phosphorus, whichmay be further restricted in future. The work will be applicable to petrol and diesel engines, for both cars and commercial vehicles. The €6million project is


due to run for three years, with €3.5million contributed fromthe European Union. Eight partners are taking part including Volvo, the R&D centre of the bearing manufacturer SKF, lubricant additive specialists Lubrizol and DLC surfaces manufacturer Sulzer. Academic partners come fromPortugal, Slovenia and the Netherlands.


Getting to the root of the toppling trees problem


Measurement and control technology is coming to the aid of highway engineers and parks departments whose jobs it is to assess the likelihood of roadside trees toppling across streets. The traditional technique is


to test the strength of tree roots by fixing a sling around the trunk and giving it a good tug with a tractor. “This procedure lacks some finesse,” said Tony Inghamof Sensor Technology, who has been working on ways to improve the technique. “The basic idea is to put a


strain gauge in line with the sling, then convert the readout fromNewtons to a wind speed equivalent. This is achievable, but the concept needs refining tomake it attractive enough to be widely adopted.”


On the pull: Load sensor boosts tractor pulling tree strain test


Tractor crews will not want


to spend time setting up instruments, recording readings and then set aboutmaking complex calculations. If they can’t rope up a tree, give it a pull andmove on to the next one in amatter ofminutes, they won’t be interested, he says Sensor Technology is instead


proposing its LoadSense range. Inghamsaid: “This is actually an intelligent cargo hook for


helicopter pilots who need to underslung carry loads. The concept is that the hook has on- board electronics formeasuring the load and a wireless transmitter for sending live data to a PC or handheld readout. “We replaced the hook with


onemore suited to tree work, recalibrated the strain gauge and wrote some software appropriate to the job. The procedure with our equipment is to pull the tree until the first suggestions ofmovement, with the load force being automatically displayed as wind speed and a pass/fail signal.” In the second stage of


calculation, the software can use a look-up table to suggest how often such as wind is likely to be experienced.


Angle sensors with resonant position built in


The Ri Series contactless angle sensors fromTurck have its resonant inductive position sensing technology inside. With applications in wind


turbines, solar panel position feedback, vehicle assembly plants and industrial process control, the sensor elements are built using conventional PCB technology. But the PCB design is far


fromconventional. Instead of the usual components and interconnects, the PCB has a special conductor pattern designed by CambridgeIC that defines three coils. The excitation coil powers a


resonator inside the target. The two sensor coils detect the signals that return fromthe target. These signals are connected to CambridgeIC’s CAM204 integrated circuit, a single chip processor for resonant inductive position sensing technology. It detects signals fromthe sensor and determines position. The technology is a high-tech


version of older Resolver, Synchro and RVDT technologies. The PCB replaces expensive and complex stator windings. A coil and capacitor inside the target forma simple electrical resonator that replaces the stator. Using a resonant circuitmeans large signal levels even at big gaps, so that the sensor can be housed behind a thick plastic housing. Ri Series sensors do not need


an integral bearing to align target and sensor because the sensor and resonator designs are tolerant ofmisalignment. Eliminating bearingsmeans a more reliable and cost effective system, and there is no need to seal around a rotating shaft. Inductive sensing is suited to


harsh environments as it is immune to oil, water and dirt. The chip and PCB sensor designs are available for other applications outside industrially housed sensors.


February 2011 ◆ Environmental Engineering ◆ 13


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