Optimal control as a method for diesel engine efficiency assessment including pressure and NOx constraints

[EN] The present paper studies the optimal heat release law in a Diesel engine to maximise the indicated efficiency subject to different constraints, namely: maximum cylinder pressure, maximum cylinder pressure derivative, and NOx emission restrictions. With this objective, a simple but also representative model of the combustion process has been implemented. The model consists of a OD energy balance model aimed to provide the pressure and temperature evolutions in the high pressure loop of the engine thermodynamic cycle from the gas conditions at the intake valve closing and the heat release law. The gas pressure and temperature evolutions allow to compute the engine efficiency and NOx emissions. The comparison between model and experimental results shows that despite the model simplicity, it is able to reproduce the engine efficiency and NOx emissions. After the model identification and validation, the optimal control problem is posed and solved by means of Dynamic Programming (DP). Also, if only pressure constraints are considered, the paper proposes a solution that reduces the computation cost of the DP strategy in two orders of magnitude for the case being analysed. The solution provides a target heat release law to define injection strategies but also a more realistic maximum efficiency boundary than the ideal thermodynamic cycles usually employed to estimate the maximum engine efficiency. (C) 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.Thanks are due to the Ministerio de Economia y Competitividad by its financial support through project mu-Balance (TRA2013-41348-R).Guardiola, C.; Climent, H.; Plá Moreno, B.; Reig, A. (2017). Optimal control as a method for diesel engine efficiency assessment including pressure and NOx constraints. Applied Thermal Engineering. 117:452-461. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.applthermaleng.2017.02.056S45246111

Control-oriented modelling of three-way catalytic converter for fuel-to-air ratio regulation in spark ignited engines

[EN] The purpose of this paper is to introduce a grey-box model of three-way catalytic converter, which is capable of estimating the oxygen storage level to aid the fuel-to-air ratio control in spark ignited engines. As it is well-known, the prime parameter that drives the transient dynamics in current three-way catalytic converter is their capability to store a certain amount of oxygen, then allowing to oxidize some pollutant species such as carbon monoxide or hydrocarbons even at rich conditions during short periods of time. Since oxygen storage level is considered a good indicator of the catalyst state but it cannot be directly measured, a model based real-time capable estimation like the one proposed in this paper could be valuable. The model accounts for oxygen storing as well as oxidation and reduction of the main species involved, taking as inputs fuel-to-air equivalence ratio, air mass flow, temperature and gas composition at three-way catalyst inlet. From these inputs, oxygen storage level and brick temperature are calculated as model states, which finally provide the gas composition downstream of the catalyst as output. In addition, a simplified model of narrowband lambda sensor is included, it provides a voltage from gas composition at the outlet of the catalyst and allows to assess the model behaviour by comparison with the on-board lambda sensor measurements. Finally, the validation of the model performance by means of experimental test as well as different practical cases, where the benefits of oxygen storage level estimation plays a key role, are introduced.The author(s) disclosed receipt of the following financial support for the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article: The authors acknowledge the support of Spanish Ministerio de Economía, Industria y Competitividad through project TRA2016-78717-R.Guardiola, C.; Climent, H.; Pla Moreno, B.; Real, M. (2019). Control-oriented modelling of three-way catalytic converter for fuel-to-air ratio regulation in spark ignited engines. Proceedings of the Institution of Mechanical Engineers Part D Journal of Automobile Engineering. 233(14):3758-3774. https://doi.org/10.1177/0954407019833822S3758377423314Auckenthaler, T. S., Onder, C. H., & Geering, H. P. (2004). Aspects of Dynamic Three-Way Catalyst Behaviour Including Oxygen Storage. IFAC Proceedings Volumes, 37(22), 331-336. doi:10.1016/s1474-6670(17)30365-8Yang, H., Shu, G., Tian, H., Ma, X., Chen, T., & Liu, P. (2018). Optimization of thermoelectric generator (TEG) integrated with three-way catalytic converter (TWC) for harvesting engine’s exhaust waste heat. Applied Thermal Engineering, 144, 628-638. doi:10.1016/j.applthermaleng.2018.07.091Koltsakis, G. C., Konstantinidis, P. A., & Stamatelos, A. M. (1997). Development and application range of mathematical models for 3-way catalytic converters. Applied Catalysis B: Environmental, 12(2-3), 161-191. doi:10.1016/s0926-3373(96)00073-2Zygourakis, K. (1989). Transient operation of monolith catalytic converters: a two-dimensional reactor model and the effects of radially nonuniform flow distributions. Chemical Engineering Science, 44(9), 2075-2086. doi:10.1016/0009-2509(89)85143-7Coxeter, H. S. M. (1993). Cyclotomic integers, nondiscrete tessellations, and quasicrystals. Indagationes Mathematicae, 4(1), 27-38. doi:10.1016/0019-3577(93)90049-5Konstantas, G., & Stamatelos, A. M. (2007). Modelling three-way catalytic converters: An effort to predict the effect of precious metal loading. Proceedings of the Institution of Mechanical Engineers, Part D: Journal of Automobile Engineering, 221(3), 355-373. doi:10.1243/09544070jauto329Pontikakis, G. N., Konstantas, G. S., & Stamatelos, A. M. (2004). Three-Way Catalytic Converter Modeling as a Modern Engineering Design Tool. Journal of Engineering for Gas Turbines and Power, 126(4), 906-923. doi:10.1115/1.1787506Kumar, P., Gu, T., Grigoriadis, K., Franchek, M., & Balakotaiah, V. (2014). Spatio-temporal dynamics of oxygen storage and release in a three-way catalytic converter. Chemical Engineering Science, 111, 180-190. doi:10.1016/j.ces.2014.02.014Auckenthaler, T. S., Onder, C. H., Geering, H. P., & Frauhammer, J. (2004). Modeling of a Three-Way Catalytic Converter with Respect to Fast Transients of λ-Sensor Relevant Exhaust Gas Components. Industrial & Engineering Chemistry Research, 43(16), 4780-4788. doi:10.1021/ie034242uNievergeld, A. J. L., Selow, E. R. v., Hoebink, J. H. B. J., & Marin, G. B. (1997). Simulation of a catalytic converter of automotive exhaust gas under dynamic conditions. Dynamics of Surfaces and Reaction Kinetics in Heterogeneous Catalysis, Proceedings of the International Symposium, 449-458. doi:10.1016/s0167-2991(97)80431-4Oh, S. H., & Cavendish, J. C. (1982). Transients of monolithic catalytic converters. Response to step changes in feedstream temperature as related to controlling automobile emissions. Industrial & Engineering Chemistry Product Research and Development, 21(1), 29-37. doi:10.1021/i300005a006Chan, S. H., & Hoang, D. L. (1999). Heat transfer and chemical reactions in exhaust system of a cold-start engine. International Journal of Heat and Mass Transfer, 42(22), 4165-4183. doi:10.1016/s0017-9310(99)00064-2Sabatini, S., Gelmini, S., Hoffman, M. A., & Onori, S. (2017). Design and experimental validation of a physics-based oxygen storage — thermal model for three way catalyst including aging. Control Engineering Practice, 68, 89-101. doi:10.1016/j.conengprac.2017.07.007Schürholz, K., Brückner, D., Gresser, M., & Abel, D. (2018). Modeling of the Three-way Catalytic Converter by Recurrent Neural Networks. IFAC-PapersOnLine, 51(15), 742-747. doi:10.1016/j.ifacol.2018.09.166Brandt, E. P., Yanying Wang, & Grizzle, J. W. (2000). Dynamic modeling of a three-way catalyst for SI engine exhaust emission control. IEEE Transactions on Control Systems Technology, 8(5), 767-776. doi:10.1109/87.865850Shaw, B. T., Fischer, G. D., & Hedrick, J. K. (2002). A SIMPLIFIED COLDSTART CATALYST THERMAL MODEL TO REDUCE HYDROCARBON EMISSIONS. IFAC Proceedings Volumes, 35(1), 307-312. doi:10.3182/20020721-6-es-1901.01519Bickel, J., Odendall, B., Eigenberger, G., & Nieken, U. (2017). Oxygen storage dominated three-way catalyst modeling for fresh catalysts. Chemical Engineering Science, 160, 34-53. doi:10.1016/j.ces.2016.11.016Kiwitz, P., Onder, C., & Guzzella, L. (2012). Control-oriented modeling of a three-way catalytic converter with observation of the relative oxygen level profile. Journal of Process Control, 22(6), 984-994. doi:10.1016/j.jprocont.2012.04.014Kumar, P., Makki, I., Kerns, J., Grigoriadis, K., Franchek, M., & Balakotaiah, V. (2012). A low-dimensional model for describing the oxygen storage capacity and transient behavior of a three-way catalytic converter. Chemical Engineering Science, 73, 373-387. doi:10.1016/j.ces.2011.12.001Gong, J., Wang, D., Li, J., Currier, N., & Yezerets, A. (2017). Dynamic oxygen storage modeling in a three-way catalyst for natural gas engines: A dual-site and shrinking-core diffusion approach. Applied Catalysis B: Environmental, 203, 936-945. doi:10.1016/j.apcatb.2016.11.005Ramanathan, K., & Sharma, C. S. (2011). Kinetic Parameters Estimation for Three Way Catalyst Modeling. Industrial & Engineering Chemistry Research, 50(17), 9960-9979. doi:10.1021/ie200726jOlsson, L., & Andersson, B. (2004). Kinetic Modelling in Automotive Catalysis. Topics in Catalysis, 28(1-4), 89-98. doi:10.1023/b:toca.0000024337.50617.8eMöller, R., Votsmeier, M., Onder, C., Guzzella, L., & Gieshoff, J. (2009). Is oxygen storage in three-way catalysts an equilibrium controlled process? Applied Catalysis B: Environmental, 91(1-2), 30-38. doi:10.1016/j.apcatb.2009.05.003Rink, J., Meister, N., Herbst, F., & Votsmeier, M. (2017). Oxygen storage in three-way-catalysts is an equilibrium controlled process: Experimental investigation of the redox thermodynamics. Applied Catalysis B: Environmental, 206, 104-114. doi:10.1016/j.apcatb.2016.12.052Auckenthaler, T. S., Onder, C. H., & Geering, H. P. (2002). CONTROL-ORIENTED INVESTIGATION OF SWITCH-TYPE AIR/FUEL RATIO SENSORS. IFAC Proceedings Volumes, 35(1), 331-336. doi:10.3182/20020721-6-es-1901.0152

EGR transient operations in highly dynamic driving cycles

[EN] EGR is one of the proven and well tested strategies within the specific operating range of the engine. Necessity of an implementation of this exhaust gas recirculation all over the engine operating range is emerging. Therefore, a systematic study has been carried out to identify the specific and frequent transient operations on newly developed dynamic cycles like WLTC and RDE. To perform detailed observations, these transients are imitated individually on the diesel engine test bench. High frequency gas analyzers are used to track the instantaneous CO2 and NOx concentration respectively at the intake and exhaust lines of the engine. A parametric study has been carried out using different valve movement profiles of the LPEGR and HPEGR during severe engine load change operations. An analysis is presented suggesting the best suited valve control during these harsh transients which can be helpful for transient calibration of a turbocharged diesel engine. The effect of length of Long route LPEGR line is also acknowledged. This study reveals the dynamic behavior of a diesel engine during transient operation with exhaust gas recirculation. It outlines the trade-off between performance and NOx emission and opacity for the initial phase of the transient before acquiring the steady state situation.Galindo, J.; Climent, H.; Pla Moreno, B.; Patil, CY. (2020). EGR transient operations in highly dynamic driving cycles. International Journal of Automotive Technology. 21(4):865-879. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12239-020-0084-xS865879214Asad, U., Tjong, J. and Zheng, M. (2014). Exhaust gas recirculation–Zero dimensional modelling and characterization for transient diesel combustion control. Energy Conversion and Management, 86, 309–324.Balau, A., Kooijman, D., Vazquez Rodarte, I. and Ligterink, N. (2015). Stochastic real-world drive cycle generation based on a two stage Markov chain approach. SAE Int. J. Materials and Manufacturing8, 2, 390–397.Benajes, J., Luján, J. M. and Serrano, J. R. (2000). Predictive modelling study of the transient load response in a heavy-duty turbocharged diesel engine. SAE Paper No. 2000-01-0583.Benajes, J., Lujan, J. M., Bermudez, V. and Serrano, J. R. (2002). Modelling of turbocharged diesel engines in transient operation. Part 1: Insight into the relevant physical phenomena. Proc. Institution of Mechanical Engineers, Part D: J. Automobile Engineering216, 5, 431–441.Black, J., Eastwood, P. G., Tufail, K., Winstanley, T., Hardalupas, Y. and Taylor, A. M. K. P. (2007). Diesel engine transient control and emissions response during a european extra-urban drive cycle (EUDC). SAE Paper No. 2007-01-1938.Blanco-Rodriguez, D.-I. D. (2014). Modelling and Observation of Exhaust Gas Concentrations for Diesel Engine Control. Springer. Valencia, Spain.Brookshire, D. and Arnold, S. D. (2007). US7165540B2. United States.Buchwald, R., Lautrich, G., Maiwald, O. and Sommer, A. (2006). Boost and EGR system for the highly premixed diesel combustion. SAE Paper No. 2006-01-0204.Chung, J., Kim, H. and Sunwoo, M. (2018). Reduction of transient NOx emissions based on set-point adaptation of real-time combustion control for light-duty diesel engines. Applied Thermal Engineering, 137, 729–738.Darlington, A., Glover, K. and Collings, N. (2006). A simple diesel engine air-path model to predict the cylinder charge during transients: Strategies for reducing transient emissions spikes. SAE Paper No. 2006-01-3373Daya, R., Hoard, J., Chanda, S. and Singh, M. (2017). Insulated catalyst with heat storage for real-world vehicle emissions reduction. Int. J. Engine Research18, 9, 886–899.Donateo, T. and Giovinazzi, M. (2017). Building a cycle for real driving emissions. Energy Procedia, 126, 891–898.European Parliament & Council of the European Union (2016). Commission Regulation (EU) 2016/427 of 10 March 2016 Amending Regulation (EC) No 692/2008 as Regards Emissions from Light Passenger and Commercial Vehicles (Euro 6) (Text with EEA Relevance). Official J. European Union, 82(31/03/2016), 1–98.Giakoumis, E. G., Rakopoulos, C. D., Dimaratos, A. M. and Rakopoulos, D. C. (2012). Exhaust emissions of diesel engines operating under transient conditions with biodiesel fuel blends. Progress in Energy and Combustion Science38, 5, 691–715.Gong, Q., Midlam-Mohler, S., Marano, V., Rizzoni, G. and Guezennec, Y. (2010). Statistical analysis of PHEV fleet data. Proc. IEEE Vehicle Power and Propulsion Conf., Lille, France.Heuwetter, D., Glewen, W., Meyer, C., Foster, D. E., Andrie, M. and Krieger, R. (2011). Effects of low pressure EGR on transient air system performance and emissions for low temperature diesel combustion. SAE Paper No. 2011-24-0062.Khalef, M. S., Soba, A. and Korsgren, J. (2016). Study of EGR and turbocharger combinations and their influence on diesel engine’s efficiency and emissions. SAE Paper No. 2016-01-0676.Kooijman, D. G., Balau, A. E., Wilkins, S., Ligterink, N. and Cuelenaere, R. (2015). WLTP random cycle generator. Proc. IEEE Vehicle Power and Propulsion Conf. (VPPC), Montreal, Quebec, Canada.Lakshminarayanan, P. A. and Aswin, S. (2017). Estimation of particulate matter from smoke, oil consumption and fuel sulphur. SAE Paper No. 2017-01-7002.Lana, C. A., Kappaganthu, K., Kothandaraman, G. and PerfettoKarthik, D. J. S. C. G. H. D. K. (2016). US20160237928A1. United States.Leach, F. C. P., Davy, M. and Peckham, M. (2019). Cyclic NO2: NOx ratio from a diesel engine undergoing transient load steps. Int. J. Engine Research.Leach, F., Davy, M. and Peckham, M. (2018). Cycle-tocycle NO and NOx emissions from a HSDI diesel engine. Proc. ASME Internal Combustion Engine Division Fall Technical Conf., San Diego, California, USA.Liu, F. and Pfeiffer, J. (2015). Estimation algorithms for low pressure cooled EGR in spark-ignition engines. SAE Paper No. 2015-01-1620.Liu, F., Pfeiffer, J. M., Caudle, R., Marshall, P. and Olin, P. (2016). Low pressure cooled EGR transient estimation and measurement for an turbocharged SI engine. SAE Paper No. 2016-01-0618.Luján, J. M., Climent, H., Ruiz, S. and Moratal, A. (2018a). Influence of ambient temperature on diesel engine raw pollutants and fuel consumption in different driving cycles. Int. J. Engine Research20, 8–9, 877–888.Luján, J. M., Bermúdez, V., Dolz, V. and Monsalve-Serrano, J. (2018b). An assessment of the real-world driving gaseous emissions from a Euro 6 light-duty diesel vehicle using a portable emissions measurement system (PEMS). Atmospheric Environment, 174, 112–121.Luján, J. M., Climent, H., Arnau, F. J. and Miguel-García, J. (2018c). Analysis of low-pressure exhaust gases recirculation transport and control in transient operation of automotive diesel engines. Applied Thermal Engineering, 137, 184–192.Luján, J. M., Guardiola, C., Pla, B. and Reig, A. (2015). Switching strategy between HP (high pressure)- and LPEGR (low pressure exhaust gas recirculation) systems for reduced fuel consumption and emissions. Energy90, Part 2, 1790–1798.Maiboom, A., Tauzia, X. and Hétet, J. F. (2008). Experimental study of various effects of exhaust gas recirculation (EGR) on combustion and emissions of an automotive direct injection diesel engine. Energy33, 1, 22–34.Park, J. and Choi, J. (2016). Optimization of dual-loop exhaust gas recirculation splitting for a light-duty diesel engine with model-based control. Applied Energy, 181, 268–277.Park, J., Song, S. and Lee, K. S. (2015). Numerical investigation of a dual-loop EGR split strategy using a split index and multi-objective Pareto optimization. Applied Energy, 142, 21–32.Park, Y. and Bae, C. (2014). Experimental study on the effects of high/low pressure EGR proportion in a passenger car diesel engine. Applied Energy, 133, 308–316.Reifarth, S. and Angstrom, H.-E. (2009). Transient EGR in a long-route and short-route EGR system. Proc. ASME Internal Combustion Engine Division Spring Technical Conf., Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA.Reifarth, S. and Angstrom, H.-E. (2010). Transient EGR in a high-speed DI diesel engine for a set of different EGRroutings. SAE Paper No. 2010-01-1271.Serrano, J. R., Climent, H., Guardiola, C. and Piqueras, P. (2009). Methodology for characterisation and simulation of turbocharged diesel engines combustion during transient operation. Part 2: Phenomenological combustion simulation. Applied Thermal Engineering29, 1, 150–158.Shutty, J. (2009). Control strategy optimization for hybrid EGR engines. SAE Paper No. 2009-01-1451.Soltis, R., Hilditch, J., Clark, T., House, C., Gerhart, M. and Surnilla, G. (2016). Intake oxygen sensor for EGR measurement. SAE Paper No. 2016-01-1070.Sutela, C., Collings, N. and Hands, T. (2000). Real time CO2 measurement to determine transient intake gas composition under EGR conditions. SAE Paper No. 2000-01-2953.Thunis, P., Lefebvre, W., Weiss, M., Vranckx, S., Clappier, A., Degraeuwe, B. and Janssen, S. (2017). Impact of passenger car NOX emissions on urban NO2 pollution–Scenario analysis for 8 European cities. Atmospheric Environment, 171, 330–337.Triantafyllopoulos, G., Katsaounis, D., Karamitros, D., Ntziachristos, L. and Samaras, Z. (2018). Experimental assessment of the potential to decrease diesel NOx emissions beyond minimum requirements for Euro 6 real drive emissions (RDE) compliance. Science of the Total Environment, 618, 1400–1407.Tutuianu, M., Bonnel, P., Ciuffo, B., Haniu, T., Ichikawa, N., Marotta, A., Pavlovic, J. and Steven, H. (2015). Development of the World-wide harmonized Light duty Test Cycle (WLTC) and a possible pathway for its introduction in the European legislation. Transportation Research Part D: Transport and Environment, 40, 61–75.Yamada, H., Misawa, K., Suzuki, D., Tanaka, K., Matsumoto, J., Fujii, M. and Tanaka, K. (2011). Detailed analysis of diesel vehicle exhaust emissions: Nitrogen oxides, hydrocarbons and particulate size distributions. Proc. Combustion Institute33, 2, 2895–2902.Yang, L., Franco, V., Mock, P., Kolke, R., Zhang, S., Wu, Y. and German, J. (2015). Experimental assessment of NOx emissions from 73 Euro 6 diesel passenger cars. Environmental Science and Technology49, 24, 14409–14415.Zamboni, G. and Capobianco, M. (2012). Experimental study on the effects of HP and LP EGR in an automotive turbocharged diesel engine. Applied Energy, 94, 117–128.Zamboni, G., Moggia, S. and Capobianco, M. (2017). Effects of a dual-loop exhaust gas recirculation system and variable nozzle turbine control on the operating parameters of an automotive diesel engine. Energies10, 1, 47

Exhaust gas recirculation dispersion analysis using in-cylinder pressure measurements in automotive diesel engines

Current diesel engines are struggling to achieve exhaust emissions regulations margins, in certain cases penalizing the fuel consumption. The exhaust gas recirculation (EGR) continues to be employed as a technique to reduce NOx emissions. EGR dispersion between cylinders is one important issue when a high pressure (HP) loop is used. Different techniques have been developed in order to analyze the EGR dispersion between cylinders in an engine test bench. In this paper a methodology using the in-cylinder pressure was developed. The in-cylinder pressure was used to calculate a heat release law and combustion parameters that were used to analyze the EGR dispersion between cylinders. Engine test measurements at three different engine speeds and with three different HP-EGR configurations were performed in order to assess the developed analysis methodology. NOx emissions and fuel consumption were also compared between the different HP-EGR configurations to complete the analysis. The developed methodology was successfully used in three different operating conditions for three different HP-EGR configurations, showing the relation between the decrease in EGR dispersion between cylinders and the decrease in NOx emissions, while maintaining and, in some points, improving the fuel consumption.Luján, JM.; Climent, H.; Pla Moreno, B.; Rivas Perea, ME.; Francois, N.; Borges Alejo, J.; Soukeur, Z. (2015). Exhaust gas recirculation dispersion analysis using in-cylinder pressure measurements in automotive diesel engines. Applied Thermal Engineering. 89:459-468. doi:10.1016/j.applthermaleng.2015.06.029S4594688

Predictive Power of the "Trigger Tool" for the detection of adverse events in general surgery: a multicenter observational validation study

Background In spite of the global implementation of standardized surgical safety checklists and evidence-based practices, general surgery remains associated with a high residual risk of preventable perioperative complications and adverse events. This study was designed to validate the hypothesis that a new “Trigger Tool” represents a sensitive predictor of adverse events in general surgery. Methods An observational multicenter validation study was performed among 31 hospitals in Spain. The previously described “Trigger Tool” based on 40 specific triggers was applied to validate the predictive power of predicting adverse events in the perioperative care of surgical patients. A prediction model was used by means of a binary logistic regression analysis. Results The prevalence of adverse events among a total of 1,132 surgical cases included in this study was 31.53%. The “Trigger Tool” had a sensitivity and specificity of 86.27% and 79.55% respectively for predicting these adverse events. A total of 12 selected triggers of overall 40 triggers were identified for optimizing the predictive power of the “Trigger Tool”. Conclusions The “Trigger Tool” has a high predictive capacity for predicting adverse events in surgical procedures. We recommend a revision of the original 40 triggers to 12 selected triggers to optimize the predictive power of this tool, which will have to be validated in future studies

Exploiting driving history for optimising the Energy Management in plug-in Hybrid Electric Vehicles

[EN] This paper proposes an Energy Management Strategy (EMS) for a plug-in parallel Hybrid Electric Vehicle (pHEV) with the goal of minimising the fuel consumption while fulfilling the constraint on the terminal battery State-ofCharge (SoC). The proposed strategy assumes that the route was previously covered several times by the vehicle, in order to extract information about the feasible operating conditions in the driving cycle. Note that this situation is usual in commuting and daily trips. In this sense, the history of vehicle speeds and positions are used to build space-dependent transition probability matrices that are latter used for driving cycle estimation by means of Markov-Chain approach. Once the driving cycle is estimated, the torque-split problem in parallel hybrid powertrain is addressed using the Equivalent Consumption Minimisation Strategy (ECMS), where the associated boundary value problem of finding the weighting factor between battery and fuel cost that drives the SoC to the desired level at the end of the estimated cycle is solved and applied to the system. Finally, in order to make up for cycle estimation error, the ECMS is solved recurrently. For the sake of clarity, the proposed strategy is initially developed and analysed in a modelling environment. Then tests in an engine-in-the-loop basis are done for validation. In order to show the potential of proposed strategy, results are presented using a trade-off between the fuel consumption and the terminal-SoC for four different methods: the optimal power-split that requires a priori knowledge of the driving cycle for benchmarking, online ECMS with a fixed cycle estimation (average speed profile obtained from previous trips on the route), the proposed method, i.e. online ECMS with a dynamic cycle estimation and finally a rule-based charge depleting and charge sustaining strategy. The results demonstrate that the online ECMS outperforms the rest of online applicable methods.Climent, H.; Pla Moreno, B.; Bares-Moreno, P.; Pandey, V. (2021). Exploiting driving history for optimising the Energy Management in plug-in Hybrid Electric Vehicles. Energy Conversion and Management. 234:1-10. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.enconman.2021.113919S11023

Analysis on the potential of EGR strategy to reduce fuel consumption in hybrid powertrains based on advanced gasoline engines under simulated driving cycle conditions

[EN] The increased concern for environmental problems has boosted the electrification of passenger cars to remove air pollutant emissions from urban areas. Automotive manufacturers have predominantly opted for hybrid powertrains with advanced gasoline engines, because of the current limitations of battery electric vehicles and the higher costs of diesel aftertreatment systems. Meanwhile, the exhaust gas recirculation (EGR) strategy decreases fuel consumption and CO2 emissions in gasoline engines. The powertrain hybridization may increase the EGR benefit in fuel consumption, given that the dependence of internal combustion engine (ICE) operation on the driver¿s power demand is reduced. The ICE can usually operate at medium loads, around its maximum efficiency zone, where the EGR benefit is greater than at low loads. Therefore, this research aimed to quantify the fuel saving achieved with EGR in a gasoline-electric hybrid powertrain under driving cycle conditions. To this end, vehicle 0D simulations were performed using a map-based engine fuel consumption model. Engine tests and 1D simulations were carried out to obtain ICE fuel maps with and without EGR. Besides, the transient performance of the vehicle 0D model was validated with experimental data. Both rule- and optimization-based strategies were used to manage the power split between the engine and electric motor. Modeling results revealed that EGR improves fuel economy by 4.6% in the hybrid powertrain during a WLTP class 3b driving cycle, 2% more than in the conventional one.Climent, H.; Dolz, V.; Pla Moreno, B.; González-Domínguez, D. (2022). Analysis on the potential of EGR strategy to reduce fuel consumption in hybrid powertrains based on advanced gasoline engines under simulated driving cycle conditions. Energy Conversion and Management. 266:1-15. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.enconman.2022.11583011526

Executive summary: Consensus document of GEHEP of the Spanish Society of Infectious Diseases and Clinical Microbiology (SEIMC), along with SOCIDROGALCOHOL, SEPD and SOMAPA on hepatitis C virus infection management in drug users.

The micro-elimination of HCV infection in drug users (DU) in our area is a priority in order to achieve the overall elimination of this disease. Coordinated action between specialists in addiction treatment, microbiologists and physicians who treat HCV infection is required to implement infection screening, to achieve universal access to treatment and to prevent new infections and reinfections. The objective of this document was to come to a consensus on the screening, hospital referral, treatment, follow-up and prevention of HCV infection in DU by an expert panel from GEHEP/SEIMC and three scientific societies of addiction treating physicians: SEPD, SOCIDROGALCOHOL and SOMAPA

Resumen ejecutivo: Documento de consenso de GEHEP, perteneciente a la Sociedad Española de Enfermedades Infecciosas y Microbiología Clínica (SEIMC), junto a SOCIDROGALCOHOL, SEPD y SOMAPA, sobre el manejo de la infección por virus de la hepatitis C en usuarios de drogas

[EN] The micro-elimination of HCV infection in drug users (DU) in our area is a priority in order to achieve the overall elimination of this disease. Coordinated action between specialists in addiction treatment, microbiologists and physicians who treat HCV infection is required to implement infection screening, to achieve universal access to treatment and to prevent new infections and reinfections. The objective of this document was to come to a consensus on the screening, hospital referral, treatment, follow-up and prevention of HCV infection in DU by an expert panel from GEHEP/SEIMC and three scientific societies of addiction treating physicians: SEPD, SOCIDROGALCOHOL and SOMAPA.[ES] La microeliminación de la infección por VHC en pacientes usuarios de drogas (UD) es una prioridad para lograr la eliminación global de esta enfermedad. Se requiere una acción coordinada de especialistas en el tratamiento de adicciones, microbiólogos y médicos que tratan la infección por VHC para realizar el cribado de los pacientes, garantizar el acceso al tratamiento y prevenir nuevas infecciones y reinfecciones. El objetivo de este documento fue consensuar las medidas de cribado, envío a unidades hospitalarias, tratamiento, seguimiento y prevención de la infección por VHC en UD, por parte de un panel de expertos de GEHEP/SEIMC y 3 sociedades científicas implicadas en el tratamiento de las adicciones: SEPD, SOCIDROGALCOHOL y SOMAPA

Sensibilidad Química Múltiple. Documento de consenso

Propuesta para mejorar la atención sanitaria a personas con SQM La persona afectada por Sensibilidad Química Múltiple(SMQ) presenta síntomas que implican a varios órganos como respuesta a la exposición de agentes químicos diversos en concentraciones menores de las que afectan a la población general. Esta patología, de origen desconocido, representa un síndrome complejo que precisa un tratamiento multidisciplinar. Con el propósito de conocer mejor las necesidades sanitarias de las personas con sensibilidad química múltiple, a comienzos del 2010 y por iniciativa del Ministerio de Sanidad, Política Social e Igualdad, se creó un grupo de expertos coordinado por diferentes instancias sanitarias que aunaron esfuerzos en colaboración con las asociaciones de personas afectadas por Sensibilidad Química Múltiple . El resultado de esta iniciativa es este documento basado en la evidencia científica disponible y en el consenso entre expertos para ayudar al personal sanitario en la toma de decisiones sobre la prevención, el diagnóstico y el tratamiento de la enfermedad. Se recogen datos epidemiológicos de las SMQ y su abordaje terapéutico, proponiendo medidas relativas a prevención e integrando la perspectiva de género como variable a tener en cuenta en cuanto a desigualdad y atención sanitaria