SAE TECHNICAL

PAPER SERIES 2007-01-3616

Development of an Engine for Flexible

Fuel Vehicles (FFV)
Susumu Nakajima, Ryoji Saiki and Yoichi Goryozono
Honda R&D Corp.

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 2007-01-3616

Development of an Engine for Flexible Fuel Vehicles (FFV)

Susumu Nakajima, Ryoji Saiki and Yoichi Goryozono
Honda R&D Corp.

Copyright © 2007 SAE International

ABSTRACT DEVELOPMENT GOALS

Honda has developed a 1.8-L VTEC 4-cylinder engine The following development goals were defined for the
for a Flexible Fuel Vehicle (FFV) capable of running on FFV engine development:
any mixture of fuel with an ethanol concentration ranging (1) Produces good performance with any concentration
from 20 - 100%. The distinctive characteristics of this of ethanol.
engine include its use of a VTEC mechanism to (2) Vehicle actively adapts on its own to any fuel, even
supplement combustion by putting one intake valve when fueled with different fuels.
inactive, immediately after startup, when operating with (3) Allows trouble-free use under all environmental
a high concentration of ethanol, and to provide high conditions encountered in Brazil.
power output by operating with two input valves after
warm up. The system also learns the ethanol
concentration of the fuel and controls the engine PROPERTIES OF FUEL FOR FFV USE
precisely in accordance with the concentration. Thus it
provides good drivability in all environments expected to PROPERTIES OF ETHANOL
be encountered in Brazil. This paper describes the
CIVIC FFV and the technology adopted for it. Gasoline is a mixture of various different hydrocarbons
with regulated octane values and vapor pressure,
INTRODUCTION making it an easy-to-handle fuel. Ethanol, on the other
hand, has only one constituent, and its character differs
Bio fuels have come to be considered promising significantly from that of gasoline. Table 1 shows the fuel
alternatives to gasoline in recent years for use as properties. Ethanol's main points of difference from
automobile fuel, in the interest of helping control global gasoline are:
warming. Raw material for the bio-ethanol used in Brazil (1) Higher octane value
and some other places comes from sugar cane or (2) Higher latent heat of evaporation
similar plant life. These plants absorb CO2 as they grow, (3) Lower theoretical air-fuel ratio
and though bio-fuels produce CO2 emissions, which (4) Single constituent with higher boiling point
result from their use as motor vehicle fuel, bio-fuels in (5) Higher increase in the number of moles following
effect produce zero (net) emissions. As such, they do combustion results
not increase the amount of CO2 in the atmosphere, and
are known as carbon-neutral fuels. Consequently, the use of ethanol differs in various ways,
among them the following:
Brazil produces plentiful amounts of sugar cane, which (1) Start-ability is significantly lower because of the
has high energy density, and this is being actively used higher latent heat of evaporation and higher boiling point.
in the manufacture of bio-ethanol. The gasoline sold in (2) Different ignition timing because of the higher octane
Brazil is also required to have an admixture of 20 – 25% value
ethanol, which is sold as gasohol. Hydrous ethanol is (3) Increased fuel flow
also sold there. (4) Reduced cruising distance
(5) Lower exhaust gas temperatures because of the
Honda developed a new engine for FFV use that increase in the number of moles following combustion
produces good performance with any concentration of results
ethanol. The engine has been installed in the CIVIC and
sold in Brazil since 2006.
Table 1 Fuel properties Table 3 Material for main fuel system
Ethanol Gasoline Parts Gasoline FFV engine
（MJ/Air kg） 2.99 2.95 engine
Heating value SUS440C ATS34
（MJ/kg） 26.9 43.4 Valve
Passivation
Octane number RON/MON 110/92 93/81 seat
film
Theoretical air fuel ratio 8.9 14.7 SUS440C ATS34
Needle
Latent heat of evaporation Passivation
101 30.2 valve
(kJ/Air kg) film
Fuel
Boiling point （ ℃） 78 25-200 Needle SUS440C SUS440C
injector valve Passivation
Theoretical air fuel ratio
14.3 43.1 stopper film
(Volume after carburetion）
Ratio of the number of moles K-M62F
1.14 1.07 Core PB Passivation
of combustion before and after
film
Sleeve K-M35FL K-M62F
OVERVIEW JSH270C
Delivery pipe Electroless SUS304L
ENGINE OVERVIEW Ni-P plating

Engine overview FUEL SUPPLY SYSTEM

Figure 1 shows an overall view of the engine, while
Table 2 shows the engine specifications. Figure 2 shows the fuel supply system. The fuel system
The following changes were made in a gasoline engine is a double system. It has a main fuel supply system that
so it could operate on ethanol: is used during regular operation, and a sub fuel supply
(1) Operation with one intake valve inactive for system that is only used to supply gasohol when starting
enhanced low-temperature starting the engine. Figure 3 shows the main fuel supply system,
(2) Higher compression ratio for enhanced drivability and Fig. 4 shows the sub fuel supply system.
when water temperature is low (1) Main fuel supply system
(3) Addition of startup gasoline fuel supply systems for The specification was changed to handle ethanol, which
low temperature starting is highly corrosive to metal.
(4) Change of materials in fuel supply system as shown (2) Sub fuel supply system
in Table 3 A sub fuel tank is located at the right front fender. The
fuel lid has been placed for exclusive use for greater
Table 2 Engine specifications safety during fueling. As shown in Fig. 5, a nozzle is
2007 2006 located in each air intake port so that the same amount
FFV Gasoline of gasohol can be supplied to each cylinder for starting.
Fuel E20-E100 E20-E25
In-line 4- In-line 4-
Cylinder configuration
cylinder cylinder
Bore × stroke (mm) 81×87.3 81×87.3
3
Displacement (cm ) 1799 1799
Compression ratio 11.5:1 10.5:1
SOHC i-VTEC SOHC i-VTEC
Valve train 1 intake valve Inlet delayed
inactive closure
Number of valves 4 per cylinder 4 per cylinder
Valve In. 32 32
diameter
(mm) Ex. 26 26

Fig. 1 R18A FFV engine

 Main fuel tank
Main fuel pump

Sub fuel tank

Sub fuel pump

Main fuel strainer

Engine

Fig. 2 Overview of CIVIC FFV fuel supply system

Delivery pipe

Fig. 5 Side view of sub fuel injector

COMBUSTION CHARACTERISTICS OF ETHANOL

Figure 6 and Table 3 present comparisons of ethanol

and gasoline combustion. The cylinder temperatures
were extrapolated from cylinder pressures. The
Main fuel injector characteristics are:
(1) Increased latent heat of evaporation results in a
greater cooling effect inside the cylinder and increases
the cylinder filling efficiency.
(2) Increased output power
Fig. 3 Main fuel supply system (3) Lower exhaust gas temperature
(4) MBT is virtually the same.
Even when the cylinder pressure is higher and the
Solenoid output power is greater, the cylinder temperature is
valve lower. The reason for this is the greater cooling effect
because of the latent heat of evaporation during the
compression. It is also thought to be caused by the
greater increase in the molar concentration of
combustion product after combustion.

Table 4 Comparison of engine power for ethanol and

gasoline
Ethanol Gasoline
Sub fuel Output power （kW） 107.6 103.6
injector
Charging efficiency (%) 94. 3 91.9
Exhaust gas temperature ( _ ) 777 809
Max. cylinder pressure（kPa） 7100 6910
Fig. 4 Sub fuel supply system
 The engine therefore requires ignition timing control that
is capable of dealing with significant changes in octane
value in order to achieve adequate performance at all
ethanol concentrations.

Start-ability

The most significant issue for the use of ethanol as

automobile fuel is the lower saturated vapor pressure,
which results in reduced startability. Figure 8 shows a
comparison of saturated vapor pressure in ethanol and
gasoline. In addition to the difference in saturated vapor
pressure, the theoretical air-fuel ratio as converted into
molar concentration also differs greatly. With ethanol,
therefore, the saturated vapor pressure reaches the
theoretical air-fuel ratio at a temperature approximately
41°C higher than with gasoline. This difference is
thought to be indicative of the reduced startability when
using ethanol as the fuel.

Fig. 6 Comparison of cylinder pressure and temperature

for ethanol and gasoline

DIFFERENCES IN ENGINE PERFORMANCE OWING

TO ETHANOL CONCENTRATION

Figure 7 shows the relationship between ethanol

concentration and engine performance. It is apparent
that, as the ethanol concentration increases, the
following occur:
(1) Ignition timing can be advanced.
(2) Cylinder filling efficiency increases.
(3) Power output increases.

Fig. 8 Comparison of vapor pressure in gasoline and

ethanol.

COMBUSTION AT LOW TEMPERATURES

Figure 9 shows the differences between gasoline and

ethanol combustion at a low temperature. In the case of
gasoline, the exhaust gas components were virtually the
same under load even at low ambient temperatures and
low water temperatures. In the case of ethanol, however,
operation under high load presents the following
characteristics:
(1) THC concentration increases rapidly.
(2) Carbon dioxide concentration relative to the excess
air ratio changes.
Fig. 7 Relation of ethanol concentration to ignition timing, The carbon dioxide concentration changes in a manner
charging efficiency and engine torque suggestive of a change to a leaner air-fuel ratio. This is
thought to be because a large amount of ethanol is capable of running, even at 0°C, which corresponds to
injected during high-load operation, and part of it is the temperature immediately after startup at Brazil's
discharged without ever having volatilized. Consequently, lowest ambient temperature.
when the engine is operated with a high load
immediately after startup and the ambient temperature is
low, some of the ethanol is not volatilized and the actual
air-fuel ratio go lean. It is necessary, therefore, to set the
specifications and implement engine control so that
misfires and other such issues do not arise.

Fig. 10 Comparison of torque during acceleration

between 1 intake valve and 2 intake valve

Fig. 9 Characteristics of excess air ratio at low

temperature

DRIVEABILITY AT LOW TEMPERATURES

The greatest concern with the FFV has been drivability

when using ethanol at low ambient temperatures. The
present engine provides good combustion conditions
even at low ambient temperatures by operating with one
intake valve inactive and adjusting appropriately to the
ethanol concentration. The engine is therefore capable
of making a standing start, immediately after startup,
even at the lowest atmospheric temperature
encountered in Brazil, which is -10°C. Figure 12 shows a
comparison between operation with one intake valve
and operation with two intake valves in the case of high-
load operation, immediately after startup. When
operating with two intake valves, misfires take place
when high-load operation takes place immediately after Fig. 11 Comparison of torque during acceleration
the engine is started. This is thought to happen because, between 1 intake valve and 2 intake valves
when the engine is put under high load immediately after
startup, large quantities of ethanol are not vaporized and
the actual air-fuel ratio goes lean. By contrast, when
operating with one intake valve, the flow velocity of the
air-fuel mixture rises so that vaporizability of the fuel is
increased and the engine becomes able to run under
high load. As shown in Fig. 13, misfires occur during
operation with two input valves when operating under
high load, even in an engine that is warmed up, with the
cooling water temperature as high as 13°C. By contrast,
operation with one valve inactive makes the engine fully
ENGINE CONTROL

The FFV uses ethanol with concentrations in the 20 –

100% range, and so requires dedicated control for that
purpose in addition to the ordinary control found in a
gasoline engine.

Ethanol concentration learning

The present engine is similar to a gasoline engine in that

it uses a universal exhaust gas oxygen sensor (UEGO
sensor) to operate with stoichiometric feedback (F/B).
However, ethanol and gasohol have different theoretical
air-fuel ratios. When using ethanol, therefore, a greater
amount of fuel is required than when using gasohol. The
increase in the amount of fuel that is required is detected
by the UEGO sensor, and the system then extrapolates
the ethanol concentration of the fuel in the main tank.

Fuel compensation for ethanol concentration

The boiling point is higher for ethanol than for gasohol, Fig. 12 Operating region of sub injector
and the vapor pressure is lower. Therefore ethanol does
not volatilize as readily at low temperatures.
Consequently, combustion at low water temperature
requires a larger amount of fuel than is accounted for
just by the difference between the theoretical air-fuel
ratio of ethanol and that of gasohol. The system
therefore selects a fuel volume increase factor for start-
up that corresponds to the ethanol concentration
learning value, and implements wall-wetting fuel
compensation control, according to the ethanol
concentration.

Fuel control for startup boost

Under both low ambient temperature and high ethanol

concentration conditions, the sub fuel supply system
supplies gasohol as a startup boost. Figure 10 presents
a conceptual diagram of the operating range of that
system. The frequency of refueling of the sub fuel is kept
to a minimum by limiting the supply of startup boosting
fuel to times when the ambient temperature is low and
the ethanol concentration is high.
Fig. 13 Engine performance

PERFORMANCE
EXHAUST GAS REDUCTION
Power output
The FFV is required to have clean exhaust at all ethanol
concentrations. Statutes and controls require the
Figure 11 shows engine performance. Drivability is kept
following fuels to meet regulation values:
high when using ethanol by operating with one intake
(1) AEHC (hydrous ethyl alcohol fuel)
valve inactive, at low engine speeds and low water
(2) E-22 gasoline (a mixture of 78% standard gasoline
temperatures. At high speeds, however, high power
and 22% anhydrous ethanol) (v/v)
output is achieved by operating with two input valves.
(3) A compound of 50% standard E-22 gasoline and
50% standard AECH (v/v)
As shown in Fig. 14, this engine provides for early
activation of the catalyst by adoption of a cylinder head
that is integrated with the exhaust manifold and a
catalytic converter located directly below the engine.
When ethanol is used, the reduced combustion at AFTERWORD
startup typically causes deterioration in non-methane
hydrocarbon (NMHC) levels while lower exhaust gas The present engine employs operation with a single
temperatures cause lower catalyst temperatures. This intake valve using VTEC and precise control to achieve
results in some reduction in function. As shown in Fig. a balance of drivability and high power output when
16, however, the engine is still meeting regulatory driving with all concentrations of ethanol as fuel. Ethanol
standards with an ample margin. is expected to see use as automobile fuel in a variety of
forms in many different countries in the interest of
curbing carbon dioxide emissions. The development
team will be pleased if their work in pursuing further
performance enhancements and developing ethanol fuel
engines adapted to fuel conditions in different countries
can play some part in limiting global warming.

REFERENCES

1. Arai, S., Muraishi, T.: HONDA Compressed Natural

Gas Vehicle, HONDA R&D Technical Review, Vol. 9,
p. 17-24
2. Toda, T., Matsuki, M., Ohmori, T., Yamamoto, Y.:
Development of a 1.7L CNG Engine for the 2001
Civic GX, Honda R&D Technical Review, Vol. 14,
No. 1, p. 49-56
3. Nakajima, S., Goto, H., Watanabe, O., Matsunaga,
T., Nakashima, H., Nakajima, M.: Development of
1.8L CNG Engine for 2006 Civic GX, Honda R&D
Technical Review, Vol. 18, No. 2, p. 116-124
4. Seko, K., Taga, W., Torii, K., Nakamura, S., Akima,
K., Sekiya, N.: Development of 1.8L i-VTEC
Gasoline Engine for 2006 Model Year Honda CIVIC,
Honda R&D Technical Review, Vol. 18, No. 1, p. 8-
15

Fig. 14 Exhaust and catalytic converter system

Fig. 15 Achievement of exhaust emission