The Markets

The landscape of the automotive industry has transformed drastically over recent years and there are many key factors at the roots of this change. Humanity is far more conscious of the impact it has on the world it inhabits and new laws are being made to mitigate the unwanted by-products of our activity. Yet at the same time that we demand less the automotive markets, whose continued existence is heavily dependent upon innovation, demand more.

Within the automotive industry each proposed solution comes with its perks and shortfalls; whether the solution be through engine downsizing, increased electrification, alternative fuels or alternative powertrains. Despite the growing trend towards drivetrain electrification, internal combustion engines will nevertheless remain the predominant form of propulsion in vehicles for years to come.

The challenge, therefore, is to make modern passenger vehicles more economical and ecological whilst maintaining, if not exceeding, the existing level of performance.

The development of electrified Superchargers

Many research and development activities have been carried out to facilitate the industry in an attempt to meet these demands. Of the technologies identified with a potential for CO2 reduction, engine downsizing and downspeeding is shown as the most effective measure owing to the relatively high potential for emissions reduction per unit cost.

This concept is often revised and termed as engine rightsizing, which also includes the element of optimizing the engine size with the weight/size of the vehicle it will be fitted to.

However, from the powertrain perspective, extreme engine downsizing will still help to improve the engine thermal efficiency, calling for the use of complex forced air induction systems. This is particularly true in small size engines.

It is against this background that electrified air boosters and/or eSuperchargers are being developed and they have piqued the interest of several major players in the automotive industry.

The Boosting Market in Rapid Growth

The engine boosting market, incorporating conventional turbochargers, superchargers, multi-stage boosting systems and very likely electric superchargers in the future, is currently experiencing rapid growth.

The market demands are different by regions, however, there is an increasing appetite for turbo technology innovations that enhance a vehicle’s overall powertrain system, reduce complexity and are also tailored to local market needs.

In fact, rapid growth is anticipated in all markets for both petrol and diesel engines:

In 2015 Honeywell forecasted that 47% of new vehicles worldwide would be fitted with an air charger by 2020.
In Europe, the percentage can be as high as 73%, with 47% and 39% achieved in Chinese and American markets.
The fastest sector of the powertrain platforms is the small 3-cyliner engine. It was forecasted that the output of these new 3-cylinder engines would grow to about 7 million by 2020.

Demand for Aeristech’s eSuperchargers

With its very fast response time, an electric supercharger (eSupercharger) is very effective in addressing the low-speed turbo lag issues associated with downsized engines.

The eSupercharger can be used as a single stage system on small displacement engines; or it could be used in combination with a turbocharger. The eSupercharger market introduction is expected in 2017-2018, with several OEMs committed to integrating these boosting devices within their new vehicle platforms.

Aeristech’s proprietary electric motor and control technology offer a long-term, low-cost, compact and efficient solution for the automotive industry at all voltage levels: 12V and 48V for passenger car applications, 48V for off-road applications, and finally high voltage (200V to 400V) for hybrid and fuel cell applications.

More About Aeristech’s eSupercharger Technology.

Demand for Aeristech’s FullElectric Turbocharging Technology (FETT)

FullElectric Turbocharging Technology (FETT) is a new concept under development by Aeristech using its motor and control technologies. FullElectric Turbocharging Technology incorporates a turbo-generator using the vehicle exhaust, a battery and control unit and a variable speed electric compressor.

By decoupling the turbine from the compressor together with an energy storage device, FETT provides a system that is more efficient than a mechanically connected turbocharger (when averaged across the broad range of operating points required for vehicle applications) and circumvents the traditional drawback of turbo lag.

Packaging and installation is also simpler. Given the availability of Aeristech’s unique technologies to enable FETT, the system brings an extra dimension in support of advanced powertrain development for extreme engine downsizing.

Aeristech’s FullElectric Turbocharging Technology (FETT):

Recovers exhaust energy over the complete driving cycle, including deceleration and cruising, that would otherwise have been wasted.
Delivers full boost at low engine speeds using stored energy, eliminating turbo lag.
Matches air input to varying power requirements by controlling compressor speed, improving fuel efficiency and reducing emissions
Installs into a more convenient package space than a multi-stage system, eliminating extraneous pipework and electronically controlled valves.

More about Aeristech’s FullElectric Turbocharger Technology (FETT)

Working Together (Our Technology)

Aeristech’s portfolio of patents and expertise in electric boosting technologies is best exploited in the near term by licensing intellectual property to automotive Tier-1 companies that are now actively looking for or developing electric superchargers.

Aeristech works as a collaborative partner with Tier1 suppliers and OEMs, ensuring our technology is matched to end user needs in the most effective way. Aeristech’s business model therefore gives priority on technology licensing. But other forms of business models can be also considered.

Keep up to date

Aeristech is a growing business in a fast moving market with new developments arising on an almost daily basis. If we’ve piqued your interest, we encourage you to sign up to our mailing list using the simple form provided below.

If you represent an organisation that has a potential application for our technology we strongly encourage you to get in contact. Our details and contacts page can be found by clicking this link.