The project focuses on the development of drive-relevant components that have received little attention in this context to date, but which are also relevant per se as a source of emissions for any form of drive energy generation and operation.
Mission
Alongside exhaust fumes, particulate matter and microplastic emissions are among the most important causes of mobility-related environmental pollution. Together with the companies HWA AG and Frenoza GmbH, the German Aerospace Center (DLR) in Stuttgart (Institute of Vehicle Concepts and Institute of Combustion Technology) has set itself the goal of developing a sustainable, innovative, cost-effective solution that is suitable for everyday use to reduce ultra-fine particulate matter, particulate matter and microplastic pollution from traffic and thus contribute to the realisation of emission-free mobility. ZEDU-1 is thus a contribution to achieving the Euro 7 emission values that will probably be necessary and required from 2025.
ZEDU-1
Premiere des Prototyp am 28. September 2022 in Stuttgart
Avoidance of particulate matter and microplastic emissions
Development of innovative vehicle components
Fine dust-free brake system without loss of performance
Reduction of tyre wear emissions to a minimum
Energy management with high efficiency
Reduction of environmental pollution caused by vehicle traffic
Improvement of air quality
Reduction of particulate matter, ultra-fine particulate matter and microplastic-related health hazards caused by traffic
Contribution to achieving future necessary and required emission values
Demonstration and metrological proof of the technology at Technology Readiness Level (TRL) 7
Scaling series / transfer to passenger cars, commercial vehicles, rail, ...
Strengthening Baden-Württemberg as a centre of technology and business
Im Video erklärt DLR-Projektleiter Franz Philipps das Konzept und die Technologie von ZEDU-1 und gibt Einblicke in die ersten Tests mit dem Prototyp auf dem DLR-Rollenprüfstand sowie auf der Strecke des Prüfzentrums Boxberg.
Video: Fahrzeugprototyp ZEDU-1 – emissionsfrei unterwegs ohne Feinstaub und Mikroplastik
Your consent to the storage of data ('cookies') is required for the playback of this video on Youtube.com. You can view and change your current data storage settings at any time under privacy.
Video: Fahrzeugprototyp ZEDU-1 – emissionsfrei unterwegs ohne Feinstaub und Mikroplastik
Im Video erklärt DLR-Projektleiter Franz Philipps das Konzept und die Technologie von ZEDU-1 und gibt Einblicke in die ersten Tests mit dem Prototyp auf dem DLR-Rollenprüfstand sowie auf der Strecke des Prüfzentrums Boxberg.
Tyre abrasion on roads is responsible for more than a quarter of microplastic emissions worldwide. When it rains, the small particles end up in the sewage system and thus in the water cycle. In Germany alone, this amounts to around 110,000 tonnes per year. Braking also produces abrasion from brake discs and brake pads. Brake abrasion is responsible for around a third of particulate matter. In the case of brake emissions, over 90 percent of this consists of small particles (5,500-8,000 tonnes per year), so-called ultrafine particles (diameter < 100 nanometres). Ultrafine particles are considered particularly problematic in terms of their environmental and health impact. Traffic-related abrasion therefore contributes to poor air quality in cities as well as to health hazards caused by road traffic.
The project focuses on the development of drive-relevant components that have so far received little attention in this context, but are also relevant per se as a source of emissions for any form of drive energy generation and operation: Brake unit and tyre abrasion. By reducing emissions from these sources, mobility, in combination with energy from renewable sources and electric drives, can become almost completely emission-free.
Together with the companies HWA, which was subcontracted with the design of the first-generation Zero Emission Drive Unit (ZEDU-1) as the drive axle and the construction of the test vehicle, and Frenoza, which manufactures hard metal coatings for brakes, the project was successfully implemented.
Completely rethink the brake system and wheel housing
Technologically, the project is breaking new ground. The braking system is being moved from the wheel carrier to the drive unit and integrated there. In combination with specially tuned high-performance electronics, a power battery and a BBW system (Break by Wire), the braking energy can be almost completely recovered, i.e. recuperated, so that the mechanical braking component is reduced to a minimum. This makes it possible to build the drive unit very compactly, integrate it into the transmission brake unit and completely eliminate brake wear emissions.
Various brake concepts were analysed and combined for this purpose. Two innovative and forward-looking systems were realised and investigated. On the one hand, a specially developed multi-disc brake: it works mechanically and is a closed system. The low level of brake abrasion is transported by the oil, which is also used for cooling and lubrication, into a filter and bound there. On the other hand, an induction brake: it works almost wear-free right up to a standstill and uses the force of magnetic fields to generate a braking effect.
A newly designed wheel arch reduces tyre wear emissions to a minimum. It is aerodynamically designed in such a way that the negative pressure created or generated while driving absorbs and collects the abrasion via a filter system.
Test bench and road: practical tests with demonstrator
The components developed in the project were realised and integrated into a specially constructed test and measurement vehicle. During test drives on the road, on a test site and on the DLR chassis dynamometer, a reference vehicle and the ZEDU-1 demonstrator were measured and metrological proof of the effectiveness of the developed components with regard to the emission of ultrafine particulate matter, fine particulate matter and microplastic abrasion was provided under realistic conditions. The focus of the characterisation is on the usability of the developed components in real operation and the evaluation of the total amount of fine dust and ultrafine dust emissions, the size distribution of the particles and their morphological determination in the analyses.
