Engineers from the joint venture between the French automotive group Renault and the Chinese automotive giant Geely - Horse Powertrain, have revealed their latest development in the field of drive systems, bearing the designation D20 Methanol. The innovative power module is designed specifically for use in extended-range electric vehicles (REEV). Its fundamental specificity lies in the integration of a 2.0-liter internal combustion engine, powered entirely by pure methanol or synthetic alcohol. The design excludes any direct mechanical connection between the unit and the drive wheels, since its sole role is to produce electrical energy to feed the traction battery while driving.
The high-tech complex combines a four-cylinder turbo engine, control power electronics and an innovative axial flow generator in one extremely compact block. Horse Powertrain emphasizes that this is one of the first industrial solutions of this type, ready for serial implementation in mass automotive manufacturing. Thanks to the specific geometry of the axial flow, the electric machine is 46% shorter than conventional generators with radial flow, while providing 63% higher volumetric power density.
The total capacity of the generated electrical power amounts to 105 kW (143 hp), and the total mass of the entire module is fixed at a modest 170 kilograms. The manufacturer's data indicates that the thermal efficiency of the internal combustion engine reaches an impressive 47%, while the efficiency of the generator itself is fixed at 96.4%. This efficiency allows the transformation of each liter of methanol into up to 2 kWh of clean electricity. Thus, to fully charge a battery pack with a capacity of 40 kWh, the system consumes exactly 19.6 liters of fuel.
The unit is equipped with an advanced high-pressure direct fuel injection system, configured to operate with one hundred percent methanol of the M100 type, without the need for any mixing with gasoline. Thanks to the implementation of a highly efficient ignition architecture, the engine maintains a stable combustion process of lean fuel mixtures and guarantees trouble-free cold starts at extreme outdoor temperatures down to -35°C. The company's technical documentation confirms that the new drive concept fully meets the strict criteria of the current environmental standard in Asia – China 6b.
