Overview
The HERCULES-C is a large scale project, integrating technologies in ALL the significant areas of marine diesel engine development, as shown below:
Schematic overview of HERCULES-C Work Package Groups.
The building blocks of the project HERCULES-C are the various Subprojects. The whole HERCULES-C Project is made up of 50 Subprojects. Each Subproject has several Activities. A cluster of related Subprojects makes up a Work Package and there are 10 RTD Work Packages. A pair of related Work Packages (WP) makes up a Work Package Group (WPG). The project comprises 5 RTD Work Package Groups covering a wide spectrum of marine engine research and development. The Work Package Groups are parallel Tracks of continuous R&D activities, which exchange high level information throughout the Project. The Partners work in groups at Subproject level, with specific targets. Work is consolidated into Work Packages and reported with written De liverables or presented as machinery Prototypes. There are also 3 non-technical Work Packages for Administrative Management, Technical Management and Dissemination Activities.
The HERCULES-C overall structure is shown in the Table below.
| No | WORK PACKAGE GROUP TITLE | WORK PACKAGE TITLE | SUB-PROJECT TITLE | PARTNERS |
| 1 | NEW COMBUSTION CONCEPTS | WP 1: Advanced Combustion | 1.1 Direct injection gas combustion system optimization | AALTO, WFI, WCH |
| 1.2 Mechanical and electrical solutions for multi-fuel engine efficiency optimization and fuel switching | ||||
| 1.3 Cool combustion and partially premixed concepts | ||||
| WP 2: Computer Aided Combustion Optimization | 2.1 Identify appropriate numerical optimization methods (two-stroke) | KIT, MDT, TUG | ||
| 2.2 Formalize and investigate specific optimization scenarios (two-stroke). | ||||
| 2.3 Two-stroke applications. Engine tests and evaluating optimal designs (two-stroke). | ||||
| 2.4 Numerical optimization of engine components for advanced combustion strategies (four stroke). | ||||
| 2.5. Advanced combustion development on the single cylinder test engine 1L32/44CR under consideration of DoE (four-stroke). | ||||
| 2.6. Verification tests of new combustion and engine control strategies (four-stroke). | ||||
| 2 | FUEL INJECTION MODELS & EXPERIMENTS | WP 3: Injection, Spray Formation and Combustion | 3.1 Injection-system internal flow | ETH Zurich, IFPEN, PSI, WFI, WCH |
| 3.2 Spray experiments | ||||
| 3.3 Spray modeling | ||||
| 3.4 Combustion experiments | ||||
| 3.5 Combustion modeling | ||||
|
WP 4: Experimental and Modelling Studies of Fuel Injection Systems |
4.1 Development of transparent fuel equipment and associated test rigs | CHALMERS, MDT | ||
| 4.2 Optical in-nozzle diagnostics of flow and cavitation | ||||
| 4.3 Optical diagnostics of fuel jets | ||||
| 4.4 Assessment of numerical models for cavitation | ||||
| 4.5 Development and validation of numerical tools for in-nozzle flow, cavitation and discharge coefficient | ||||
| 3 | NEAR – ZERO EMISSION ENGINE TECHNOLOGIES | WP 5: Integrated Emission Control Technologies | 5.1 Concept study for flexible, integrated emissions control systems | ABB, PSI, WFI, WCH |
| 5.2 Development and testing of flexible, integrated emissions control systems for 4-stroke engines | ||||
| 5.3 Development and testing of flexible, integrated emissions control systems for 2-stroke engines | ||||
| 5.4 Development of advanced materials and technologies for highly loaded system components | ||||
| 5.5 Development of SCR concept for high-sulphur fuel operation | ||||
| 5.6 Development of particulate reduction features of scrubbers | ||||
| WP 6: Near Zero Emission Combustion and DPF Technologies | 6.1 Advanced turbocharging and EGR | NTUA, DANFOSS, MDT, PBST, TEHAG | ||
| 6.2 Turbocharger compressor surge | ||||
| 6.3 DPF technologies for sequential aftertreatment | ||||
| 6.4 Combined WIF and EGR | ||||
| 4 | ADAPTIVE ENGINE CONTROL AND LIFETIME RELIABILITY | WP 7: Advanced System and Plant Control | 7.1 Adaptive and advanced control and health monitoring methods for extreme operating conditions of propulsion systems | NTUA, AALTO, ETH Zurich, PSI, WFI |
| 7.2 Computer-based optimization methods for thermal process adaption and total energy production, usage and storage | ||||
| 7.3 Integrated health monitoring and control of ship propulsion systems | ||||
| WP 8: Intelligent Engine | 8.1 Cylinder individual control strategies | NTUA, FEV, MDT, TUG | ||
| 8.2 Implementation of control algorithms | ||||
| 8.3 Evaluation of monitoring sensors and health monitoring tasks | ||||
| 8.4 Development of an integrated monitoring sensor | ||||
| 8.5 Performance prediction algorithm development | ||||
| 8.6 Concept validation by engine tests | ||||
| 5 | NEW MATERIALS AND TRIBOLOGY | WP 9: Cylinder Lubrication Concept for Optimized Emissions | 9.1: Development of a cylinder lube oil re-circulation concept | FOS, WCH |
| 9.2: Characterization of the influence of lube oil on the exhaust gas composition | ||||
| 9.3: Calculation of the lube oil flow | ||||
| 9.4: Development of lube oil control system | ||||
| WP 10: Advanced Bearing and Combustion Chamber Technology | 10.1 Development of new materials and structures for combustion chamber components (four-stroke) | EPC, DTU, FMO, GEHRING, MJ, MDT | ||
| 10.2 Engine tests and validation (four-stroke) | ||||
| 10.3 Low friction engine bearings | ||||
| 10.4 Low Friction and Wear Piston Ring Pack (two-stroke) | ||||
| 10.5 Thermal Barriers | ||||
| WP 11: Administrative Management | NTUA | |||
| WP 12: Technical Management | NTUA, MDT, WFI, WCH | |||
| WP 13: Dissemination Activities | 13.1 HERCULES-C Website | NTUA AALTO, CHALMERS, ETH Zurich, MDT, PSI, WFI | ||
| 13.2 Publications | ||||
| 13.3 Dissemination | ||||
| 13.4 Project Final Forum - Conference |