In order to achieve the goals of the energy transition, the German federal government has also oriented itself to the EU Energy Roadmap, which calls for a CO2 reduction of up to 95% in 2050 compared to 1990 in order to make the necessary contribution to the climate goal of limiting global warming to a maximum of 2K. The objective for the transport sector is to reduce transport-related CO2 emissions by 67% by 2050 compared to 1990 and by 75% compared to 2010.

Studies [1] assume that in the foreseeable future, the combustion engine and liquid fuels will continue to dominate in the mobile sector due to their very high energy density, especially in the sector of commercial vehicles.


The underlying energy transition and the accompanying Mobility and Fuel Strategy (MKS) of the federal government have set the following energy policy triangle as its goal:

Energiepolitisches Dreieck

Energy policy target triangle of the federal government

A study by the Federal Environmental Agency in April 2015 demonstrates ways towards post-fossil energy supply options for greenhouse gas-neutral transport in 2050 [2]. The result is the need to optimize the internal combustion engine drive, from the fuel to the engine, including operating strategy, with the aim of considerably increasing efficiency while simultaneously minimizing emissions.

Laseruntersuchung_Brennverhalten
Investigation of the burning behavior of engines by laser


Therefore, the project aims to investigate diverse optimization potentials. Initially, tailor-made post-fossil liquid fuels should be synthesized from renewable raw materials with a particular focus on reducing emissions through the use of the fuels. The energy content and the possibility to create blends of the post-fossil fuels must also be investigated.

Brennvergleich Diesesl OME
Comparison of the combustion behavior and the residues of synthetic fuel OME (left) and diesel (right)

At the same time, the interaction of the post-fossil fuels with the oil film in the combustion chamber and its influence on tribology, especially regarding low-friction tribological pairings, must be considered more closely. The goal is to minimize friction losses between the piston ring and the cylinder, for which both new surface layers and finishing processes are to be tested. Another possibility for optimization is the ignition of post-fossil fuels. For this purpose, systems based on spark, plasma or surface temperature ignition are to be tested and evaluated.

Verbrennungsprozess Motor
Graphical processing of the combustion process in the engines


At the same time, the setting up of a rapid compression machine and a transparent engine for the targeted investigation of the combustion of post-fossil synthetic fuels has been planned.

CAD-Zeichnung Erprobungstriebwerk
CAD design drawing of a single-cylinder experimental engine