BorgWarner’s innovative Exhaust Heat Recovery System (EHRS) developed for hybrid electric vehicles and plug-in hybrid electric vehicles will enter production later this year for vehicles from a major North American automaker. By using the heat from exhaust gas that would normally be diverted through the exhaust pipes and wasted, the company’s technology reduces engine warm-up time, enhances efficiency and can improve fuelSource: BorgWarner economy by up to 8.5 percent and reduce emissions. This cost-effective solution offers compact packaging, low weight and can easily be integrated into existing vehicles.

Combining an exhaust gas recirculation (EGR) system with a waste heat recovery system, BorgWarner leverages its experience in heat transfer and exhaust gas aftertatment technologies, such as EGR coolers and valves, enabling the company to offer an improved solution. The EHRS reduces mechanical losses by using the energy conserved within the exhaust gas. During engine cold starts, a valve controls the exhaust gas flow, routing it through a heat exchanger, where the thermal energy of the gas heats up the vehicle’s subsystem fluids. As a result, the engine warms up faster, reducing emissions and improving fuel efficiency. BorgWarner’s low-pressure EGR valve precisely controls the temperatures in the combustion chamber, improving engine efficiency and combustion timing. In addition, the technology reduces carbon monoxide and nitrogen oxide emissions as well as particulate matter.