Mercedes-Benz introduces bionic car concept

Streamlined and light, like a fish in water economical and environmentally friendly thanks to the latest diesel technology

Unique research project by biologists and engineers Vehicle study with the streamlined contours of the boxfish Outstanding aerodynamics with a Cd value of 0.19 Diesel engine with a particulate filter and innovative SCR technology Bionic design process for intelligent lightweight construction

Thinking the unthinkable. Looking beyond the horizon. Leaving familiar paths and giving new ideas a chance: that is the philosophy of DaimlerChrysler, the technological leader among automobile manufacturers. For more than 100 years the technological lead of the Stuttgart company has been based on the creativity of its engineers and on their enthusiasm for visions. None of this has changed to the present day, and DaimlerChrysler specialists take up the challenge to shape the future of the automobile on a daily basis. There are no limits here: in order to create trailblazing innovations for even more safety, environmental compatibility and comfort, they research all the possibilities offered by technology and science. For experience has shown that only free, interdisciplinary thinking leads to really outstanding results. One such project was the Mercedes-Benz bionic car, a concept vehicle based on examples in nature, in which DaimlerChrysler has also transferred the diesel engine

technology of the future to a fully functioning and practical car for everyday use. Bionics a combination of biology and technology is a quite recent field of research which has nonetheless already made remarkable progress possible in different areas. Nature has provided ideas for high-strength materials, low-friction surfaces, dirt-repellent coatings and practical Velcro fastenings. Many of these inventions are based on more or less accidental discoveries from the animal and plant world. For the first time in the case of the Mercedes-Benz bionic car, the engineers at the Mercedes-Benz Technology Center (MTC) and DaimlerChrysler Research looked for a specific example in nature whose shape and structure approximated to their ideas for an aerodynamic, safe, spacious and environmentally compatible car. In other words, this was not a matter of detailed solutions but of a complete transfer from nature to technology a first. The boxfish angular but nonetheless very streamlined This required teamwork: biologists, bionics scientists and automotive researchers from various disciplines embarked on an extraordinary expedition into the animal kingdom which soon led them into the depths of the underwater world and presented them with a surprise. It was not the fast, sleek swimmers such as the shark or dolphin that came closest to the ideals of the research engineers, but a creature that looks anything but streamlined and agile at first sight: the boxfish.

Boxfish (ostracion cubicus) It has its home in the coral reefs, lagoons and seaweed of the tropical seas, where it has a great deal in common with cars in many respects. It needs to conserve its strength and move with the least possible consumption of energy, which requires powerful muscles and a streamlined shape. It must withstand high pressures and protect its body during

collisions, which requires a rigid outer skin. And it needs to move in confined spaces in its search for food, which requires good manoeuvrability. There is more to the boxfish than meets the eye: despite its angular body, it is an excellent swimmer whose cube-shaped structure is by no means a hindrance. On the contrary, the boxfish possesses unique characteristics and is a prime example of the ingenious inventions developed by nature over millions of years of evolution. The basic principle of this evolution is that nothing is superfluous and each part of the body has a purpose and sometimes several at once. The outer skin of the boxfish consists of numerous bony, hexagonal plates which are interlinked to form a rigid suit of armour. This bony, armour-plated structure gives the body of the fish great rigidity, protects it from injury and is also the secret of its outstanding manoeuvrability, as tiny vortices form along the edges on the upper and lower parts of the body to stabilise the fish in any position and ensure that it remains safely on course even in areas of great turbulence. It does not need to move its fins in the process, and can therefore conserve its strength. Applied to automotive engineering, the boxfish is therefore an ideal example of rigidity and aerodynamics. Moreover, its rectangular anatomy is practically identical to the crosssection of a car body. And so the boxfish became the model for a so far unique automotive development project. Cd value: boxfish almost as good as the ideal engineering shape The first sub-project tackled by the engineers at the Mercedes-Benz Technology Centre and DaimlerChrysler Research concerned aerodynamics. In wind tunnels and water channels they examined how the attributes of the living model could be transferred to an automobile. The results are impressive. Despite its angular structure, the boxfish has almost as good streamlining qualities as the water drop shape which specialists consider to be the standard for the ideal aerodynamic form. When exposed to an open flow, this streamlined shape has a Cd value of 0.04. Using computer calculations and wind tunnel tests with an accurate model of the boxfish, the Mercedes engineers achieved a value which came very close to this ideal, namely 0.06 an outstanding result. It explains why the boxfish is such a good swimmer and is so manoeuvrable with minimal effort.

Aerodynamic calculation of the boxfish model: Cd value 0.06 To make use of the aerodynamic potential the specialists in Stuttgart first created a 1:4 scale model car whose shape substantially corresponded to the boxfish. The angular outside contours of the living model were adapted in the area of the roof and side skirts, as was the prominent, descending rear end with its heavily scalloped sides and pronounced wedge shape. In doing this they were disobeying important principles in automotive aerodynamics, and were all the more surprised at the results: the Cd value for the car was 0.095. In aerodynamic terms it was just as good as the shape - as measured on the ground considered ideal by aerodynamics specialists (Cd 0.09). The research model in the shape of a boxfish betters the drag coefficient of todays compact cars by more than 65 percent. Wind tunnel model of a car with the contours of a boxfish: Cd value 0.095 Wind tunnel model of a boxfish: Cd value 0.06

Cd 0.19: one of the worlds most aerodynamic compact cars The second round of the Mercedes-Benz bionic car project now commenced. The task was to develop a full-size, roadworthy automobile on the basis of the boxfish contours a fully equipped model for four occupants, with typical Mercedes attributes in terms of safety, comfort, design and day-to-day practicality, and equipped with all the technology necessary for minimal fuel consumption and the best possible environmental compatibility.

Mercedes-Benz bionic concept car: Cd value 0.19 The result of this unique vehicle project is a compact car with two doors, four comfortable single seats, a panoramic windscreen, a glass roof and a large tailgate 4.24 metres long, 1.82 metres wide and 1.59 metres high. Naturally the exacting requirements with respect to practicality, everyday suitability and design made compromises compared with the 1:4 model necessary, but the concept car still retains outstanding aerodynamic characteristics: with a Cd value of 0.19 the fully-functioning and driveable MercedesBenz bionic car is among the aerodynamically most efficient in this size category. In addition to the boxfish-like basic shape, this result is made possible by a number of other aerodynamic features, e.g. rear wheels which are almost completely shrouded with sheets of plastic, flush-fitted door handles and the use of cameras instead of exterior mirrors. Fuel consumption: only 4.3 litres per 100 kilometres In the Mercedes study, the optimal aerodynamic properties derived from the boxfish and a new lightweight construction concept taken from nature create the conditions for a low fuel consumption and excellent performance. Equipped with a 103 kW/140-hp directinjection diesel engine, the concept car consumes 4.3 litres of fuel per 100 kilometres (combined), making it 20 percent more economical than a comparable standardproduction model. In accordance with the US measuring method (FTP 75) the range is around 70 miles per US gallon (combined), which is about 30 percent more than for a standard-production car. At a constant speed of 90 km/h the EU fuel consumption falls to a mere 2.8 litres per 100 kilometres corresponding to 84 mpg in the US test programme. The concept car has a maximum speed of 190 km/h.

The key data at a glance: Length/width/height 4243/1815/1594 mm Wheelbase 2568 mm Engine output 103 kW/140 hp Max. torque 300 Nm at 1600-3000 rpm Fuel consumption (combined) 4.3 l/100 km; 70 mpg (US gallons) Acceleration 0-100 km/h 8.2 s Max speed 190 km/h Emission control: 80 percent lower nitrogen oxide emissions with SCR technology The matter of exhaust emissions was a further important task for the developers of the concept car. While the up-to-date CDI engine already betters the stringent EU 4 exhaust emission limits significantly thanks to an oxidising catalytic converter and a particulate filter, the engineers in Stuttgart have an eye to the future and are testing an innovative process which promises to meet even more exacting standards in the future, namely SCR technology (Selective Catalytic Reduction). The centrepiece is a catalytic converter which uses an additional service fluid to convert the nitrogen oxides (NOx): an aqueous urea solution is sprayed into the exhaust system in precisely metered quantities, depending on the engine operating status. This converts the nitrogen oxides into harmless nitrogen and water. The result is an up to 80 percent reduction in NOx emissions in the new European driving cycle. DaimlerChrysler is currently testing its SCR technology worldwide. By this means, and with the additional operating fluid "AdBlue", the nitrogen oxide emissions of the directinjection diesel engine can be reduced by up to 80 percent. The aim of these trials is to avoid the fuel consumption disadvantages by optimising the in-engine combustion processes. This is where Mercedes-Benz car engineers are benefiting from the experience gained by their colleagues in the commercial vehicle sector, where SCR technology is already in successful use. DaimlerChrysler also intends to use the great potential of this process for diesel passenger cars in future, and initially intends to offer SCR technology in the USA when the trials have been completed. The service fluid which allows selective catalytic combustion is named "AdBlue". As only very small quantities are required when on the move, the capacity of the reservoir located in the spare wheel recess of the concept car is sufficient for a mileage corresponding to the service interval for a current Mercedes diesel car. Body structure: natures construction principles for rigidity and light weight Biology not only provides ideas for aerodynamic efficiency, but also gives impulses for innovative lightweight construction methods. Both the external armour-plating of the

boxfish and the bone structures of other creatures show how nature achieves maximum strength with the minimum use of materials. Bone structures are always in accordance with the actual loads encountered. In the case of the human thigh bone, for example, the position and strength of the bone matter is precisely right for the tensile and pressure loads which the limb must withstand. It is not only bone structures but also tree branches and roots that grow according to biological laws a perfect lightweight construction strategy on the part of nature. In consultation with bionics experts, DaimlerChrysler researchers have developed a computer-assisted process for transferring the growth principle used by nature to automobile engineering. It is based on the SKO method (Soft Kill Option). Computer simulation is used to configure body and suspension components in such a way that the material in areas subject to lower loads can be made less resistant, and can perhaps even be eliminated ("killed") completely, while highly stressed areas are specifically reinforced. This bionic SKO process enables an optimal component geometry to be identified which meets the requirements of lightweight construction, safety and durability in equal measure.

Bodyshell structure according to the SKO method: 30 percent lighter The hexagonal scales of the boxfish likewise obey the principle of maximum strength for the least weight. Transferred to the external panelling of a car door, this natural construction principle produces a honeycomb pattern with up to 40 percent more rigidity. If the entire bodyshell structure is configured according to the SKO method, its weight is reduced by around 30 percent while retaining its exemplary stability, crash safety and handling dynamics. In this area too, bionics can therefore make a further major contribution to greater fuel economy. At a glance:

More special technical and stylistic features of the concept car Body

Roof structure with large areas of glass, calculated and designed according to the bionic SKO method Panoramic windscreen Flush-fitted door handles are folded out by an electric motor when touched Front indicators as prismatic fibre optic cables Xenon headlamps High-performance LEDs as sidelights Rear lights with high-performance LEDs and prism rods Rear-view cameras instead of exterior mirrors

Interior

Specially designed body with the silhouette of a boxfish Seat upholstery and dashboard covering in embossed Alcantara Individual rear seats Monitors for the rear-view cameras in the centre console and A-pillar lining on the drivers side

Drive

Four-cylinder turbodiesel engine (1991 cc, 103 kW/140 hp ) with common-rail direct injection Exhaust emission control with a maintenance-free particulate filter and SCR technology "AdBlue" reservoir and metering unit in the spare wheel recess AUTOTRONIC continuously variable automatic transmission

Bionics: Nature as an ingenious engineer and designer

Combination of biology and technology Problem solutions from nature as a basis for innovations

How is a water spider able to swim and dive without getting wet? This is one of the questions which the modern discipline of bionics tries to answer. The aim of bionics specialists is to translate natures solutions into human technology, for there is no doubt that nature is the best engineer and most ingenious designer of all. The comparatively recent research area of bionics is actually an inter-disciplinary subject which combines engineering science, architecture and mathematics. The basic principle is

to make natures ideas and problem solutions, which have stood the test of time over millions of years of evolution, usable for man. The term bionics was coined by an American air force officer in 1958, but the worlds first student of bionics was the Italian Leonardo da Vinci. No less than 500 years ago, this ingenious all-rounder studied the flight of birds and designed a flying machine according to his findings. He also derived the principle of the helicopter from what he observed in nature. Later it was the turn of Otto Lilienthal to triumph with his "flying apparatus", which he had designed after careful study of the storks wing structure. Fish are also very interesting objects of study for bionic specialists. For example, the nose of the dolphin is the model for a pear-shaped bow protuberance which enables ships to cross the oceans of the world with less water resistance and therefore a lower fuel consumption. And Airbus engineers have copied the rough skin of the shark to develop a striated foil coating for the wings of aircraft. The result is up to six pe rcent less friction and considerable savings in aviation fuel. Self-cleaning surfaces are based on the example of lotus leaves, highly resistant metallic foams are derived from the bone structure and the latest, self-sharpening cutting tools copy the principle of rodent teeth. Nature even provides ingenious solutions for day-today things such as the Velcro fastener. Nature is also a model of sustainability Bionics research does not mean copying nature. The aim is rather to understand its principles and use them as a stimulus for innovations. The inventions of nature, which have been developed and continuously improved over millions of years, provide an inexhaustible reservoir of ideas and inspirations from which not only technology can benefit. More than ever before, bionics can also further the cause of environmental protection. Many of the innovative concepts which engineers and scientists are adopting from nature correspond to the principle of sustainability. Nature always achieves its objectives economically, with the minimum energy, conserves its resources and completely recycles its waste an example which is well worth following.