The challenge of the dieper project is to apply advanced technologies for combustion and exhaust aftertreatment to existing non-hybrid Diesel engines and to optimize the improved characteristics of a new generation of engines referring to emissions, fuel consumption and driveability. Specific technologies will be advanced to TRL 6 or TRL 7 and integrated in two demonstration vehicles: one passenger car of the mid/premium segment and one light commercial vehicle. 

New fuel-efficient engine combustion concepts consider options such as Variable Compression Ratio (VCR), reduction of heat losses by thermo-swing wall heat insulation of the combustion chamber and associated thermal management strategies, advanced charging and EGR strategies.

Emission reduction focuses on an improvement of the particles filtration efficiency including nanoparticles >10 nm at low pressure drop (< 100 mbar). The particle number target is to go below 20% of the EU6 limit. The counting of particles will be carried out with improved techniques developed in the European project DownToTen which currently is active. The advanced particles filtration is combined with NOx reduction concepts that go to ≤ 50 % of the EU6 limitation.

The emission targets and a > 5% improved fuel economy (compared to MY 2015 reference engines) shall be proved with the demonstrator vehicles. 

The dieper project shall contribute to counter detrimental effects of growing road transport on the environment and public health. Despite increasingly stringent emission standards CO2 and noxious emissions must be sufficiently reduced under all conditions in real driving.