engine technology international.com-mar2012

Cause and effeCtETi looks into the next phase of rapid prototyping and its impact on powertrain builders

March 2012

forCe of natureBoosted engines have never been so popular, but have naturally aspirated powerplants really had their day?

www.enginetechnologyinternational.com

not your average JoeFord’s global engine chief, Joe Bakaj, reveals his thoughts on the latest breakthrough technologies

The Japanese OEM is back with its

all-new Earth Dreams Technology

engine family. Will this include a

high-revving screamer for the new NSX?

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MARCH 2012

In this issue...CONTENTS

Cause and effeCtETi looks into the next phase of rapid prototyping and its impact on powertrain builders

March 2012 forCe of natureBoosted engines have never been so popular, but have naturally aspirated powerplants really had their day?


not your average JoeFord’s global engine chief, Joe Bakaj, reveals his thoughts on the latest breakthrough technologies

The Japanese OEM is back with its all-new Earth Dreams Technology engine family. Will this include a high-revving screamer for the new NSX?

04

14. Engines on testIt’s two powertrains from Mercedes-Benz for this issue: the ever-impressive OM651 diesel in the C-Class coupe and the new M271 EVO four-cylinder in the SLK

16. Personality profileLorenzo Magro, diesel architecture manager in the advanced engineering department, General Motors Europe

18. Offer20. Davis48. Production news72. Last word

REGULARS

08

12

WHAT’S NEW?04. Honda’s earthy IC dreams ETi gets a rare insight into Honda’s IC plans, with the aim being to deliver lightweight designs that boast class-leading fuel economy levels

08. Charged upGM has rolled out a 2-liter turbo for the all-new ATS, and both engine and car have been designed to give premium German vehicles a real fright

10. Motown muscleFord has developed the first 200mph showroom-ready Mustang. ETi travels to Detroit to get up close and personal with the stunning 5.8-liter V8

12. Clean sheet Just how did Hyundai Kia create one of the most frugal and eco-friendly diesel engines ever, without breaking the bank?

10

Engine Technology International.com // March 2012 // 01

36. Force of natureThose working with forced induction technologies say it’s only a matter of time until all engines feature some sort of boosting, but just what type of systems will win?

INTERVIEWS42. OEM interviewIn a rare media outing, Joe Bakaj, Ford’s head of powertrains, discusses the future of IC engines

The word wizardsEditor: Dean SlavnichChief sub editor: Alex BradleyDeputy chief sub editor: Nick ShepherdProofreaders: Aubrey Jacobs-Tyson, Frank Millard

Contributors from all cornersFarah Alkhalisi, John Challen, Brian Cowan, Matt Davis, Adam Gavine, Dan Gilkes, Max Glaskin, Maurice Glover, Burkhard Goeschel, James Gordon, Graham Heeps, John Kendall, Andrew Lee, Mike Magda, Jim McCraw, Bruce Newton, Greg Offer, Keith Read, Rex Roy, John Simister, Michael Taylor, Saul Wordsworth, Karl Vadaszffy

The ones who make it look nice Art director: Craig MarshallArt editor: Ben WhiteDesign team: Louise Adams, Andy Bass, Anna Davie, Andrew Locke, James Sutcliffe, Nicola Turner, Julie Welby

Production people Head of production & logistics:Ian DonovanDeputy production manager:Lewis HopkinsProduction team: Carole Doran, Cassie Inns, Robyn SkalskyCirculation manager: Suzie Matthews

Commercial colleaguesSales director: Mike RobinsonSales manager: Aboobaker Tayub, Daniel SumaresInternational sales: Damien de Roche, Chris Richardson

Those in charge CEO: Tony RobinsonManaging director: Graham JohnsonEditorial director: Anthony James

How to contact usEngine Technology International Abinger House, Church Street, Dorking, Surrey, RH4 1DF, UK +44 1306 743744 [email protected]

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Work has already begun on the International Engine of the Year Awards, with the ETi team compiling the voting pack for our international jurors. But even though we are only in the early stages of planning – this year’s awards ceremony takes place during Engine Expo at the Messe Stuttgart on June 13 – I can’t help but get excited when I think about all the new powertrains that are in the running to win an accolade or four!

Last year’s big winner was Fiat with the two-cylinder TwinAir, but I’ll be very surprised if this innovative little unit repeats its success and walks off with four awards. Why? Because, simply speaking, the competition this year is more fierce than it has ever been since the launch of these awards 14 years ago.

On the green front, the likes of GM with the Volt/Ampera powertrain, PSA Peugeot Citroën with the Hybrid4, and Nissan with the electric Leaf will all be vying for a gong. We also shouldn’t forget Ford’s smallest engine to date, a 1-liter three-cylinder turbo. Then, at the other end of the spectrum,

McLaren with the M838T, Mercedes-AMG and its 5.5-liter powerhouse, and BMW M’s first-ever turbocharged engine, the S63, will all be contenders. Which way will the jury go? Will they continue with the downsized theme of winners in recent years, or will a blockbusting V engine come to the fore? And this is assuming, of course, that previous winners, such as VW’s ever-present TSI Twincharger, Toyota’s latest Hybrid Synergy Drive and BMW’s refreshed 3-liter DI, don’t make a spectacular comeback to claim the title they once held.

The thing is, these awards merely reflect the industry, and the fact that there’s so much competition from the small two- and three-cylinder designs right through to Lamborghini’s V12 in the Aventador, showcases the hard work and continuous innovation taking place in engine development departments around the world, and all this is happening during a time when R&D budgets are tighter than ever. I’m counting down the days until the 2012 International Engine of the Year is revealed.

Dean Slavnich

EDITOR’S NOTE

CONTENTS

02 // March 2012 // Engine Technology International.com

FEATURES24. Fast moverAs rapid prototyping enters its next phase – rapid manufacturing – we ask what impact will this evolving process hold for the engine making business

30. Piston headThe trusty piston has been around since the reciprocating engine was first invented, but new designs are set to come to the fore that promise to change this component forever

50. Ionbond53. Ansys56. AVL58. Lubrizol60. Emhart Teknologies62. Micro-Epsilon64. CD-adapco65. IPC66. Industrie Saleri Italo67. Nemak68. Enerpulse69. SPAL Automotive70. SAS Critt

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24

Honda is an organization that doesn’t reveal much about its engines and is not one to boast about state-of-the-art innovations either. But in a

world exclusive, ETi has gained a rare insight into the company’s futurepowertrain direction, which includes an all-new family of IC engines


Honda’s IC fuTurE

Words: PETEr NuNN

Dreammachines


Honda’s IC fuTurE

Honda is one of the most celebrated names in the engine technology business. The company has fine-tuned its reputation on world-beating Formula 1 racing

motors, cutting-edge, high-economy IC designs, light and efficient hybrid and fuel cell innovations, and of course, some of the most iconic, high-revving sportscar powertrains around.

The car world is always watching to see what Honda does next, so recently the company released some information about its next-generation program, dubbed Earth Dreams Technology, which is essentially a set of technical advances that aims high: top-of-the-industry fuel efficiency in every vehicle class – and all within three years.

When it comes to market, Earth Dreams will cover a wide base: petrol and diesels, new transmissions and hybrids, as well as a new generation of electric cars also thrown into the mix. And it’s not just about going green. Powertrains that deliver driving fun will play a key role in the Earth Dreams thinking, which sounds encouraging for those that

still have a great fondness for the engines driving the likes of yesteryear’s S2000, NSX and various Type R models.

Diesel dreamsFor Honda’s all-new, European mainstream diesel engine, which will be launched in the Civic later this year, the Japanese OEM has employed some high-end, eco-friendly solutions. The 1,596cc, 118bhp motor comes from an all-new architecture and will feature an aluminum block and head, a cylinder sleeve constructed from lightweight

cast iron, and a host of other weight-saving features that will make it the

lightest in its class and deliver sub-100g/km of C02. ETi has learned that the diesel,

which has been benchmarked against Volkswagen’s 1.6-liter Bluemotion engines, will have a dry weight that’s at least 50kg lighter than that of Honda’s current 2.2-liter diesel. The variable turbine geometry turbochargers will come from Honeywell. The Japanese OEM is also promising a class-leading balance of fuel economy and performance from the 1.6, plus a low friction level equivalent to current petrol engines. Lower mechanical friction levels will be realized, thanks primarily to a new high-efficiency air-charging system.

Away from the diesel in Europe, Honda’s Earth Dreams mantra is already taking shape in Japan through a new-generation 660cc unit in the new N Box minicar, which is the first global example of Earth Dreams to make production. Other Honda engines spanning

Honda is finally ready to revive the NSX, with its market launch being three years away. It is thought that a high-revving V6 engine and a high output SH-AWD three-motor system will form the heart of the 2015 supercar

the 1.3, 1.5, 1.8, 2.0, 2.4, and 3.5-liter classes will also get the Earth Dreams technology as the company progressively overhauls its entire power range.

“Honda has been working on IC technology to improve both performance and fuel efficiency, mostly with VTEC technology at its core,” comments a senior Honda R&D spokesman. “We have applied lean burn technology, direct injection, and variable cylinder management technologies in the past. Now the PET engine series in our new kei car (N Box) achieves both high engine output and class-leading fuel efficiency, and this marks the next step for us.”

The tiny three-cylinder gives a good insight into Honda’s thinking with Earth Dreams. It employs both DOHC and variable timing control to improve intake efficiency. Engine weight has been cut by 15% by reducing the thickness of the cylinder block and camshafts and by shortening the cylinder bore pitch. The compact combustion chamber achieves high thermal efficiency, and fuel efficiency has been bettered by 10% over the outgoing unit. It’s this type of approach that Honda will now apply to all new engines coming out under the Earth Dreams banner.

For its next-generation larger engines – including the 1.3-liter and 1.5-liter units, as well as the 1.8-liter and 2-liter classes, Honda will use the Atkinson cycle with DOHC and direct injection. All of these engines, along with the next Accord 2.4 offering, will employ extensive friction-reduction measures, probably in the form of high-tech coatings. New valvetrain mechanisms are planned for the next 3.5-liter V6 within the engine’s single cam, VTEC and VMC systems to bump economy up by 10% and power output by 5%, reveals our source.

Green light for NSX heartHonda is infamous for shying away from media questions about it powertrain strategy, so it comes as no surprise to learn that it’s not yet ready to go public on some aspects of future engine direction, such as the worth of two-cylinder designs, the use of forced induction technologies, or even commenting on whether it will ever again build another high-revving VTEC sports classic such as the S2000 and Integra Type R. However, the world’s largest engine producer is pushing confidently ahead on hybrid technology, and an intricate hybrid setup with a V engine will form the heart of the next-generation NSX. The high output SH-AWD three-motor system was unveiled earlier this year in the latest NSX Concept. A mid-mounted V6 (with a capacity of around 3.5 liters) links with a dual-clutch transmission and a 30kW high-efficiency motor. Two independent 20kW in-wheel motors then feature at the front of this all-new Honda electric 4WD system. Engineers are hard at work configuring this system for front-engine applications, in which case the twin in-wheel motors switch to the rear. The promise is V8-level performance, but with four-cylinder economy, or better, via this efficient, high-tech sport hybrid SH-AWD layout. The powertrain and supercar is three years away from market launch, says Honda.

The company’s R&D spokesperson adds: “Honda sold about 200,000 units (an increase of 30%) of hybrid vehicles around the world last year. Cumulative sales of hybrid models have reached 500,000 units globally within the past three years. In Japan, hybrid vehicles make up over 45% of our full line-up.” As such, Honda plans to push on with evolving its compact, lightweight Integrated Motor Assist system – now powering the Insight and others.

“Now the PET engine series in our new kei car achieves both high engine output and class-leading fuel efficiency, and this marks the next step for us”


HoNda’s IC fuTurE

1 and 2: As well as new IC engines, hybrid and electric vehicles also fall under the Earth Dreams Technology banner. Above is the EV-Ster, an electric rear-wheel-drive two-seater. right is the fit EV, which has a 20kWh Li-ion battery and a 92kW coaxial electric motor

3. The new diesel engine from Honda weighs 50kg less than the current 2.2-liter offering and was benchmarked against VW’s Bluemotion range

1

2

3


– as well as Caddy’s established, but reworked, 3.6-liter V6.

Turbo timeWell-known for its range-topping V-engines, it’s the turbocharged offering in the ATS that catches the eye for all the obvious reasons. Known internally as LTG, and paired with a choice of two manual transmissions (GM’s Hydra-Matic 6L45 unit and the Tremec TR3160), the engine represents Caddy’s drive for increased efficiency, but without a loss of power in downsized engines, something that the European competition has been doing perfectly well for several years.

LTG is based on a totally new architecture, says Mike Anderson, global chief engineer for GM’s Ecotec engines, and as such, it benefits from a host of high-end technologies that will enable the sedan to take on the A4, 3 Series and C-Class.

LTG’s Mitsubishi Heavy Industries turbocharger generates up to 20 lb of boost, and its twin-scroll design helps to optimize the usable power from the engine and virtually eliminate turbo lag. Electronically controlled supporting components, including the wastegate and bypass, further enhance performance and efficiency levels.

The use of a variable-displacement oil pump, as well as a low-friction hydraulic roller-finger valve operation, helped Caddy engineers to reduce friction levels in the four-pot by 16%.

Anderson also says that noise intensity was lowered by as

much as 37%.Other notable features

include an electronic throttle, a hydraulic tensioner that keeps the

timing chain adjusted for life, and an extended-life spark plug that’s good for

100,000 miles. This latter point is particularly pertinent for Anderson: “Our biggest challenge was accomplishing this goal [developing LTG] in the time that we had, while maintaining durability worthy of our five-year, 100,000-mile warranty.”

In total, it took GM North America around four years to develop LTG from concept initiation, which, says Anderson, “despite the increase in technology content, is shorter than our last all-new engine development program”. The GM chief puts the compression in development time largely down to coupling parametric design with proprietary analysis techniques in CFD and FEA, all of which reduced the required number of hardware builds and test cycles.

Minimal massWith efficiency being one of the most important aspects of LTG development, Anderson’s team had to work hard to ensure a lightweight design. “Minimizing mass was a fundamental part of the culture of the development team of the Ecotec 2-liter turbo, so every part was scrutinized down to the gram,” he explains.

There’s no doubting that the Cadillac ATS was one of the shining stars at the 2012 Detroit Motor Show. But unlike many other unveilings at Cobo Hall, this US-developed sedan is much more than a showy concept: it’s set to hit the North American market around the second quarter of 2012, and just as importantly, the car represents Cadillac’s newest weapon to take on the world’s premium brands, which specifically means the German three of Audi, BMW and Mercedes-Benz.

Taking on such fierce competition means that the ATS will need top-notch engines as part of its arsenal, so Cadillac has made available a trio of power-dense powertrains: two all-new four-cylinder units – a 2.5-liter and a 2-liter turbo

What’s neW? CadIllaC aTS Turbo

dId you know?

The 30-second Cadillac aTS advertisement that played during this

year’s Super bowl was the most-watched commercial, having aired

during the game’s most tense moment. More than 111 million people watched the 2012 Super bowl – a record high.

on average, placing a 30-second commercial during the final costs

uS$3 million.

Game With an efficient and powerful four-pot turbo under the hood, Cadillac’s all-new sedan is ready to take on the German big three

changer

The aTS has been developed to take on German premium sedans. as a result, it gets an all-new 2-liter turbo engine, codenamed lTG, that was developed in only four years

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“We paid for mass reduction where it made sense from a ‘grams per dollar’ perspective. Examples include the use of hollow assembled camshafts and a composite intake manifold. We also used strategic design optimization at both architecture and component level. For instance, locating the oil pump at the rear of the balance shaft module in the oil pan allowed us to shorten the engine length by 13mm, which saved mass at both engine and vehicle level.

“In addition, proprietary advanced FEA techniques were used on every panel and structural component of the engine to ensure they met their strength and stiffness requirements at minimal mass. This not only helped deliver a lightweight engine, but also helped improve tonal quality and overall refinement,” he explains.

In addition to the modular balance shaft in the oil pan, LTG also benefits from a precision sand-cast block with cast-in-place iron liners, a forged steel crankshaft, and pistons from Kolbenschmidt Pierburg with jet-spray cooling. Bontaz provided the piston squirters. Anderson’s team also opted for a rotocast aluminum cylinder head with sodium-filled exhaust, a DOHC arrangement with continuous VVT, and DI with a cam-driven, high-pressure fuel pump.

With so much technology on the go, Anderson is proud the new turbo unit: “The 2.0T is one of the most advanced and efficient engines of its kind and contributes to the AST’s exceptional balance of performance and great fuel efficiency.”

And the GM man is resolute in his belief that US consumers are set to embrace downsized turbo engines: “We believe unequivocally that the USA is ready for efficient, refined, and responsive four-cylinder engines in premium vehicles. In fact, we expect the new 2-liter turbo to be the volume leader in the all-new Cadillac ATS.”

vital statistics

ats 2-liter turbo

Displacement: 1,998cc

Bore and stroke: 86 x 86mm

Compression ratio: 9.5:1

Estimated power: 270bhp at 5,300rpm

Estimated torque: 353Nm at 1,700-5,500rpm

Maximum engine speed: 7,000rpm


What’s neW? Ford V8

pistons, with a concomitant decrease in piston bowl size from 13.2 to 10.3cc.

The three-ring pack has been upgraded from cast-iron rings to low-tension steel rings that are relocated higher on the piston to reduce both ring flutter and crevice volume. Tapered connecting rods are of a cracked forged steel I-beam design that uses a carryover piston pin. The block has been fitted with new piston oil squirters for long-term durability.

The bottom end is sealed up by six-bolt main bearings, and a cast-aluminum structural oil pan holding 8.5 quarts of 5W-50 synthetic oil. An optional track pack for the Shelby GT 500 will increase the coolers for the engine oil, adding another quart, and coolers for transmission and differential lube as well.

The cylinder heads of the Shelby GT 500 V8 powertrain are constructed from aluminum, with dual overhead camshafts and four valves per cylinder that use Inconel steel valves measuring 37mm intake and 32mm exhaust. The engine’s exhaust system makes use of cast manifolds rather than the more common stainless-steel headers.

Charging aheadThe 5.8-liter’s camshaft is plucked from the 5.4 unit, with more intake lift (11.18mm versus 10.01mm), more exhaust lift (11.48mm versus 10.09mm), slightly more intake duration, and slightly less exhaust duration, with 1.81:1 rocker ratios. Each head is fitted with coil-on-plug ignition, single spark plugs and a single fuel injector per cylinder.

Where the 5.4-liter, 550bhp engine used an Eaton three-lobe supercharger with a 60° twist on the rotors and 2 liters of displacement, the 5.8-liter engine uses an Eaton TVS charger that features a four-lobe rotor design with a 160° twist and 2.3 liters of displacement. The blower drive ratio has been upped from 2.33:1 to 2.64:1, and boost pressure from 0.6 bar to just over 1 bar. Operating cylinder pressures leap from 114 bar up to more than 138 bar, a 21% increase.

The supercharger, built with an integral intake manifold and using an air-to-water intercooler of greater efficiency than the previous unit, was designed for this application by Ford with much greater airflow – 33% to be specific – and will be assembled and bench-tested by Performance Assembly Systems, a unit of Roush Industries,

before shipping to Ford’s engine plant in Romeo, Michigan, where one technician

will assemble each engine. The 5.8 uses twin 60mm

throttle bores, as before, with fuel delivery through the

Bosch single-shot injectors that have been modified to handle the power increase.

In the car, the engine will be backed up by a dual-disc clutch with race-quality

friction material and higher clamping pressures, a Tremec

six-speed manual transmission with upgrades to case, shafts,

gears, bearings and oil pump, as well as a 3.23:1 final-drive ratio. Ford says the

2013 Ford Mustang Shelby GT 500 will be the first 200mph Mustang right off the showroom floor. Fuel economy figures were not immediately available, but Ford says there will not be a gas-guzzler tax on this car.

For the 2013 version of the Ford Mustang Shelby GT 500, Ford’s Special Vehicle Team will introduce a new 5.8-liter supercharged V8 that’s special in every way.

How? Well, for starters it makes 650bhp at 6,500rpm and 813Nm of torque at 4,000rpm, with at least 85% of peak torque – some 690Nm – coming good from 2,000rpm right through to 6,500rpm. The powertrain ECU is programmed to provide eight-second bursts of 7,000rpm operation for track use. Ford’s previous high on power was 550, which came courtesy of a supercharged 5.4-liter DOHC V8 in the Mustang GT, but the new 5.8-liter sets new power levels, not just for Ford, but for the Detroit three.

A brand new aluminum block is used for the new V8, with plasma-sprayed cylinder bores in lieu of heavier iron cylinder liners, finish-bored with a deck plate in place. The crankshaft is forged steel, specially counterweighted for high-rpm durability and fitted with a larger damper than the 5.4, and a pair of tungsten balance masses on either end. The displacement is achieved with a long 105.7mm stroke, which is the same as the 5.4, and with a 93.4mm bore, around 3.3mm larger than the GT engine.

Revised pistonsForged Mahle 9:1 pistons with revised structure and pin bosses replace the previous engine’s 8.4:1

in numbersWith 650 supercharged horses and more than 800Nm of torque,Ford’s new V8 is one of the most powerful in the USA, helping to create the first 200mph showroom-ready Mustang

Strength

1. With the 5.8-liter V8 making 650bhp and 800Nm of torque, the Shelby GT 500 is easily the fastest Mustang of all time

2. The new Ford V8 benefits from a Eaton TVS supercharger that features a four-lobe rotor design with a 160° twist

1

2


The cylinder block and bedplate were designed specifically to reduce weight, but the R&D team did find

this part of the development program a challenge to start with, as Choi explains: “Early

parts had a crack problem on main bearing journal because of

the lack of stiffness. To solve this, several structural analysis results were applied, and a block-casting process improved the design. Therefore 3% of materials costs and 7% of weight was

reduced without loss of durability and NVH performance in the engine.”

Turbo selectionBeing applied to a B-segment vehicle – one of the most competitive markets in the auto industry – meant that keeping an eye on costs throughout the U2-1.1 program was crucial. As a result, the team selected a waste gate turbo instead of a variable geometry design, allowing the quantity of catalyst precious metals to be decreased due to a lower compression ratio of 16.0, which also helped optimize NOx output and HC/CO. New technologies and processes such as a thin wall cylinder block, an exhaust-manifold-integrated turbocharger, a plastic oil filter body, and a support-bracket-integrated timing chain cover also help keep the weight of the engine down.

Further work on the engine’s combustion enabled the team to completely eliminate the swirl control valve system while achieving viable engine performance, which was also a key aspect – especially as a B-segment vehicle needs to be at home in the city as well as on the highway.

The performance target of the project focused on the enhancement of low- and mid-speed torque to ensure initial acceleration capability. As such, a small and highly efficient turbocharger with an optimized combustion chamber offered a more than 15% increase in low-speed performance, with 74bhp being generated at 4,000rpm, and 170Nm of torque being available from 1,500rpm to 2,750rpm, nicely matching the needs of a B segment offering such as the new Rio.

If you thought Fiat’s two-cylinder TwinAir engine was a good example of a lean, green IC design – spewing just 95g/km of CO2 – then prepare to be taken to the next level by Hyundai-Kia’s U2-1.1 three-cylinder diesel, which the South Korean car maker says sets a new benchmark in emissions and fuel economy.

In fact, so frugal is the turbocharged U2-1.1 that it probably boasts the best fuel consumption and CO2 output of any mass-produced IC unit in the world, and this includes various hybrids and competing eco powertrain models, meaning it is beaten only by pure EVs.

So, the results: when installed in the new Kia Rio, the 12v engine emits 85g/km of CO2 and records 88.3mpg on combined mode. Jihye Choi, research engineer at Hyundai’s R&D facility in Hwaseong, Korea, attributes the diesel’s green credentials mainly to combustion optimization and friction minimization. “In addition, the low-medium torque of the engine was increased to prevent the performance deterioration that occurs when downsizing,” he explains. “Also, weight reduction and cost-competitiveness were achieved by adapting state-of-the-art technologies.”

By reducing the number of cylinders to three, fuel economy in the new Rio is 6% better than with the discontinued four-cylinder 1.4-liter diesel, but techniques such as combustion and piston bowl optimization, a reduction of compression ratio, changing the size of the injector hole, and a clever intake manifold design have all played important roles.

Hyundai-Kia claims to have developed the world’s cleanest mass market engine.

In an exclusive media briefing, ETi finds out the secret inner workings of the U2 diesel

What’s neW? HyundaI-kIa dIEsEl

Mysterious ways

The three-cylinder diesel’s friction levels are reduced by MOS2 coatings on the piston, and an overrunning alternator decoupler works to reduce accessory belt tension. The turbocharger-integrated exhaust manifold has been optimized to achieve better fuel economy and performance.

The greatest challenge when downsizing to a three-cylinder design is NVH, and the Hyundai-Kia R&D team combated this by using an improved balance shaft module (crank gear driven-type) fitted in the oil pan. PT assembly stiffness was increased by applying a bell-housing structure to the cylinder block and bedplate, allowing NVH quality to be improved by increasing the stiffness of major components such as the engine mounting bracket and chain case. In addition to these measures, a PU foam engine cover was applied to further insulate unwanted engine noise.

1. keeping a close eye on cost was essential during the development of the u2-1.1 diesel. as a result, a waste gate turbocharger was selected over a variable geometry design

2. The three-cylinder diesel debuted in the new kia Rio

1

2

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cdadapcoETI0312.indd 1 23/02/2012 18:05

EnginEs on test

Not one but two new Mercedes-Benz models rolled up to ETi towers recently, both promising much. The first was the C-Class Coupé – in this case the C 220 CDI BlueEfficiency model with AMG trims. Our week with the car served as a timely reminder as to why this refined four-cylinder won an International Engine of the Year Award in 2009, and has since always been in the running for more gongs having finished in the top three of its category for the last three years. Its 2.1-liter size ensures the coupé can hold its own on the road – perhaps not as raw as its BMW 3 Series counterpart, but more engaging than the Audi A5. Mated to a six-speed manual, the fantastic diesel heart produces with ease the power one expects to tap into with a premium coupé. The twin turbos work in harmony to offer the driver 170bhp at 3,000rpm, and 400Nm of torque from a mere 1,400rpm. The story just gets better when using the engine’s stop/start function, which helps to ensure that the C 220 is very frugal: with careful gear selection we averaged just over 60mpg on combined mode – 5mpg better than M-B’s official figures. Our only criticism relates to this specific model. Despite a list price of less than US$50,600, the options added another US$15,000 to the total. There’s no doubt that this coupé is a very capable and desirable car, but we’re not convinced it’s worth US$65,000.

The second M-B we sampled was the new SLK, which finds itself in a crowded marketplace with tough competition from BMW, Audi, Porsche, and in the case of our particular test car, Mazda’s MX-5. The Japanese OEM’s roadster is mentioned because our SLK was the 250 BlueEfficiency model, which features a four-cylinder engine that M-B says is right on the cusp of the downsizing trend. In principle, the marketeers at Mercedes are correct: the two-seater was good for 45mpg on combined mode, while emissions are rated at 153g/km of CO2. The engine in its own right is fine, producing 204bhp and 310Nm of torque. The unit has a DI system with pressure of up to 140 bar that further improves efficiency; it uses single-flow turbocharging of the cylinder units; there’s a four-valve concept with forged intake and exhaust camshafts, as well as camshaft adjustments on the vane-cell principle; and it is homogeneously charged. That’s all good, but the issue we had was the application: in the SLK, the four-cylinder seemed noisy, with handling generally being far from sharp. Don’t get us wrong, the SLK 250 is fast in a straight line, but like the previous generation, we get the feeling this range will get better with engine size, especially as there is a 3.5-liter V6 and a 5.5-liter AMG also available. Another point of note is that the folding roof is superb.

Cylinders: Four Cubic capacity: 2,143ccBore/stroke: 83mm x 99mm Compression ratio: 16.2:1Power output: 170bhp torque output: 400Nm

Cylinders: Four Cubic capacity: 1,796ccBore/stroke: 82mm x 85mm Compression ratio: 9.3:1Power output: 204bhp torque output: 306Nm

125 years oF MerCedes-Benz and daiMler


The coupé and the roadsterMercedes-Benz C 220 CDI Coupé(OM651)

Mercedes-Benz SLK 250 CGI

(M271 EVO)

The four-stroke engine developed by Gottlieb Daimler and Wilhelm Maybach

1884 1937 1986 1997 2003

The Mercedes-Benz 540 K’s 5.4 -liter,

eight-cylinder compressor engine

Three-way catalytic converter became

standard in all M-B passenger cars

Common-rail direct injection technology for diesel engines is

developed at Daimler

M-B comes to market with the first seven-

speed automatic for passenger cars

P-80 now available in

manipulate.

®

®

®

®

P-80 RediLube

P-80 Grip-it

P-80 THIX

P-80 Emulsion

PERSONALITY PROFILE

What career did you dream of when you were growing up, and what was your first job?From a very young age, my dream was to be a train driver. My passion for automotive mechanics and engines came some years later, driving farm tractors up and down from the Monferrato hills at the age of 14. It was during this time that I helped my grandfather with the service and maintenance of agricultural machines. It was then that I knew I could combine a career with a passion.

When did you first start playing around with powertrains?Aside from working on tractor engines, my first car – once I passed my driving test – was a classic white Fiat 500 with a mileage of 150,000km! This car was something of a ‘mechanical gym’ because it needed some sort of service nearly every week and the trunk was full of spare parts. I would also like to add that a tow truck was never needed!

What was your career path to the position you currently hold?I joined Fiat Group in 1978 as a young designer

in the engine department. Over the years I was involved in many different projects on racing engines – including the Fiat 100. I also worked on diesel, ethanol, gasoline, naturally aspirated and charged engine development projects. In 1993, I was part of the first common rail team to develop the four- and five-cylinder engines for the Alfa Romeo 156, and was responsible for head development and fuel system integration. In 2000, I joined the Fiat-General Motors joint venture and worked my way up to become engineering group manager. After the joint venture dissolved in 2005, I joined General Motors as engine design manager based in the Torino Development Center.

What are the best and worst elements of your job?The best thing about my job is that engineering dreams can be realized. What I like less is that we are always fighting against time.

What is your proudest career moment to date? There are two things that spring to mind: the first is the common rail development; the

Job title: Diesel architecture manager in the advanced engineering departmentCompany: General Motors Europe


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I have a couple of ‘babies’ that I need to see through – one is close to production but the other is not yet even born,

so there’s lot more for me to work on

second happened in 2005 when we built the GM Torino Development Center. For the former, Alfa Romeo was the first to market a modern common rail engine in the passenger car sector. For the latter, the GM Torino center was a real challenge. The entire building was brand new and it took lots of planning and organization – we literally started from scratch.

What are your future career goals?I have a couple of ‘babies’ that I need to see through – one is close to production but the other is not yet even born, so there’s a lot more for me to work on. I think I have 10 years left, so in that time I want to see my remaining babies launched into the marketplace, but also work on finding my successor.

What car do you currently drive?An Opel Astra with a diesel engine.

What would be your ideal engine specification for today’s eco-friendly world?A move by OEMs to increase the use of energy recovery systems could be interesting because this technology can increase a vehicle’s efficiency by 30%.

Emissions legislation aside, what’s your dream engine spec?It would absolutely be a V8 twin-turbo diesel engine. It would offer great power and good economy levels.

In your opinion, what is the best engine that’s ever been produced?As an engineer, the answer has to be the next one! But seriously, I’d say the 2-liter diesel that powers the Opel/Vauxhall Insignia and Zafira. That is certainly a very efficient and reliable engine.

What OEMs do you have particular respect for in terms of engine development?I’d have to choose Volkswagen. That was one of the first companies to trust in diesel and apply this technology in the racing arena. I’m mainly a diesel engineer and I have to respect what VW has done with diesel engines. In your opinion, what will be powering a typical family sedan in the year 2030?I really think we will see a good mixture of different vehicles with varying engines. For sure, in the urban environment electric powertrains such as the Ampera will be ideal. As soon as battery technology matures there will be more and more small electric vehicles. There will, of course, still be IC engines – and, to be honest, for longer journeys there really is no better technology.


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OPINION

Offe

r The blossoming zero-emissions sector seems to be dominated by the development of exclusive luxury

models or high-end performance prototypes. The Jaguar C-X75 is my favorite, with independent four-wheel drive, 0-60mph in 3.5 seconds, a 68-mile EV range, and (the best bit) the inclusion of two jet engine range extenders. A jet engine electric car – I want one! Except I can’t, because Jaguar isn’t making them (yet), and when it does, the C-X75’s price tag will put it out of my reach. I understand the point of these EVs is to prove the technology, and get people excited about zero-emissions transportation, but what’s the point of a normal everyday person getting excited about EVs when they can’t afford even a basic model?

Putting aside the Jaguar for one moment, I point to the Mitsubishi i-MiEV, Nissan Leaf, Peugeot i0n and GM Volt/Ampera, all of which are at the high end for most consumers, with the vast majority of people in developed countries not able to afford one, let alone the rest of the world’s population in developing nations. Yet these cars do make financial sense for those who will use them every day to drive an appreciable distance, enabling them to potentially recoup their investment within three years.

That’s a better rate of return than almost any other

investment out there – but only if you already drive a lot.

We need to do it differently. We need to design and make cars that are affordable for the masses, right now. We need zero-emissions people’s car projects; we need to revive the spirit that drove the founding of companies such as VW, which got the masses moving. Tata Motors is a great

example of an OEM trying to do this in modern times, with the Nano, but its EV, the

Expensive EVs are appealing to those that can afford them

Tata Indica Vista EVX, is going to be a similar price to the Leaf. That’s not good enough. Why can’t we have an electric Nano?

Some smaller companies are taking the right approach, such as French developer MEGA with its Mega City electric, a four-seater with a 65km range that’s less than half the price of the Volt. In my book, that makes the Mega City affordable to most, right now, and a regular user could get payback within three years. I am pretty sure that Tata, or

even VW – if it really wanted to – could today build an affordable mass-produced electric city car with a modest range and price it for less than US$7,500 by using existing technology. And in a few years’ time as technology improves, perhaps the end cost to the user would decrease further. This could change everything, and would help deliver the dream of cheap sustainable mobility to the masses.

For those who disagree, and want to quote Henry Ford II saying “small cars, small profits”, I’d counter by saying “big cars, small market” and if the luxury segment is saturated with profitable companies that can afford to invest in new technology, I would advise those trying to break into new markets to develop small affordable cars for the masses. Eventually, the companies that succeed will become the new Toyotas, and can develop their own luxury brands like Lexus. If the incumbents don’t see this coming, and fail to create affordable cars for the masses once again, then they are only sowing the seeds of their own decline by abandoning the very markets where their history began.

We need todesign and make

cars that areaffordable for themasses, right now


Graham Johnson will be back with his regular column in the next issue!

www.engine-expo.com

“This is not myfirst time at this expo, and as usual I’m impressed”Pier Francesco PennestriBusiness development product director, Iveco

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12 - 14 June 2012 STUTTGART MESSE, GERMANY

opinion

Dav

is Companies that we all know and love are trying to turn half the cylinders in our engines into dead

weight. Boat anchors, if you like.I’m not insinuating that it’s a trend running rampant, nor

that it’s actually a lowbrow and dastardly move on the car makers’ part. It’s not even a new technology. It’s just that so long as the IC engine is the one all of us (or almost all of us) still want to buy, then powertrain engineers the world over have to do something with this century-old technology to keep the industry’s big players compliant with Euro 6 or P-ZEV – or whatever – into the future, while governments carry on legislating toward cars with engines that will actually pull CO2 from the atmosphere by 2050. Imagine: negative CO2 values per kilometer!

The Volkswagen up! (why the exclamation point? Now I have to include it all the time, just like I need to remember to switch off the autocorrect function on my computers whenever I want to write anything about an Audi quattro to stop them from capitalizing that ‘q’ every time) is the first to put into use the three-cylinder version of the latest VW Group EA211 family of more efficient and more powerful,

small, and generally transverse engines. It

puts up (no pun intended) impressive environmental numbers that would make any engineer’s mom proud.

However, it’s the four-cylinder TFSI members of the EA211 clan that are

making a frontal assault on Fiat Powertrain Technologies’ eternal boast – in great need of asterisks

and footnotes – of having the most efficient and cleanest range of

engines. (That’s right, that’s the same VW Group that specializes only in little, low-profit models!)

The VW/Audi COD technology enables the new V8

to run as a V4 unit with a regular firing order

Call it ‘cylinder deactivation’, ‘capacity on demand’, ‘halvesies’, or what you will. At Audi and VW, it’s ‘cylinder on demand’ and it basically works. But that’s just the start. It also costs less than your typical hybrid powertrain arrangement, puts up numbers that could make hybrid models unnecessary, is vastly more saleable, and doesn’t add 170kg (or so) to your car.

At the moment, VW is letting Audi (and very soon Bentley with the Continental GT) be the COD banner waver(s) – albeit an unfortunate acronym. I had my first shot at COD a few months back in the V8 unit used in the S6, S7 and S8 models. With added weight and robustness, COD works better from a purely seat-of-pants perspective. The tooling and software are understandably more complicated overall with more cylinders and power/torque output(s), but the EA211’s simpler solution is no amateur on an engineering level.

For me, the real beauty of this technology is in its relative simplicity. My grandfather, a great woodworker in his day, could have milled the specially adapted camshafts for the EA211’s COD system. It really looks that simple: as if an engineer raised his hand in an executive meeting and suggested they just mill new channels into the shafts that would keep the middle two cylinders’ sets of valves from doing their lift dance.

Certainly more went into it than that, but I adore this metal-based smart engineering that looks as easy as an ‘a+b=c’ formula. In my glee, I could almost suggest that we dump all new software-based solutions and go back to solid objects.

For me, the realbeauty of thistechnology

is in its relativesimplicity


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COnTACTTim SandfordAbinger House, Church Street

Dorking, SurreyRH4 1DF, UKTel: +44 1306 [email protected]

Rapid prototyping

24 // March 2012 // Engine technology international.com

Rapid prototyping

Engine technology international.com // March 2012 // 25

paceWords: KarL Vadaszffy

rapid prototyping techniques and technologies might bewell established in the automotive world, but the focus on

their use is now shifting. Industry experts explain how

Change of

Rapid prototyping


There has been a great sea change over the past five years for those plying their trade in the rapid prototyping world. Many experts believe the process is now entering

its next technological level – one that’s often referred to as rapid manufacturing.

ProMetal RCT is a leader in rapid prototyping development, helping customers to create complex sandcasting cores and molds direct from CAD data. But recently the company has altered its course completely, and is now focusing on production.

ProMetal’s head of sales, Said Omar, explains the change in direction: “Since 2006, the technology has improved – not only the machine size, but the speed of the production of parts. We are now over four times faster in printed volume per hour due to movement optimization, a faster computer, motor speed and a bigger print head.”

ProMetal’s solution to making the technology more competitive is its S-Max machine (and its smaller sister models, S-Print and S-15). “In rapid prototyping, a lot of things are manual,” the 42-year-old Frenchman explains, “but with us, everything is automatic with our Jobmatic automatic job starter. There’s a job box and the machine starts the job, then prints, and when it’s finished, the job box goes out and the machine automatically has another box inside to start. Basically, it’s one job out, one job in.”

The build volume of S-Max, which is used by the likes of BMW and Daimler, is 1.8m x 1m x 0.7m, and it is able to process silica, aluminoxyd and synthetic sand. What’s more, the sand can be recycled because the machine has a twin-source mixer.

Greater demandsBut Omar recognizes that the future will bring with it even greater demands. “We are constantly exploring the speed of printing and recoating,” he says. “The faster we can recoat, the higher the volume output. Today, we offer around 108,000cm³/hr.” To remain

competitive, ProMetal’s target is to double this volume, and to enable this, a new generation of machine will be presented later this year. Until then, ProMetal is keeping quiet on its all-new technology.

Another development over the past few years has been the type of binder that the company is now able to offer. Current choices of binder are a furan-base binder, a high heat strength binder designed for high-temperature cast iron or steel alloys, and an inorganic binder, which Omar calls “a trend of the industry today”.

With the inorganic binder, the loss of ignition is lower than with others, where typically a reading of more than 1.6% is found. “Our binder,” Omar says, “is much less – near to zero gas emissions. It’s also environmentally friendly and less hazardous for health because it’s based on water gas rather than being chemically composed.”

The potential of metal injectionAlongside traditional processes, emerging technologies are now also making headway. At Bangalore-based Indo-MIM, Manoj Kabre, vice president of marketing, argues that metal injection molding (MIM) is the way forward. The 43-year-old Indian comments: “It’s the way

“We are constantly exploring the speed of printing and recoating”

Rapid prototyping

Engine technology international.com // March 2012// 27

1. the proMetal S-Max has the capacity to manufacture the most complex molds and cores directly from CAD

2 and 3. Advanced rapid prototyping is helping to ensure engine parts such as aluminium inlet manifolds and lightweight blocks are produced at a quicker rate and at a higher quality level

4. A large sintering furnace as used by indo-MiM. the indian supplier says that it expects the MiM process to increase market share as the industry advances

“We have to locate the component in the right format inside the furnace, which will help minimize the distortion in these parts when it is processed through the MIM recovery. Six Sigma methodology has been the key development of this.”

First initiated by Motorola to reduce costs resulting from scrap, rework, inspection processes, lost revenue and other costs associated with ‘not doing it right the first time’, Six Sigma’s aim is to focus on process management at organizational levels, improving the efficiency and effectiveness of processes in the plant by aligning them to customers’ needs.

Kabre believes that the company’s biggest breakthrough in the past few years has been its enhanced capability to predict shrinkage on various materials, as well as the behavior of a part when inside the furnace. “The technology has two main ingredients: molding and strengthening,” he explains. “In the furnace, the component shrinks by about 20%, so the molding has to be 20% higher.”

The future of MIM, Kabre believes, belongs to materials that are more efficient and help improve processes. He reveals: “We have been working on exotic and high-temperature

Rapid prototyping

of the future, I’m sure of it, so we have to make the customer aware of the technology’s existence, what it could do for them, and which kind of component they could be migrated to.”

In recent years, Indo-MIM has focused on exploring challenging materials and tougher cross-sections and geometry to be made through MIM. Kabre continues:

2

3

1

4

Rapid prototyping


resistant materials.” And Kabre says the primary advantage to using high-temperature resistant materials is cost. “There is a lower-volume-to-higher-advantage ratio. Users want more strength and more productivity while occupying a lower volume, with a smaller footprint in a particular device.”

And what else of the future? Kabre predicts: “There’s a shift in terms of end requirements – hybrid and electric vehicles, and solar energy, for instance. So we have to explore the corresponding challenges related to miniaturization and complexity that these newer technologies will bring to the component business.”

Open-source wealthOver in the UK, Dr Adrian Bowyer, senior lecturer in the department of mechanical engineering at the University of Bath, reveals that the wealth of open-source rapid-prototyping activity in the past few years has resulted in a much-increased range of materials that can be built within rapid prototypers. “Polymers, such as bio-derived polylactic acids, were first tried by the open-source community, as were silicones and ceramics,” he says. “People in that community are now working on putting low-melting-point metals (160˚C) through the machines in combination with plastics to make 3D electrical circuitry embedded in mechanical devices, with no need for additional printed circuit boards.”

Bowyer advocates the benefits of open-source machines and now the discussion moves towards cost. “Proprietary rapid prototyping manufacturers say if you don’t buy their cartridges of build material, your rapid prototyping machine’s warranty or service contract is rendered void,” he states. “Typically, a cartridge containing 1kg of polymer might cost around US$170, even though on the open market it would only cost US$15. Open-source machines don’t follow this approach – for them, US$15 worth of plastic costs US$15.”

So what does the 60-year-old Brit see as the key developments and challenges on the horizon? “The most important immediate development will be single low-cost machines that can handle a multiplicity of materials with different physical properties all at once. Rapid prototyping technology enables the production of components with graded properties – an item with high flexibility at one end, changing smoothly to low flexibility at the other. For flexibility, you can also read thermal conductivity, opacity, or just about any other bulk physical property.”

The academic also believes the problem of making parts that are large but have very fine detail will be addressed. “The difficulty with current systems is that they don’t do both. This is because deposition systems for fine detail, such as ink-jet, take an inordinately long time to fill a large volume, whereas coarse deposition systems, such as fused-filament fabrication, can fill volumes fast but can’t handle detail.”

Bowyer concludes by pointing to his RepRap project. “Although it uses rapid prototyping, this is peripheral in a way: any manufacturing technology that was versatile enough to make a copy of itself would do,” he says.

“There is a strong sense in which the making of things in a lathe, and the making of them in a rapid prototyping machine, is a difference of degree. But making things in a self-replicating machine is different in kind from making them in a non-self-replicating machine. We live in a world that, for three billion years, has been knee-deep in self-replicating machines; indeed, our knees are made out of them. Conventional manufacturing is inherently arithmetic and incremental. However, self-replication has a productive power that is inherently geometric and exponential. And, once you have self-replicating manufacturing systems, you can rely on Charles Darwin to improve your designs.”

“The most important immediate development will be single low-cost machines thatcan handle a multiplicity of materials withdifferent physical properties all at once”

Counting thE Cost

Compare the difference: a typical rapid prototyping machine would have cost us$27,000 in 2006; today, this figure has come down to around us$270. “this precipitous drop in price was caused by my own reprap project and its spin-off companies,” claims Bowyer from the university of Bath, and also reprap director.

reprap is the replicating rapid prototype, which can print about half its own parts, ignoring fixings. in addition, its hardware and software are completely open-source. “Anyone with a reprap – or any other rapid prototyping machine – is free to employ it to make another reprap for use or for sale,” explains Bowyer.

A reprap can be made for around us$500. A large number of spin-off companies have formed around the reprap project to make repraps and non-replicating reprap derivatives. Among these companies is MakerBot in new york. Lately, some of the older makers of proprietary rapid prototyping

machines have been moving into this low-cost end of the market too, including 3D systems, which is introducing a closed-source rapid prototyping machine that incorporates digital rights management on the files that it prints.

And there’s also MakerBot, which runs the thingiverse website. Bowyer comments: “Anyone can freely upload and download designs for useful – as well as frivolous – rapid-prototyped objects.

“it will be most interesting to observe the closed-versus-open battle that we can expect over the next few years.”

traditionally, only virgin plastics were used for rapid prototyping, but gM’s technicians developed a process to recycle a portion of the excess sLs powder that is then brushed off

what next for the piston?

Words: Keith Read


perfectPiston

Changes in the use of materials are helpingcar makers and suppliers to deliver thenext design stage of the trusty piston

Pistons have been at the very heart of the IC engine for more than a century. They have changed greatly in that time and that speed of change has never been faster, primarily due to the combined demands of downsizing,

forced induction, direct injection, increased peak firing pressures and higher specific power outputs, all developments that have come to the fore as OEMs look to reduce fuel consumption and emissions. And now the piston itself looks set to change the dimensions of the cylinder block as piston manufacturers and car makers capitalize on the ‘growing together’ of gasoline and diesel engines for passenger cars and light CVs.

Dr Helfried Sorger, executive chief engineer for design, simulation and mechanical development at AVL, says that by combining diesel and gasoline engine architecture, significant economies of scale could be achieved. But one limiting factor is the compression height that, when compared to the bore, is more than 50% for diesel engines. “So for an 80mm bore, the compression height is more than 40mm to withstand the mechanical load,” Sorger explains. “For non-turbo gasoline engines it’s 30%, and for turbocharged gasoline engines it’s currently around 35%. This means the block height for the diesel is larger and, currently, there’s no commonality between this component for diesel and gasoline engines.

“But with [designs of] diesel and gasoline engines growing together, we think that with a good combination of the prime architecture you could provide a solution whereby the block height for both engines is identical. That will give a significant economy of scale.”

AVL chief engineer, Helfried sorger, says his organization is looking into using alternative materials for the next generation of piston design and development

aiming for commonalityIt’s a solution that has excited OEMs, including Ford. David Adams is technical specialist for power conversion at Ford’s Dunton engine R&D center in the UK, a key base in Blue Oval engine design and development, and also responsible for the highly efficient and much praised EcoBoost technology. Adams says that aiming for commonality between cylinder blocks for diesel and gasoline engines is one of the drivers for moving to steel pistons. “We are looking at steel pistons right now and the prospects [of commonality] are very exciting.

“There are trends toward steel for diesel applications and we’re looking at what a light steel piston might do for us in passenger car or light-commercial diesel engines. We’ve talked with suppliers a lot and this is probably likely to be the most significant innovation in materials for passenger car pistons for many years.”

AVL is investing R&D time and money looking at alternative materials in this area. “Lots of investigations are currently in place


Is carbon a crEdIblE opTIon?

The one ‘new’ material for pistons that almost everyone has explored for decades is carbon. In theory, it provides all the solutions. As long ago as the 1980s, carbon pistons were being tested by organizations such as NASA and Mercedes-Benz. AVL has also undertaken intensive research into this area.

“Carbon has good material behaviors and a carbon piston is around 30% lower in density than a lightweight aluminum piston,” says AVL’s Sorger. “It is also self-lubricating, it offers a constant strength up to 350°C, and has a lower coefficient

of thermal expansion. But one major disadvantage is cost; another is

carbon’s high heat retention, which leads to irregular combustion, especially in gasoline engines.”

Higher costs currently limit its likely use. However, Sorger points out that the topic of carbon pistons is regularly reviewed. “Carbon pistons may be promising if peak firing pressures increase even more. But as long as you can live with optimized aluminum and steel pistons – especially steel if the weight can be brought close to that of aluminum pistons – then carbon is not a real alternative. Who knows what will happen in the future?”

Baberg at Federal-Mogul says he and his team have looked at carbon in the past and reviewed its possibilities a couple of years ago. “But carbon pistons are still not cost-effective and there are some technical unknowns, such as their durability in mass production. Our research on carbon is on hold.”

left: With the engine sector striving to meet new goals, breakthrough piston designs are in big demand. pictured here is the Ford Taurus Ecoboost V6 with pistons that are light, yet strong, to reduce internal friction and optimize power

as a result of the substitution of naturally-aspirated gasoline engines over the coming few years with turbocharged

versions that increase the peak firing pressure from 80 bar up

to 130 bar,” explains Sorger. “Alternative fuels also further

increase the peak firing pressure up to 150 bar, bringing gasoline engines into

the same range as diesel engines.“We are currently investigating steel

pistons for high-power passenger car diesel engines where we have 200-220 bar peak firing pressure because the current limit for aluminum pistons is around 210 bar within acceptable compression heights. As the peak firing pressure increases, one promising way is moving to steel.”

what next for the pIsTon?

5 hot-gas stands to deal with downsizing.

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Part of AVL’s research is being undertaken with suppliers to develop a steel piston of the same weight as one made from aluminum. This is achieved through a special micro friction-welding process whereby the separate steel piston crown and shaft are welded together under pressure by micro movement. The AVL chief engineer says that welding two component parts machined from billets was more cost-effective than the alternative route of a complex casting. It is an already proven technology for heavy-duty pistons.

Ahead of the gameWhile the Holy Grail sought by OEMs and suppliers might be a piston that weighs next to nothing, costs very little to produce, incurs no friction, and lasts for as long as it’s needed, Adams says such an ultimate goal sounds far too flippant. “Piston development is a serious business. With three or four really good suppliers around the world – all competing to stay ahead of the opposition – we’ve seen quite rapid advances in lightweight piston architecture and new materials over the past few years.”

The Ford man cites the optimization of aluminum-silicon alloy pistons with the use of additional alloying elements that improve the microstructure, stability and strength of

Engine Technology International.com // March 2012// 33

the casting – essentials for reducing weight. “You’re stuck with the density of the material, so if you want to get weight out of a piston you need thinner sections, stronger materials and better casting technology. Our piston suppliers invest a lot in alloy development and in ensuring that the foundry can produce the parts in volume.”

However, sometimes the suppliers need encouragement from OEMs. Adams says Ford recently went back to one supplier and asked them to be more adventurous with their design. The result was a weight saving of almost 30g.

Looking for lighter, higher-strength architecture designs coupled with a low-friction output, means paying special attention to skirt elasticity, says Sorger at AVL. Also requiring attention is the profile and ovality of the piston, plus the application of coatings.

Graphite coatings have become nearly standard for all piston skirts, and Adams expects to see significant further developments. “All our pistons have a graphite-based coating on the skirt to reduce friction and, to a certain extent, wear, and we’re seeing particulate reinforcement

1: Can a steel piston weigh the same as one made from aluminum? Several R&D organizations are conducting concept studies

2: CAE will play a crucial role in realizing new, lightweight piston designs

3: A Porsche engineer fits high-strength pistons to the 911 Carrera engine

what next for the PISTon?

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JEwEl In ThE CRown

For more than three decades, R&D company FEV has kept an eagle-eye on what the future will require to meet evermore challenging engine performance and efficiency. And pistons are constantly under the Aachen-headquartered organization’s microscope.

With technical centers in Germany, the USA and China, FEV has seen the most recent main goal for gasoline engines realized: the maximization of volumetric efficiency. But with the proliferation of direct injection, boosting and high EGR rates, that goal has shifted toward improving mixture preparation. “The crown geometry of the piston can have a dramatic effect on in-cylinder charge motion, fuel mixing, wall wetting and stratification,” explains Stephen Bowyer, manager of gasoline and light-duty diesel engine design at FEV’s technical center in Michigan.

As a result, he says crown geometry must be considered in the development of any new combustion system. In the near future, FEV sees further penetration of high-power-density engines incorporating high charge motion combustion systems as engine downsizing continues.

In the next five to 10 years, Bowyer says lean-stratified engines will become more prominent as OEMs redesign their powertrains and begin to implement more radical technologies in order to meet future fuel economy regulations. “These combustion systems require piston crowns that are significantly different than the previously mentioned high charge motion concepts. Here, the primary goal of the piston is to contain the fuel spray and keep it separated from the lean zones within the chamber.

“Another technology that will affect crown designs is variable compression ratio, where the piston must be able to accommodate very high compression ratios (greater than 15:1), while at the same time facilitating either a high charge motion or a lean stratified combustion system.”

Bowyer says that FEV will use its proprietary combustion development process, called charge motion design (CMD), to develop future combustion systems – including piston crown geometry – before any hardware is procured. CMD integrates 3D CFD tools and proprietary combustion prediction tools, and such technologies are essential in order to meet future engine requirements, he says.

within the coatings. So instead of a conventional, resin-based material, you will have carbon nano-tubes – microscopically small tubes of carbon – added to increase wear-resistance. These are composite coatings – the sort of things we’ve seen on piston rings for years.”

He also sees expansion of the areas where coatings are used. “There’s growth in the use of coatings – such as DLC – on the gudgeon pin [wrist pin]. Conventionally, it’s not coated, but we’ve introduced this recently and now it is finding its way into the industry.”

Increasing the barAnother engineer deeply involved in piston development who has witnessed a dramatic acceleration in the rate of design change is Arnd Baberg, chief engineer for engineering products at Federal-Mogul’s Nuremberg tech center. “I have been with the company for 14 years and in the past three to four years demand for raised ignition pressure has gone up dramatically, first from 80 bar to 100/110 bar, and now we see pressures going to 130 bar.

“These higher operating loads place increasing pressure on the design of gasoline pistons. Engine manufacturers need stronger pistons and are looking for reductions in mass and friction. A key part of the challenge is to reduce mass without compromising performance or reliability. Reductions in the cross-section are a measure of this.”

While Federal-Mogul’s Elastoval I pistons had wall thicknesses of 5mm, the latest generation – Elastoval II – has seen this reduced to 4mm, resulting in a mass reduction of around 15%. However, advanced versions, not yet in production, will have wall thicknesses of as little as 2.5mm and will weigh up to 20% less than a typical Elastoval I design. “If you reduce the wall thickness the right way, you can do it without compromising strength,” asserts Baberg. “We removed material where stresses are low and put material where stresses are higher, where you can have a big impact on the overall deformation behavior of the piston.

“A decade ago we tried to do this, but the analysis tools were not up to it. Asymmetric wall thicknesses on the


1: The lightweight piston head found on GM’s Ecotec 2-liter I-4 VVT DI Turbo

2: An Audi engineer checks the pistons in the cylinder liners of a V10 FSI

3: Arnd Baberg, chief engineer at Federal-Mogul, says reducing piston wall thickness is crucial

thrust and anti-thrust sides of the piston were very difficult to achieve 10 years ago. But software advances have enabled progress to be made, and our alloys and casting techniques are much better now.”

Elastoval II introduced design innovations that improved the mass, strength, NVH and scuffing performance of gasoline pistons. These included parabolic arc side panels, undercrown pockets and a reduced boss gap at the upper end and different skirt widths. Advanced Elastoval II will feature a small boss gap at the upper end, very small panel-to-panel distances, double-inclined side panels, deep undercrown pockets with optimized shapes, reduced cross-sections, optimized crown-supporting ribs and asymmetric features, all of which, says Baberg, add up to produce a piston with very low weight and higher performance.

“There are trends toward steel for dieselapplications. We’ve talked with suppliers a lot and this is likely to be the most significant innovation in materials for passenger car pistons for many years”

WhaT nexT for The pISTon?

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Forced InducTIon

Words: John Challen


forceFeel the

driven by a need for extra efficiency, lower weight andimproved fuel economy, engine builders are demanding more from superchargers and turbochargers. But what

does the future hold for these forced-induction specialists?

Forced InducTIon

Forced induction


The phrase ‘small yet powerful’ may have become a cliché in the automotive industry, but for forced-induction systems, it is quite apt. Superchargers and

turbochargers are key to the growing trend of engine downsizing, so they are currently subject to a huge amount of R&D in order to decrease their overall mass, while increasing efficiency. Experts predict that additional drivers such as the growth in turbocharged gasoline engines – at the expense of larger, naturally aspirated units – could see an astonishing 70% of the world’s vehicles using turbochargers by the end of this decade.

Craig Balis, VP of engineering at Honeywell Turbo Technologies, says aerodynamics and bearing design are crucial to efficiency improvements. “For the compressor wheel, turbine wheel, and in a VGT, moveable vanes around the turbine wheel and blade design/shape is paramount,” he explains. “We continue to improve airfoil performance for better turbo efficiency and, given that they spin at up to 300,000rpm, we are also developing bearing platforms, and have recently launched a ball-bearing production program.”

The new designs promise much: “The next generation of turbochargers for gasoline engines is about 30% smaller than our current range, is lighter in weight, and adds up to 30% more performance.” The focus on subsequent generations, though, will be more about improving performance and less about size and packaging. “That generation

“The next generation of turbochargers forgasoline engines is about 30% smallerthan our current range, is lighter in weight,and adds up to 30% more performance”

Left: BMW has long been a pioneer of turbocharged diesel engines, creating such breakthrough designs as this inline six-cylinder with twin turbos and 2,000 bar piezo injectors


Forced InducTIon

ThE fIrsT supEr Turbo

Mention engine downsizing, and most of the industry points to Volkswagen’s TsI Twincharger, which combines a turbocharger and supercharger, as the perfect example of creating an efficient but powerful package. such has been this engine’s success, that it’s gone on to power a raft of VW, Audi, sEAT and Škoda models, as well as collecting 10 International Engine of the Year Awards since its launch in 2006. but contrary to popular belief, VW was not the first car maker to commercially launch an engine featuring both a turbocharger and supercharger: for that, one has to go back to the third quarter of 1988 in Japan, when nissan released the MA09ErT unit in the March. nissan engineers adopted the supercharger system in an effort to improve low-end torque and torque response. As such, two lobes roots type chargers were adopted and were driven by crank pulley through the electromagnetic clutch that controls the charging operation by the EcM.

from the pulsation effect.” The Conti chief says this stage is a mix between radial and axial: “It helps not only to improve turbine drive efficiency, but also to reduce the size of the wheel and moment of inertia.”

BorgWarner has developed a new turbo with a water-cooled turbine housing for a gasoline engine, the design of which meets the needs regarding energy loss and heat rejection into the cooling system, and also improves catalytic light-off, durability and packaging. “In combination with water-cooled exhaust manifolds, turbochargers with

water-cooled turbine housings can be the breakthrough for gasoline

turbocharging,” predicts Arno Schwarz, VP of engineering passenger car products for

BorgWarner. “With our new dual-volute VTG, we also realized

a high-efficiency boosting concept for direct-injection gasoline engines.

“But even if the future growth for turbos is dominated by gas engine requirements, BorgWarner still has a strong focus on improvements for diesel engines, and will soon launch a VTG

generation with benchmarking cost/performance ratio.”

Super ideasRunning parallel to turbocharging

development is supercharging, and Eaton is currently on the sixth generation of its TVS charger, which features a semi-axial flow design rather than the cross-flow roots blower. Bob Walling, customer manager of supercharger business development at Eaton, says the company’s next-generation systems will move in two directions. “One development is toward higher pressure ratios to make them more applicable to diesel engines, where we’re looking at ratios in the region of 3:1.

“At the same time, we are customizing the supercharger for use in conjunction with a turbocharger, similar to VW’s TSI philosophy.”

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1: Audi’s turbo inline five-cylinder creates 335bhp and 450nm of torque, but returns 30.7mpg fuel consumption on combined 2: ford’s smallest engine to date, its 1-liter three-cylinder, benefits from a high-tech continental turbocharger

[DualBoost] will use an entirely different aerodynamics package,” Balis continues. “When we looked at gasoline turbocharging, compared with diesels, there were requirements that made us rethink the turbo, such as a much wider flow range of the gasoline engine to meet the wider rev range. Because there’s less exhaust energy from a gasoline engine, you need a turbo where that energy can still be very responsive.”

DualBoost is shaping up to be different from a diesel wastegated affair in that it uses an axial turbine. “Because the airflow is moving axially, not radially, it has a much lower inertia, and can handle a much higher flow range than a radial turbine wheel,” outlines Balis. The axial wheel is coupled with back- to-back compressor wheels, because for the same flow range of the turbocharger, the compressor wheel can be much smaller. “Instead of one big wheel, we can have two small ones, thereby lowering the inertia of the

compressor stage.”

Perfectly formedThe introduction of Continental’s turbo for Ford’s 1-liter Ecoboost engine signaled the first of a new family

from the supplier. “We started with the small one (SK1), covering the 1- to 1.4-liter

range, because this is currently the fastest-growing engine sector,” explains Udo Schwerdel, head of turbocharger products at Continental’s powertrain division. In development is the SK2, for engines with outputs up to 200kW, and SK3 (engines with up to 300kW) will follow soon after the SK2.

“We tried to better understand the causation effect of the engine toward the turbine wheel,” states Schwerdel. “The whole flow channels – from exhaust valves to turbine wheel – was our focus, and from these channels we got a better understanding of the physics and developed a turbine stage where you improve energy transfer

Forced induction


TSI powertrains currently use Eaton’s fifth-generation technology, but Walling reveals that the company is developing a product specifically tailored to a very fast boost response with, relatively speaking, limited pressure ratio capability. “The logic being is that to fully optimize the twin-charging technology, you need to operate with a very large turbocharger, giving you lots of lag,” adds Walling. “Our product will give the engine that response, but be used in conjunction with a turbocharger to take care of the high-speed, high-load portion of the engine’s operating range.”

For many in the industry, TSI epitomizes downsizing, and it’s an approach Walling appreciates: “When you downsize, there is a reduction in the amount of exhaust gas energy that you have available to power the turbine. If you have limited amounts of exhaust gas energy, the response of the turbo suffers dramatically.” And that’s where the supercharger comes in, says Walling. “There is a limit to how you can have the compromise between the hub size of the turbine and the blades on the turbine. If you look at a 100mm-diameter turbine wheel, it’ll be much more efficient than a 60mm turbine wheel.”

In the supercharger market, Rotrex can be considered at the opposite end of the scale to Eaton. The company has developed a centrifugal compressor that is smaller than most, and has leaned on creations in the turbocharger market in an effort to realize the most efficient product. “A lot of the ideas about designing impellers in the turbocharger can be taken by us to get the highest efficiency in boosting technology [80%],” explains Anders Kolstrup, technical director at Rotrex. “Because the drive is mechanical, rather than a turbine driving it, we are directly linked to the crankshaft, giving us a boost delivery without lag. The drawback of this scenario is that the impeller is delivering boost that is linear with the rpm. For some applications, specifically with downsizing, our supercharger is not ideal because car manufacturers are looking for diesel-like power at low rpm.” As a result, the company has teamed up with Torotrak and devised the Rotrak variable driver compressor – testing of which has recently begun.

The choice of materials is also shaping future turbochargers and superchargers, with some innovative approaches from different suppliers. “We are constantly evaluating lighter weight materials both for the outer casing of the supercharger and for the rotors themselves.

diEsEl boosting

traditionally, the equation of ‘supercharger plus diesel engine’ has never really added up. However, as the power-per-liter of diesel has increased, bringing additional back-pressure load on exhaust systems, times might be changing, says Eaton’s Walling. “We’re talking to oEMs about [supercharging diesel engines] the primary impetus being emissions control,” he says. “the turbocharger needs exhaust gas energy to get it moving, and for this you have to put fuel into the cylinders. initially, that causes an undesirable air/fuel ratio.

“People say turbo energy is free – and some is, some of the time – but for kinetic energy,

that comes from the pistons, so the only thing that is powering the exhaust system is the firing system, which is an extra load on the engine.

“if you increase the back pressure by having not just a turbine in the exhaust system, but also a particulate and lean nox trap, you’re asking the engine to pump all the time against those restrictions. by moving from fuel-led to air-led acceleration, with a supercharger you can arrange the system so you can close the bypass valve on the supercharger and get air into the cylinders straight away, add fuel, and get the engine moving without adversely affecting the air/fuel ratio.”

1. borgWarner’s R2s turbo technology boosts performance and helps lower emissions in the 2.2-liter diesel that drives the Mercedes-benz s 250 cdi blueEFFiciEncY

2. Eaton is currently on the sixth generation of its tVs charger, but the supplier is talking to at least one oEM about a diesel project

An area of concentration is to reduce the inertia of the rotors and we are also looking at bearings and seals in order to increase the maximum speed of the supercharger,” says Eaton’s Walling.

Honeywell and Continental are looking at titanium aluminide that could replace the nickel-based alloy turbine wheel, but both admit there is still some way to go before there are any production-ready parts. “Continental is also developing an aluminum turbine housing,” adds Schwedel. “That needs some kind of water cooling, but it also reduces the weight, as well as the cost; gasoline turbocharger applications, which run at over 1,000°C, need nickel-based alloys, and these are quite expensive.”

But BorgWarner’s Schwarz believes that production technologies have a crucial role to play: “With the further development of materials for housings and core components, as well as new processing methods, we not only optimize weight, mass inertia and performance, but also the durability and reliability of our turbocharging systems.”

“We are constantly evaluating lighter weight materials, both for the outer casing of the supercharger and

for the rotors themselves”

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ETIMAGAZINE.indd 1 06/02/2012 11.49.35


OEM IntErvIEw: Ford


OEM IntErvIEw: Ford

Firingon all cylinders

Joe Bakaj is a man who loves a turbo engine, and in a revealing interview, Ford’s global

powertrain chief outlines his future IC vision

Words: Jim mccraw


As Ford’s vice president of powertrain engineering, Joe Bakaj, is not only extremely busy, but also very influential. For the past year the former Mazda man has been

overseeing all powertrain and transmission development not just in Detroit but on a global level, helping to shape Ford’s engine offerings in all markets around the world.

In its home territory, Ford is leading the way in making downsized, forced induction engines available to US consumers, and Bakaj says that by 2020 most of the car maker’s products will feature turbocharging technology. “For instance, those engines we use in hybrid applications won’t need forced induction, but I would say that by that time the majority of conventional engines will,” he says.

Such comments are not surprising given that Ford’s European operations have just introduced the company’s smallest ever engine, a 1-liter three-cylinder, news of which ETi exclusively broke in April last year. And while the diminutive unit will primarily be aimed at European applications, it will eventually be used in at least one North American product. “It won’t be used in larger vehicles,” explains Bakaj, “but in the smaller vehicles in our range I would say it will be used as a mainstream engine rather than as a special mileage engine, because it delivers the performance you’d expect from a larger engine, equivalent to the 1.6 we use, at around 125 horsepower.”

Developed at Ford’s Dunton Technical Centre in the UK, the three-cylinder, DI EcoBoost features a new compact, high-performance turbocharger from Continental. For those who missed April’s edition of ETi, the engine’s turbo has an extremely fast response that allows it to reach nearly 250,000rpm, which results in virtually no turbo lag. Peak torque comes in at 170Nm from 1,300-4,500rpm in the 118bhp variant. A 98bhp offering will also be launched. The 1-liter unit also has an exhaust manifold cast into the cylinder head, which lowers the temperature of the exhaust gases that, in turn, enables the engine to run with the optimum fuel-to-air ratio across a wider rev band. The first Ford models to benefit from this latest EcoBoost development will be the Focus, followed by the C-Max and B-Max.

Downsizing technology While Europe leads the downsizing trend, in the USA future emissions regulations and fuel mileage will have a major impact on large displacement V engines, says Bakaj. “I think we are going to see a trend of more downsizing and we’re going to see a shift

from eights to sixes, and sixes to fours, and even some fours to threes. I’m not sure, though, that we’re close to seeing an end to those [large] engines.

“There will always be special applications, like the V8 in the Mustang

and in the heavier commercial vehicles like the super duty trucks. You will still need those large

displacements to get the work done and haul the payloads. Vehicle weights will be coming down, but the payloads won’t. We’ve got to give the customer the engine that will do the job.”

Although Ford has pinned part of its powertrain future on smaller-displacement turbocharged and twin-turbocharged engines with its global EcoBoost programs, there are some additional technologies that Bakaj says would be nice to implement, but not necessary, such as cylinder deactivation on larger-displacement V6 and V8 units. Recently, Audi teamed up with Bentley to develop this technology for the all-new 4-liter TFSI V8 heart that graced the cover of the last edition of ETi.

“To me, it’s a competing technology to downsizing and EcoBoost to a certain extent, because what you are doing is reducing the pumping losses with deactivation,” states Bakaj. “When you downsize, you reduce the pumping losses as well, and when you go to EcoBoost with a turbo you further reduce pumping losses. You’re running more wide-open throttle and more part-throttle, and obviously, the more you keep the throttle open, the less pumping losses you’ve got.

“As we look to the next generation of technologies, we look at pumping losses even further through a higher use of low-pressure and high-pressure EGR, so even at part-throttle, we’ll be keeping the throttle more open, but we won’t be stuffing in as much air. We’ll be stuffing in air and exhaust gas as another way of reducing pumping losses. From there, we would go to very advanced technologies such as HCCI, where you run very lean. When you get to that point, you run like a diesel, with

OEM IntErvIEw: Ford

roTary clubHaving had an interesting stint based with Mazda in Hiroshima, does Bakaj fantasize about a lightweight, compact turbocharged four-rotor engine as a future powerplant for a Ford car, now that Mazda has ceased production of its rotary? “No, that was in my prior life as head of Mazda R&D,” he says. “Rotaries are great for power, but there are a lot of technical challenges. It might be used as a range-extender because of its compactness. The rotary engine’s weakness was always at lower rpm because it didn’t get the sealing it needed from centrifugal forces acting on the seals. When it got to higher rpm, its compression ratio was reasonable, but when it was at low rpm, the compression ratio was dropping below seven to one.”

despite all the talk of Ecoboost, Ford is not yet ready to turn its back on large-displacement V engines. The Mustang boss 302 (right), for example, gets its 444bhp from a massive 5-liter doHc V8 (below)


OEM IntErvIEw: Ford

the throttle wide open all the time, using the amount of fuel you put in the engine to govern the power.

“I see cylinder deactivation as another technology option, and I never say never, but it adds in some cost and some engineering complexity. Can I do that, or use another technology that gives me the same pumping-loss improvement without the hardware or the complexity? Well, we’re always looking for the most customer benefit at the least cost and complexity.”

Supercharging issuesWhile cylinder deactivation is an option for larger engines, Bakaj is much cooler when discussing the possibility of supercharging. “The issue here is that the losses are too high at the moment. We’re still working on supercharged technology, but a recent statistic that I saw shows that, even with the supercharger declutched, there is a 7% loss because the belt tension has to be so much higher to transmit the torque into the supercharger. That’s a big number, and when the supercharger comes in, it’s an even bigger number. It’s good for filling a torque hole at the

lower end of the rev range, but it’s not a good technology for fuel economy yet.”

Another competing technology that has caught Bakaj’s eye in recent times has been the award-winning TwinAir combustion concept from Fiat, which is also used by Alfa and is set to be launched in Chrysler vehicles too. “That’s a concept that delivers variable valve lift as well as variable valve timing, and again, that’s a concept that reduces pumping losses by varying valve lift and limiting the amount of air that you’re trying to pull through the engine depending on rpm,” says the Ford chief. “I’d say it’s a competing technology with direct injection, and it’s doing a good job for Fiat. Do I think we should be following them? No, I don’t,

Ford’s smallest powertrain to date – the 1-liter three-cylinder unit with a Continental turbocharger (1) – will power the upcoming B-Max (2). The downsized engine will feature in at least one Ford product in the USA

“We’re still working on supercharged technology,

but a recent statistic that I saw shows that, even with

the supercharger declutched, there is a 7% loss”

1

2

because I think we have our own path – which is EcoBoost with direction injection. Both technologies are valid, but it all comes down to the value versus the cost you put in. You try to look for synergies with your technologies, and we think we can get more synergies from direct injection than we can from variable valve lift.”

Away from the next-generation of gasoline engines, Bakaj isn’t too keen on US-based diesel-engined passenger cars in Ford’s near-term future, for a number of good reasons. “Basically, the costs are very high, higher than EcoBoost when you add in the costs of aftertreatment of exhaust emissions,” he says. “The big difference between the USA and Europe is that, in the USA, the cost of a gallon of diesel is higher than gasoline, and that isn’t the case in Europe, where there are subsidies and tax structures that make diesel so attractive. We think we can give the customer a better payback situation with

EcoBoost at the moment. Having said that, you can see that there is a small, growing trend for diesel in the USA, and that may become an emotional purchase at some point, before it becomes a rational purchase. Once we get beyond Euro 6 and Euro 7 in Europe – around 2015 – we will be at a point with our global programs that our diesel engines will be capable of meeting the US regulations, so we’ll have that option. But I do think that something will have to change in the way that diesel is taxed and delivered in the USA to really make it worthwhile for the customer.”


OEM IntErvIEw: Ford

For the first time in its history, the Ford Escape hits the market with two different EcoBoost engines. There’s the established 2-liter four-cylinder unit and, for the first time in the USA, a downsized 1.6-liter four-cylinder powertrain shown below

“You try to look for synergies with yourtechnologies, and we think we can get more synergies from direct injection than we can from variable valve lift”

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Production News

Car manufacturing at Kia’s Slovakian facility has grown by 10% in the last year, and production of petrol and diesel engines has risen by 12%, the company has announced.

With increasing consumer demand for Kia’s growing product range, the car maker has had to introduce a third working

Having long been a leader in developing new sustainable transportation technologies for the automotive industry, Toyota has confirmed its plans to push ahead with the commercial production of hydrogen fuel cell vehicles.

Speaking to the press, Didier Leroy, Toyota Motor Europe CEO, said, “In its quest for sustainable mobility, Toyota is investing in a range of environmentally friendly technologies to address key issues such as energy supply and transport emissions. Alongside hybrids, plug-in hybrid electric and pure electric vehicles, we believe that fuel cell vehicles will play an important role in realizing a low-carbon society.

“We plan to commercialize fuel cell vehicles in 2015, and to achieve this goal, a hydrogen charging infrastructure will be required. That is why we welcome the establishment of the UK H2 Mobility Group to confirm the potential for hydrogen as a low-carbon fuel in the UK.”


Despite gloomy forecasts by economic analysts, Boysen’s announced it has recorded a second record-breaking year in succession, with the exhaust technology specialist having increased sales in 2011 by 20% to just over US$1.2 billion.

“Previously, 2010 was by far the best year in the history of our company,” said a delighted Rolf Geisel, Boysen president. “But we have once again significantly surpassed the good results of the previous year in 2011.”

In 2010, Boysen announced that its total sales grew to just over US$1 billion, a 45% increase on 2008, when the financial global meltdown hit the automotive industry.

With such growth, Boysen has increased investment back into the company from US$62 million in 2010 to just over US$108 million in 2011, with most of that outlay going to the supplier’s Turmfeld III production plant.

However, despite such momentum, Geisel has said that he expects a modest rise in sales of less than 5% for 2012, primarily due to changes in OEM product cycles. Boysen’s president added that falling production volumes in exhaust systems for six-cylinder engines will not be entirely compensated for by new orders in the four-cylinder sector, and it will be 2013 before the company is able to make up for this decrease by the introduction of new products.

Continental has confirmed its position as a leading manufacturer of transmission control systems after the German Tier 1 announced that more than 10 million control units have rolled off production lines at the company’s plants in Europe, Asia and North America in the past year.

“With this record year for production, Continental has maintained the rapid growth momentum of recent years and is expanding its technology leadership in the transmission controller market,” said Rudolf Stark,

TransmIssIon dIvIsIon growTh for ConTIToyoTa ConfIrms hydrogEn plans

BoysEn hITs nEw hIgh for ExhausT manufaCTurIng

produCTIon InCrEasE for KIa EuropE

shift to ramp up production. In total, the Zilina factory has rolled out 252,000 cars and 359,000 petrol and diesel engines in the past year.

With the opening of a second engine shop in 2011, maximum powertrain production at Zilina has increased to 450,000 units per year. To meet further increasing demand as well as cater for the transfer of production of the Venga, Kia is planning to raise output in Slovakia, with the aim being to produce 285,000 vehicles this year.

“Last year was very positive for Kia in Europe as we achieved record figures for vehicle and engine production,” said Eek-Hee Lee, CEO of Kia Motors Slovakia. “Our focus for 2012 is on embedding a regular three-shift operation so we can reach full plant capacity within the first quarter of the year.”

head of the transmission business unit. Since developing its first automatic transmission control units in 1982, the supplier has built more than 42 million systems at its production plants around the world. Conti says this growth trend is being driven by strong global demand for efficient automatic transmissions, which are experiencing double-digit growth rates.

To keep up with the fast pace of the market, the company also plans to open a new test and development center focusing specifically on transmission control units. The R&D base, which is located in Nuremberg, is expected

to open for business later this year and will act as a source for

global development for new pioneering technologies in

this field. According to Stark, “The new

center will raise our external profile as a development site for high-

tech products.”

Inside this issue:Are suppliers fully ready for the EV revolution?Mazda’s Skyactiv thinking is applied to two brand new gearboxesThe type of materials that will be used to build tomorrow’s transmissions

AN ENGINE TECHNOLOGY INTERNATIONAL PUBLICATION SEPTEMBER 2011 PUBLICATION

Cloud nineAn exclusive and detailed look at the world’s first nine-speed automatic for passenger cars

Craig Renneker, chief engineer of transmissions, Ford

Martin Krüssmann, vice president of engineering, Bosch Transmission Technology

INTERVIEWS

Transmission Technology International is the world’s only publication dedicated to the design, development and manufacture of automotive transmission and drivetrain systems. Published annually and sent directly to over 12,000 key powertrain engineers and decision-makers throughout the global OE automotive industry, with additional distribution at many of the industry’s leading transmission-related events, Transmission Technology International comprises a unique mix of news, features and interviews, together with product and company profi les.


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The consequential increase of the specific loads on

components and the need to lower friction losses in mechanical assemblies triggered the search for ways to reduce friction and wear many years ago. The solution was found in the application of DLC and other thin film coatings on a wide range of engine and drivetrain components. Ionbond, a Swiss specialist in the manufacture of vacuum-based surface enhancement treatments, has been at the forefront of the development and industrialization of these coatings since the early 1990s with its Tribobond branded line of low friction and wear-reducing coatings.

“With the low-friction and wear-reducing properties of PVD and PACVD coatings, efficiency and component life can be increased dramatically, and by designing them in from the beginning, the overall system cost can be held level or even reduced,” explains André Hieke, global segment manager of automotive components at Ionbond’s automotive development center in Venlo, Netherlands. Designed especially for tribologically loaded systems, the application of coatings with low-friction properties, such as Ionbond’s Tribobond 40 series DLCs, can open new perspectives and technical solutions inside and outside the engine. When moving parts are subjected to large frictional forces in applications that require high wear resistance (as

is the case in the valvetrain, on piston pins and piston rings), then low-friction systems are the ideal solution. The coatings support heavily loaded contact surfaces and increase the load-carrying capacity. The relatively thin coating thickness of 1-4µm is typically within the component tolerance specifications or can be built in, and this low-temperature processing enables tempered low-alloy steels to be coated without loss of hardness.

As well as coatings for highly loaded and stressed engine and transmission parts, components upstream of the ignition are as important as those behind the firing line. With common rail and unit injection pressures of 3,000 bar in passenger car and heavy truck diesel applications that are striving

driven by ever-tougher emissions legislation and rising energy prices, oeMs are being forced to downsize and improve the efficiency of engines without compromising the performance levels and lifetimes of their vehicles

Overcoming downsizing challenges


Captions Captions Captions Captions Captions Captions Captions Cap Captions tions Captions Captions Captions

to achieve Euro 6 emissions limits (and whatever follows), pressures are looking higher still. At these pressure levels, fuel becomes very abrasive and the need for protection is higher than ever. This is where Ionbond’s DLC coatings work hardest. They have been highly refined to offer the lowest possible coefficient of friction and the highest resistance to wear in this most aggressive of environments.

As engine manufacturers move forward in design with features such as assembled composite camshafts to save mass, their tolerances drop to lower levels than ever and, in doing so, they pass on a challenge to match the increased performance to coating experts such as Ionbond. However, despite these challenges, Hieke remains

DLC coated high pressure piston for unit injector systems. Operation pressure up to 3,000 bar is achieved

Surface structure of a DLC coated component before and after in-running. After in-running, the surface structure gets highly polished and the component stays in a low friction and wear situation

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André Hieke at Ionbond

T. +31 77 465 65 31

E. [email protected]

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unfazed: “The performance that we are getting from our single- and multilayer coatings are up to these requirements,” he asserts. As well as increased pressures, heat is an ongoing issue for engine designers and Ionbond has pioneered Chromium Nitride-based multilayer coatings with its Tribobond 30 Series to retain performance as the average temperature climbs. Engines that use EGR to achieve emissions targets (and more manufacturers are having to resort to it as time goes by) run at consistently higher temperatures and, as this technology will be with the industry for some time to come, coatings that can provide high performance and long service life under these conditions will be increasingly in demand.

Increases in length of service life are naturally also expected by OEMs. With service intervals on a heavy diesel now up to 150,000km, it is even more important to refine the engineering tolerances further and Ionbond coatings are a key ingredient in realizing this goal. In what was once described as ‘trickle-down technology’, these coatings first proved their worth in passenger car applications and then the heavy truck makers saw the benefits, too. Indeed, the percentage gains have made a big impact in the commercial vehicle business. A heavy truck achieving a respectable 33 liters/100km at 44 tons will be swept away by a competitor that can return 31. Conforming with emissions legislation is a given, but with the

crippling cost of fuel, there’s no room for sentimentality and brand loyalty in the transportation industry, where fuel performance will make a big difference to income. Squeezing every morsel of efficiency from an engine is vital, and while engineers experiment with all manner of technical solutions, the advantage of properly specified low-friction coating is there for the taking.

Ionbond’s service provision has changed over the years, evolving from being a simple subcontractor that coats components for customers, to an industrial partner that is involved at a co-engineering level. The list of customers and industrial partners ranges from the world’s vehicle makers, to the component and OE manufacturers, and, equally importantly, the major

oil and lube companies. “Being integrated into the engineering process in this way gives engineers and manufacturers the exact solution they need – it’s tailored,” adds Hieke. This cooperative approach has revealed other benefits for customers. Outside the fields of fuel consumption and emissions, dramatic reductions in noise levels have proved to be a useful by-product. “We are putting a lot of research funding and technical resources into optimizing coatings to work with different lubricants and fuels,” Hieke states. “We expect the gains to be significant.

“Over the past two decades in which we’ve pioneered thin film coatings, we have been working in advance of vehicle makers’ needs, rather than trailing behind in a reactive role,” he concludes. “I see no reason why that should change. Friction losses are everywhere, and the search for ways to reduce them to a minimum is what drives our automotive division.

Ionbond operates 40 specialized coating plants in Europe, North America, and Asia. The automotive component centers in Europe, the USA, and China hold ISO 9001 and ISO/TS 16949 certifications and numerous manufacturer approvals, and new centers and capacity increases are in the planning.

DLC coated piston pin used in bushing free aluminum pistons of gasoline and diesel engines to minimize wear and friction losses

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Tighter diesel emissions standards are being put in

place by regulators throughout the world. For example, the United States Environmental Protection Agency has implemented diesel emissions standards for 2010 that force a dramatic reduction in discharges of PM and NOx. Current in-cylinder solutions have fallen far short of achieving these limits. SCR, which uses a catalyst to convert NOx to nitrogen and water, is one exhaust aftertreatment method that is being considered to meet emissions requirements.

Several design challenges stand in the way of achieving the full potential of SCR technology, and the most important of these is ensuring that a given SCR system achieves the required level of NOx reduction over the full operating cycle of a specific engine. SCR performance needs to be evaluated over a wide range of conditions, ranging from traveling at 70mph

down an interstate freeway, to delivering goods in stop-and-go traffic in the city. A common problem that prevents SCR from achieving its potential is the release of unreacted ammonia – which is called ammonia slip. This can occur when excess ammonia is injected, or when there is sufficient catalyst surface area.

These challenges are being addressed by simulation tools from ANSYS, and these tools can be used to model the fluids, thermal, structural and chemical behaviors of SCR components and systems. Engineers can use CFD to further understand the mixing of urea with exhaust gases, its evaporation and decomposition, ensuring chemical reactions, and the resultant thermal behavior of exhaust gases and mechanical components. The team

can apply FEA technology to model the structural behavior of parts under stress and vibrations.

Catalytic conversation occurs at high temperatures typically above 500K. These temperatures are applied to exhaust aftertreatment components. Changing engine-load conditions lead to fluctuating exhaust gas temperatures that, in turn, produce high thermal stresses and the potential for thermal fatigue in exhaust components. Fluid-structure interaction technology has been used to apply the wall temperatures calculated by the CFD simulation as an input to FEA, which predicts the stress and deformation of the SCR structure. The CFD and FEA solvers are in the same ANSYS Workbench environment under one platform, allowing seamless data exchange.

New parametric design optimization of src systems is helping powertrain engineers around the world to meet the challenges in emissions reduction

Eco-friendly simulations

Accurately modeling the deformation, fluids, thermal, structural and chemical behaviors of SCR components and subsystems has become easier thanks to advanced new simulation development and testing programs from ANSYS

Simulation testing plots von Mises stresses on the surface of an exhaust manifold


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Mandloi at ANSYS

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Detailed de-NOx reactions are modeled to predict NOx conversion ratios. The results of the simulation can be presented as graphical images and animations that enable engineers to gain a much better understanding of the proposed design than could ever be achieved with physical testing, since the breadth and quantity of information is much greater. For example, the fluid dynamics simulation predicts uniformity of flow, ammonia, and isocynic acid at the catalyst entry. Simulation generates animations

that plot the flow of particles through the SCR system. As a result, the engineering team is able to easily spot dead zones and gain an understanding of the geometrical features that cause them.

Typically, an original SCR model is based on an existing prototype, and results are then correlated to physical testing to check accuracy. Once the model has been validated, a user can quickly evaluate the performance of a large number of design variations for optimization purposes. Bi-directional CAD

connectivity, automated meshing, a project-level update mechanism, pervasive parameter management, and integrated optimization tools deliver great productivity benefits in analyzing multiple design variations. From within the ANSYS Workbench project window, a series of design points can be easily built up in a tabular form and automatically executed to complete multiple ‘what-if’ studies of alternative design possibilities. For example, a user can study the effect of injection parameters, such as the start of injection or injector orientation over a range of values.

The ANSYS DesignXplorer tool provides the ability to perform DOE via response surface methods (RSMs) to drive the design process. DOE/RSM can be used to develop experiments that examine many effects simultaneously with relatively few simulation runs. The engineer can iterate to a globally optimized design with a far higher level of certainty – and in much less time than with the traditional approach.

The ability to accurately model the performance of SCR design concepts without having to build a prototype makes it possible to evaluate many more designs in the same timeframe. Simulation provides even more design data than physical

testing, so it can result in improved performance. Lower cost and shorter lead times of simulation provide faster time to market and reduced development costs.

ANSYS provides a ready-made custom utility that can be used to dramatically reduce the amount of time required to set up the simulation: the user enters all or most of the needed information using a single screen. Once the SCR system’s geometry is imported into the simulation environment, it takes only five to 10 minutes to provide the information necessary to perform the analysis. Another advantage of this semi-automatic process is that it provides a consistent process flow that helps to prevent mistakes. Once these inputs are entered, the software models the flow region starting upstream of the urea doser and progressing to the outlet of the catalyst. Multispecies analysis accounts for each constituent of the exhaust stream.

The ammonia mass fraction recorded at the catalyst inlet, NH3 uniformity, and pressure levels all drop as simulated for mixer design variations

Advanced and extremely accurate simulation of the selective catalytic reduction system is preformed by an engineer on a parametric mixer model

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Hybrid drivetrain developers continually have to deal with

a dramatic rise in complexity, a wide range of operating modes and their corresponding transitions, as well as multidimensional parameters. The only way to manage this is the increasing application of a methodical approach and partial automation.

In the most common cases of variant calibration, the functional variability permits a range of possible implementations, and the calibration tasks need to be well structured in terms of handover, traceability, and robustness.

The handling of calibration data is a challenge, even for conventional drivetrains. Complex hybrid applications require a new approach to administer calibration data, including the handling of cross-controller functionality; cross-functional project management and control; improved calibration-progress reporting; creation of a calibration library and integration of calibration guidelines (including reusability of experience and expert knowledge); and documentation of statistical indicators.

A fundamental approach to the reduction of calibration effort is the structuring of calibration parameters and control unit functions according to variant-variable functions and system-bound parameters, and the allocation of variant-specific differences to function modules and parameters. A further division relating to the maturity of the basic calibration makes it easier to assess, plan, and organize measurement steps.

A methodical approach further supports the definition of degrees of maturity and quality criteria relative to project stages. AVL’s generic hybrid calibration process consists of general milestone and content

requirements, descriptions of crucial and required degrees of maturity, and the derived quality gates.

The first step is the definition and determination of interface parameters between software modules; repeated loops of calibration effort are eliminated. The individual calibration tasks are carried out in various development environments using environment-specific methods: offline using simulation, system parameters, or experiential values; on the base calibration testbed using DoE tools; and in the vehicle for optimization, using diverse and specific tools for objectification and evaluation.

The challenge is the calibration with respect to the environment and component temperature, and additionally, in the case of hybrids, with respect to the defined battery SOC and SOH. The test-planning

phase supports the efficient use of climatic chassis dynos and battery simulator resources. Calibration tasks are structured according to the needs of the measurement environment, and when planned appropriately, they are executed without any problems.

AVL has developed a system that can be implemented in various test environments. It covers such aspects as the consistent and seamless tool chain including battery simulator; test sequence planning (DoE) and test sequence execution under defined environmental conditions; data check; and the use of model-based approaches, as well as a vehicle simulation model.

The AVL system also includes objectification via a driveability evaluation system (longitudinal force signal); driver simulation system including automated test

runs; validation and derivation of series production distribution; and the evaluation of long-term trends, outlier analysis, and damping behavior.

In addition, the demonstration of variant/calibration neutrality and function checks is simplified through the automation of tests and automated evaluation. Preconfigured test-cycle catalogs cover all operating modes and intermode transitions. Operating points specific to certain variant configurations can be targeted and repeatedly reproduced.

there are major challenges and big opportunities for developersthat are involved in the variant calibration of hybrid vehicles

Drivetrain calibration

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The increasing cost of diesel fuel and the expected future

legislation to address carbon dioxide emissions from commercial vehicles is driving an increased demand for a new generation of diesel engine lubricant technology that demonstrates fuel economy performance. This technology must also ensure the durability of the modern engine and the exhaust aftertreatment systems that are required by the OEMs to meet Euro 5 and Euro 6 emissions legislation.

Although today there is no industry or OEM fuel economy service fill specification for heavy-duty diesel engine oils, it is expected that the diesel engine oil market for CVs will begin to migrate to the lower viscosity grades. Back in the 1990s, the dominant viscosity grade for heavy-duty diesel applications across Europe was SAE 15W-40. However, in a recent fleet survey conducted among 1,100 vehicle operators in Europe, it was reported that 51% of engine oil used was SAE 10W-40, with a further 27% of operators using either a 5W-30 or 10W-30 grade of oil.

A new generation of engine oil technology is able to demonstrate both direct and indirect fuel economy performance. Direct fuel economy performance can be contributed to both the lighter viscosity grade, for example an SAE 5W-30, and also a unique active chemistry in the lubricant formulation such as a friction modifier.

Indirect fuel economy performance benefits are equally important. Engine oil needs to provide excellent soot and sludge control within the engine. As these products form in an engine, they have the potential to cause thickening of the engine oil, thus requiring more energy to operate the engine. DPF blockage

protection (which results in back pressure on the engine and an increase in fuel consumption) is another performance benefit provided by an appropriate high-quality engine lubricant.

Modern global engine platforms are operating with higher levels of exhaust gas recirculation, advanced turbo charging systems, and alternative fuels, all of which are impacting on the overall durability performance of the diesel engine oil.

Today’s diesel engine oil needs to provide a higher level of durability protection in areas of TBN retention, acid neutralization, soot dispersancy, oxidative thickening, and oil-fuel compatibility. This technology has durability in areas such as deposits,

wear, soot corrosion and oxidation, all proven in a wide range of performance engine tests, with low sulfated ash, phosphorus, and sulfur oils, such as ACEA E6, playing an important role in protecting the exhaust aftertreatment devices.

The introduction of Euro 6 emissions legislation in 2013 will drive the emissions of harmful exhaust gases close to the zero-emissions level, and these targets will be likely to lead to all new commercial vehicles being fitted with a DPF in addition to EGR and SCR technologies.

New diesel engine oil formulations, with reduced metal content, are being introduced as

another means of decreasing ash accumulation, and thus increasing diesel particulate service life.

While these ‘cleaner’ engine oils (ACEA E9 and E6) can be costlier than traditional engine oils (ACEA E3/E5/E7/E4 quality), they aid the reduction of metal loading in particulate filters and diesel exhaust catalysts, as well as boosting durability and performance.

Market drivers for heavy-duty diesel engine oils are helping to shape a number of new technology development programs

Engine oil advances

David Lancaster at Lubrizol

T. +44 1332 845595


W. www.lubrizol.com

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enquiry nO. 504


According to specialty chemicals manufacturer, Lubrizol, the new generation of engine oil technology needs to demonstrate key criteria, including improved fuel economy, emissions reduction and good durability

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Turbochargers, which have long been used in heavy-duty

truck applications, are increasingly finding their way into light trucks and passenger cars. Here, they can deliver the power of a V8 engine but in the form of a V6, resulting in lighter vehicles and better fuel economy. But V-band clamps, which seal off hot exhaust so that the turbocharger can force compressed air into the intake, have presented a challenge when standard fastening nuts loosen because of the extreme heat and vibration of the turbocharger environment.

With exhaust temperatures reaching up to 705°C, the V-band clamp assembly could quickly be compromised if the exhaust leaks. Furthermore, with component temperatures reaching up to 550°C around the turbocharger, nut-locking features using adhesive or nylon rings would not be suitable as they would burn.

Vibrational fastener loosening, already a challenge in well-supported engine blocks, can be a greater challenge in turbochargers, which typically hang off the side of the engine, with less structural support and more vibration.

Since V-clamp nuts must run the length of the long T-bolt stud, which

can be up to eight times the body diameter of the nut, prevailing torque-type locking features can gall and wear out before the nut is properly seated. If this happens on the assembly line, each incident can cost up to US$2,000 – to stop the line, remove the engine, and then remanufacture the V-band clamp assembly. For this reason, plain metal V-clamp nuts are typically used – but as soon as they lose tension they can start to back off, which can raise performance and warranty issues.

To keep turbochargers sealed and prevent exhaust leaks, engineers are turning to an innovative V-band clamp nut called Spiralock. Its unique internal thread form is helping the truck and automotive industries to withstand extreme turbocharger heat and vibration, while reducing cost, assembly and warranty issues. This re-engineered thread form adds a unique 30° wedge ramp at the root of the thread that mates with standard 60° male thread fasteners.

The wedge ramp allows the bolt to spin freely relative to female threads until clamp load is applied. The crests of the standard male thread form are then drawn tightly against the wedge ramp, eliminating

radial clearances and creating a continuous spiral line contact along the length of the thread engagement. This continuous line contact spreads the clamp force more evenly over all engaged threads, improving resistance to vibrational loosening, axial-torsional loading, joint fatigue, and temperature extremes.

Previously, when a major heavy truck turbo manufacturer was breaking T-bolts driving a clincher nut that galled on a V-band clamp assembly, they had to take the turbo off the production line to repair it. Switching to the free-spinning Spiralock V-band clamp saved this organization the loss of about 15 V-band clamp assemblies per day at the plant, eliminating related production downtime and remanufacturing costs.

With higher heat temperatures in gasoline engines than in diesel engines, the USA’s auto fleet may benefit the most from Spiralock, which is already being used on one of the first applications of dual-turbo engines in light trucks.

As vehicles from light trucks to SUVs and crossovers look to produce V8 power in a V6 engine with turbo, the innovative V-band clamp nut may be just what engineers need to keep turbochargers sealed and prevent exhaust leaks.

A new internal thread design is offering the truck and automotive industries an effective solution for dealing with extreme turbocharger heat and vibration

Clamp nut innovation

Emhart Teknologies – Spiralock

T. +1 (248) 543 7800


W. www.spiralock.com

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enquiry nO. 505


In order to keep turbochargers sealed – as well as prevent exhaust leaks, more and more engineers are turning to Spiralock, an innovative V-band clamp nut

Spiralock has transformed the internal thread profile into a self-locking female thread form with the addition of a unique 30° wedge ramp at the root of the thread

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The latest additions to Micro-Epsilon’s miniature

infrared camera range are the thermoIMAGER 400 and 450 models, which offer extremely high optical resolution of 382 x 288 pixels. A new detector enables the cameras to achieve a maximum thermal sensitivity of 80mK or 40mK, allowing the detection of even smaller temperature changes. The cameras are available in four versions, with temperature ranges from -20°C to +1,500°C.

Currently, Micro-Epsilon offers 30°C or 13°C angle of view. These new cameras offer more than four times the number of pixels of conventional infrared cameras and the resolution of the infrared image is therefore much sharper. In addition, tiny objects with surface areas down to just 0.8mm² can be reliably detected. The thermoIMAGER TIM 400 offers an integrated process interface for input and output of analog and digital signals, as well as alarms and temperature values. Furthermore, an image frequency of 80Hz enables infrared acquisition to occur in real time, such as in the monitoring of dynamic, fast-moving processes.

With dimensions of 46 x 56 x 88mm, the thermoIMAGER TIM400 is one of the smallest USB thermal imaging cameras on the market. The IP67 protected housing is tested for industrial applications under harsh environmental conditions. Micro-Epsilon is able to offer a water-cooling jacket for ambient temperatures up to 240°C.

In a separate development from Micro-Epsilon, the company’s new thermoIMAGER TIM 200 camera has been designed to operate by using new bi-spectral technology that combines two images into one. The compact USB infrared camera in the TIM 200 is equipped with an

additional visual camera. As well as infrared images, this second, high-technology camera enables real-time images to be recorded at the same time. The camera can evaluate temperatures between -20°C and +900°C. A special version of the sensor that can measure maximum temperatures of up to 1,500°C has also been developed by engineers at Micro-Epsilon.

The user can either change between the IR camera view and the real-time image, or overlay the two images. A key advantage to this arrangement is the ease with which

the camera can be adjusted. Critical temperature ranges or limits can also be easily set up on request.

The new thermoIMAGER TIM 200 is ideal for applications where two separate cameras are being used. As a consequence, typical measurement tasks include early warning fire-detection systems for large open spaces and in storage pits, or for temperature control of bulk shipping or cargo.

With dimensions of 45 x 45 x 62mm, the infrared camera with USB interface is one of the most compact currently available on the market. The thermoIMAGER TIM

200 operates with an image frequency of 128Hz and offers a resolution of 160 x 120 pixels. The synchronous real-time camera operates at 32Hz and at a resolution of 640 x 480 pixels. The camera is operated and supplied via a USB 2.0 interface.

introducing a new miniature infrared camera that boasts an extremely high resolution, and a new usB camera that combines infrared capability with real-time imaging

Intelligent cameras

Manfred Pfadt at Micro-Epsilon

T. +49 8542 168 279


W. www.micro-epsilon.de

Online reader

enquiry nO. 506


Above: The TIM400 is one of the smallest USB thermal imaging cameras on the market

Left: The TIM200 functions by using bi-spectral technology that combines two images into one

November 13-15 2012Novi, Detroit, Michigan, USA

Showcasing the next generation of powertrains, advanced batteries and testing solutions for EVs

2011 Show: 170 exhibitors + over 2,700 attendees2012 Show (anticipated): 250+ exhibitors + over 3,500 attendees

BOOK NOWEXHIBITION SPACE LIMITED

[email protected]

IN PARTNERSHIP WITH:

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@TheBatteryShowThe EV Charging Show

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products & services

Although the recovery of exhaust gas energy using

turbochargers was first applied nearly 100 years ago and has been in widespread use in the heavy-duty diesel market ever since, it is only in recent years that turbocharging has spread to mass-production vehicles in smaller engines. The phenomenal market growth, first of all in passenger car diesel engines, and more recently in downsized gasoline engines, has been driven largely by the efficiency gains, and hence reduced emissions, that can be realized. From 2014, turbocharging will return to the highest level of motorsport, with the reintroduction of turbochargers into Formula 1.

The integration of multiple turbos, variable geometry, wastegate, and bypass into the engine manifold and engine management system, coupled with high operating temperatures (>1,000°C in gasoline engines) in an already overcrowded underhood area, presents serious challenges for powertrain, installation, and calibration engineers.

To address thermo-fluid structural issues related to turbocharging technology, CD-adapco has developed a range of solutions using its flagship CFD code, STAR-CCM+. Packaging constraints rarely allow for an ideal, uniform flow

Heat transfer is a major issue for turbocharged engines. Heat transfer from the turbine to the compressor is detrimental to engine’s overall performance, but heat transfer from a hot turbo during a transient operation – for example, a key-off situation when there is no longer any flow through either the compressor or turbine – has the potential to damage not only the turbocharger, but also other components in the underhood environment. Non-metallic components and subsystems such as electrical connectors, the wiring harness, rubbers and composites are also particularly vulnerable.

The powerful conjugate heat-transfer modeling capabilities available in STAR-CCM+ provide a means to simulate the transient flow and thermal fields, including the structure, within the entire engine

enhanced analysis capabilities of high-tech software simulation are providing a boost to developers of turbocharger technologies in the 21st century

Turbocharger analysis

CD-adapco

T. +44 20 7471 6200


W. www.cd-adapco.com

Online reader

enquiry nO. 507


Streamlines through a turbocharger with CHT analysis of both hot and cold sides

CFD analysis of a turbocharger Turbo suppliers face new challenges

compartment. This in turn allows for a quick assessment to be made as to whether damage will occur in worst-case scenarios.

Finally, high-frequency turbocharger noise can be intrusive to occupants and those outside the vehicle, particularly during a load change. STAR-CCM+ has the capability to calculate the noise sources originating from the rotation of the rotor and its interaction with other components, and to determine the sound pressure level in the far field.

entry to the compressor and this can have a detrimental effect on the map. STAR-CCM+ enables the effects of a non-ideal inlet geometry to be simulated and compared with the ideal, uniform inlet flow condition. This provides a means to quickly assess alternative ducting arrangements and the effect on compressor performance.

products & services

International Products Corporation

T. +44 20 8857 5678 (EU)

T. +1 609 386 8770 (USA)


W. www.ipcol.com

Online reader

enquiry nO. 508


Natural and synthetic rubber are core materials in the

automotive manufacturing industry. Their inherent qualities make them the first choice for mountings, bumpers, seals, protective boots, belts, bushings, o-rings, and hoses, to name but a few powertrain components and subsystems.

Unfortunately, rubber’s non-slip surface often makes the installation, removal, and general manipulation of rubber components a difficult task, and tight-fitting rubber components can slow production and affect quality and safety.

The assembly of rubber parts should be evaluated at the design stage to take into consideration the assembly process and the excessive force that may be required to position them. This may result in damage to the parts themselves, damage to the surrounding area, or a poor fit. The traditional solution to this is to lubricate parts during assembly. However, some lubricants leave residues that may result in functional, health and safety, or aesthetic problems.

For this reason, International Products Corporation has developed a line of P-80 temporary rubber lubricants that allow rubber parts to slide easily into place and stay there. P-80 lubricants are temporary in nature as a result of their chemical composition. They provide a high degree of lubricity when wet, but because they do not contain any silicon or other persistent ingredients, once they are dry there is no slippage.

Once applied, the water in P-80 evaporates and the oils are absorbed into the elastomer. As this evaporation/absorption process progresses, the lubrication diminishes, and when complete, the assembled part is dry to the touch

and does not slide apart. No lubricity or greasiness returns, even in moist working environments, and the functionality and appearance of treated parts are unaffected. P-80 can also be used to lubricate rubber parts that are being cut or formed.

People working with rubber parts are often injured as a result of the force used in assembly. P-80 lubricants can substantially reduce the pressure needed to complete an assembly job, thereby improving worker safety. For example, a hose-to-cap fitting that originally would have taken 45kg of pressure to install, requires only 13kg of pressure when P-80 is used. This

dramatic reduction of friction lessens the strain on workers’ hands and the likelihood of slippage-related injuries.

P-80 also improves product quality. It minimizes the force needed to assemble rubber and decreases the chances of a part or its surrounding area being ripped or otherwise damaged during assembly. Using P-80 can improve rubber assemblies, speed up productivity, reduce waste, and help to ensure a high-quality end-product.

Unlike many other lubricants, P-80 products are water-based, non-toxic, non-flammable, easy to

dispose of, and ready to use. P-80 is NFPA-rated at 0-0-0 and contains negligible VOCs. Spills can be cleaned up with a cloth or sponge.

Only a small amount of P-80 is needed to achieve the required lubricity, and all products are available in multiple sizes, ranging from tubes to drums.

A new line of rubber lubricants that enable rubber parts to slide easilyinto place with minimum force can improve both quality and safety

Temporary rubber lubricants

Left and below: P-80 lubricants are temporary in nature as a result of their chemical composition. They are easily applied to the application and are highly effective. This lubricant technology can also improve overall product quality

Right: The P-80 lubrication range

products & services

Founded in 1942 as Industrie Saleri Italo, the company

known today as the Saleri Group has amassed extensive experience in the production of mechanical components for a wide variety of automotive applications.

Growing competency within various technologies has enabled the company to offer the industry a wide range of engineering solutions and products. Today, the Saleri Group has three divisions: Italpresse, which specializes in the production of pressure die-casting machines; Gauss Automazione, an active supplier of automatic production solutions for the casting industry; and, as the main branch of its business activity, Industrie Saleri Italo, which is one of the main European manufacturers of water pumps for the automotive industry.

The supplier’s presence in the water pump aftermarket sector is well known, but over the past 30 years Industrie Saleri Italo has grown its water pump business in the OE sector, supplying many OEMs with cutting-edge systems.

The success of this water pump business can be attributed to a number of factors, including

excellence in quality, which is underlined by the company meeting all the main quality and testing certifications required by the automotive industry. Industrie Saleri Italo also offers flexible production solutions and is able to meet specific demands from its customers.

At the heart of Saleri is its R&D competence, which focuses on both products and processes. Around 15% of Saleri’s employees are involved in R&D activities, focusing on the development of mechanical and electric pumps, advanced engineering for innovation development, validation testing, and production technology development.

With its customer-centric approach and innovative solutions, Saleri has positioned itself as a leading development and production partner to the top brands in the automotive industry. Over the past decade, Saleri’s R&D activities have helped develop many solutions for water pumps that help international car makers to achieve the ever-challenging emissions targets that are imposed by environmental regulations.

Saleri has the technical know-how and production capability to

develop and produce electric water pumps for auxiliary and main-circuit cooling, due to its in-house software development programs and its systems for mechanical adjustable water pumps.

One of these pump systems helped Saleri to win the 2011 Equip Auto International Grand Prix Award for Automotive Innovation. This particular technology comprises only a few components, can easily be fitted to an existing package, and guarantees excellent performance.

An italian supplier continues to enhance its reputation with advanced water pump designs that are helping oeMs meet emissions legislation

Water pump expertise

Nicole Wagner at Industrie

Saleri Italo

T. +39 0308 250406


W. www.saleri.it

Online reader

enquiry nO. 509


Key to the success that Industrie Saleri Italo has had in recent years has been its flexible production solutions that are able to meet specific customer demands

Industrie Saleri Italo has grown its OE water pump business during the last decade

Its blend of high performance, reliability, cost, weight, and flexibility mean that it is suitable for many automotive applications.

products & services


Jaime Minarro at Nemak

T. +1 248 350 3995


W. www.nemak.com

Online reader

enquiry nO. 510

The current high fuel costs and stringent environmental

regulations have forced manufacturers to redouble their efforts to develop better and lighter engines that can improve fuel consumption, while reducing their impact on the environment. As a result, recent cylinder head and block designs have evolved into more complex geometries that fit into smaller and lighter vehicles. This translates into smaller IC engines without sacrificing net power: in other words, realizing higher power density. Therefore, a deep understanding of alloys, raw materials for core production, and casting processes is needed to meet the ever-increasing demands of the automotive industry.

Nemak is meeting these requirements by introducing innovations in the materials and processes it uses. New alloys, sand, and mold technologies, as well as casting integrated features, are the main lines of research.

The company has developed a portfolio of alloys tailored to meet the specific needs of the IC engine. Physical properties (such as density, thermal conductivity, monotonic, and dynamic mechanical properties) and castability are two technical factors that determine the selection of a particular alloy for a cylinder head or engine block.

For naturally aspirated engines, the alloy that offers a good compromise between cost and performance is the AlSi7Cu3Mg. For turbo and diesel applications,

the use of the AlSi7Mg and AlSi7Mg+0.5Cu is preferred because of its superior thermal conductivity.

In most engines, the maximum temperature that the cylinder heads reach is in the range of 200-220°C. Nemak has done extensive work on creating a tensile strength and thermal conductivity database for various temperatures and aluminum solidification rates. In addition, thermomechanical fatigue in the application of both materials and components is currently being evaluated. These databases have helped OEMs to improve their engine design models, resulting in faster development times.

Recently, Nemak’s R&D department produced the AlCu5Mg for casting applications where mechanical properties are increased. The initial concept development for the production of cylinder heads has shown promising results. This new alloy has excellent mechanical properties at high temperatures (tested and preconditioned at 200°C for 200 hours) as shown in the table below. The AlCu5Mg presents a thermal conductivity coefficient at 200°C of 180W/mK – the same as the AlSi7Mg alloy. High thermal conductivity enables the engine-cooling system to remove heat from the system, and this results in lower engine operating temperatures.

Iron sleeves or liners are used in aluminum blocks to withstand friction and wearing from pistons and ring displacement during the

combustion cycle. These can be cast in at the moment of block molding, or pressed in at the engine plant. Unfortunately, the side effects are an increase in engine weight and lower thermal conductivity from the combustion bore to the water jacket. Weight saving and optimum heat transfer are key for engine efficiency. Plasma-coating techniques are replacing these liners with a thin coat of iron alloy (~400μm), and Nemak has cutting-edge bore-coating processes available.

The company relies on process and solidification simulation and modeling for its developments. It uses advanced software to simulate not only solidification and defect presence in the casting, but also part residual stresses, casting response to heat treatment, and sand-core optimization.

Nemak has also developed a proprietary sand-core binder, which is an alternative to petroleum-based binders. The advantages of this technology include the fact that it is water soluble. It also has lower recycling costs, and the entire process is environmentally friendly. This will reduce part-production cycle times and save energy that is currently being used for core removal. An inorganic binder option is also available; this is an environmentally friendly alternative because the lack of fumes generated during the casting produces colder molds, resulting in higher casting mechanical properties.

Other projects include the use of nanomaterials for alloy and core production, magnetic liquids for complex cavity generation, and integration of components.

New alloys, sand, molding technologies and advanced casting techniques are helping one supplier to realize weight and efficiency gains for new engines

Material choices

Alloy AlSi7Cu3Mg AlSi7Mg AlSi7Mg+0.5Cu AlCu5Mg

UTS (MPa) 193 114 160 265

YS (MPa) 175 99 145 245

Elong (%) 3 9 9 6

Nemak uses advanced solidification simulation and modeling for its developments

Nemak’s new alloy has excellent mechanical properties at high temperatures of 200 °C

products & services

As discussed in Spark Plug Revolution (January 2012

issue, p74-76), the science behind the Pulstar technology is based on pulsed power. This is best described as collecting energy, using a low Q capacitor, over a relatively long period of time (50-100µs), and discharging the stored energy in a relatively short (<50ns) period of time. This time compression peaks the current of the spark during the streamer phase to more than 800A, as shown in the current viewing resistor (CVR) chart.

In this study, the center electrode discharges directly through a CVR, generating a voltage that can then be converted to peak current via Ohm’s Law: V/R = I. In the case of the Pulstar, the CVR had a value of 0.025Ω, and for the spark plug, a CVR with 1.0004Ω was used. The voltage for all tests was 15kV in a pressure chamber filled with nitrogen.

The functional design principle for the Pulstar plug is to allow the capacitor in the circuit to drive the

spark gap load. With virtually no resistance between the capacitor and the center electrode, energy transfer efficiency of more than 50% is achieved. This is a substantial improvement on driving the spark gap load with the ignition coil, which has very high resistance and results in energy transfer efficiencies of less than 1%.

The plasma evident in the Pulstar discharge serves to ionize a large volume of fuel mixture prior to the creation of the flame kernel, thereby promoting more consistent ignition, cycle-to-cycle, and shorter burn times.

The charge time of the capacitor is insignificant to the ignition timing because the capacitor is electrically connected in parallel to the high-voltage circuit, and charges simultaneously with the ionization period of the spark event. This occurs because the resistance in the capacitor is less than the resistance of the spark gap, thus allowing energy to store in the capacitor during this period.

Once the spark gap has been ionized and a streamer formed across the electrodes, the resistance in the spark gap is less than the resistance in the capacitor, which triggers the release of energy from the capacitor through the spark gap to ground. The time period for the release is in the nanosecond timeframe, peaking the spark current to the levels seen in the CVR chart.

Evidence of neutral impact to spark duration is seen in the

conventional spark plug scope (as shown in Chart A), as compared with the scope trace from the pulse plug (as shown in Chart B).

In chart A, a conventional spark plug was used in the study similar to the spark plugs in the CVR compari-son chart. Capacitance of the spark plug was 12pF and internal resistance 6.5kΩ. In chart B, the pulse plug used was the Pulstar G4, with a capacitance of 45pF and internal resistance of 5.6Ù.

The conditions established in the pressure vessel were such that both the conventional plug and the pulse plug ionized and broke down the spark gap at 27-28kV. It is shown that in both conditions the ionization time period is ≈14µs, confirming that charging the capacitor has very little effect on ignition timing.

the breakthrough pulstar technology continues to demonstrate impressive efficiency levels

Spark plug developments

Louis Camilli at Enerpulse

T. +1 505 999 2003


W. www.pulstar.com

Online reader

enquiry nO. 511


Chart A plots the workings of a conventional spark plug, while Chart B highlights the overall performance of the Pulstar G4

The above CVR chart shows the current of the spark during the streamer phase

products & services

Marisa Brugni at SPAL

T. +39 05 2273 1565


W. www.spal.it

Online reader

enquiry nO. 512


The value of a vehicle’s energy-efficient system and

its components is becoming more important because of the rising cost of fossil fuels and the increasing investment in alternative propulsion systems to produce low- and zero-emission vehicles.

SPAL, a specialist in the field of electric ventilation systems, has analyzed the growing needs of vehicles equipped with hybrid, electric, and fuel-cell-based propulsion systems. The Italian supplier has worked closely with leading vehicle manufacturers around the world to design and develop a series of key functions for the vehicle cooling system.

The company’s SBL300 brushless motors equip axial fans and centrifugal blowers for applications such as energy storage systems, engine cooling units, and HVAC. The use of sophisticated technology such as sine-wave sensorless drive means the SBL300 sealed brushless motor has the capacity to reach electrical efficiency of 80%, making it one of the most efficient motors in the 300W power range.

Such efficiency is further sustained by the use of dedicated, high-performance fans that have been specifically designed to optimize fluid dynamic performance. The result of this breakthrough is high airside performance at minimum electrical load.

The SBL300 is IP68 and IP6K9K compliant, which means the motor is fully sealed and can operate in the presence of any aggressive or hazardous substances. The integrated power and control electronics are separated within the motor to ensure the control electronics operate at lower surface temperature levels, which greatly increases durability levels as well as

the overall product reliability. Furthermore, the SBL300 features a double-sealed ball bearing, guaranteeing a product life of more than 30,000 hours.

Compact designs and the need to keep down the weight of vehicles have necessitated small, lightweight components. An innovative inner-rotor design and an all-aluminum body make SBL300 perfect for these needs. Both the overall motor dimensions and weight are greatly reduced so that the SBL300 can offer up to 650g of weight saving compared with other motors of similar power.

Another important factor that has been taken into account during the design and development of the SBL300 has been the need to cope with the most stringent NVH requirements, given the reduced noise levels of an electrically driven

vehicle. The low-inertia rotor greatly reduces the lack of mechanical balance, and an optimized fan design further reduces mechanical and air-rush noise.

To achieve the highest overall system efficiency, it is important not to waste energy. The SBL300 is continuously regulated by a PWM signal, which enables the fan to run at the ideal speed to perform the required function.

Personalized advance control strategies are available at customers’ requests, and the onboard diagnostic capabilities and built-in protection features are also readily available.

Having gathered critical experience in developing the SBL300, SPAL is now set to extend its range of advanced brushless motors by the end of the year, with the introduction of the SBL500.

This motor will have a nominal power output of 500W at working temperatures that are typically requested from car makers around the globe. It will also have the same structure and features that the SBL300 currently boasts.

As the company expands, SPAL will continue to address the ventilation needs of the upcoming hybrid, electric, and fuel-cell vehicle applications, new-generation IC engines, and advanced HVAC systems.

the ever-increasing need to equip new vehicles with energy-efficient components is now extending to high-tech electric ventilation systems

Advanced vehicle cooling

Brushless axial fans and centrifugal blowers from SPAL offer high efficiency, low noise and fuel consumption, and can operate in the most extreme working environments

products & services

CRITT M2A is an independent research and development

center located in northern France that’s mainly dedicated to the automotive industry. For the past 10 years, the center has been providing its skills in engine and NVH testing, and it is now becoming one of the main turbocharger testing providers not just in Europe, but on a worldwide scale.

The strength of the CRITT M2A center is its very high standard of test facilities and its large area of expertise – which is so varied that tests can be applied to passenger cars, trucks or even rail and aerospace applications.

The turbocharger test center of the CRITT M2A base is equipped with five independent and secured

cells that enable development tests on turbochargers and their upstream/downstream parts.

All the gas-stands – supplied by Kratzer Automation – are powered and regulated by PA Tools, which enables test and development engineers to automate test settings and ensure flow reproducibility. This flexible arrangement also allows for output power levels of 200kW, 400kW and 800kW; a range of mass-flow from 0.01kg/s to 1.00kg/s; and a range of temperatures from 150°C to 1,200°C. These parameters are fully adaptable to comply with the highest required standards and a hot temperature switch-unit will soon be installed at the center to complete the range of equipment.

The engine test department comprises seven benches on which a wide range of different studies can be carried out, including tests on gasoline, diesel, GNV and biofuels. Four of the development benches are supplied by AVL and FEV, and automated by PUMA OPEN and TCM; two endurance benches are automated by MORPHEE; and one full anechoic bench is automated by PUMA. All of the engine test rigs are equipped with high-tech testing and validation devices, including fuel balance, fuels conditioning system, gas analyzer, smoke meter and blow-by meter.

The CRITT M2A center also provides sound measurements, either in reverberation rooms, or in a semi-anechoic chamber with highly

A state-of-the-art research and development center in France has positioned itself as a benchmark for testing new turbocharging systems

Turbo testing capabilities

CRITT M2A

T. +33 391 800 202


W. www.crittm2a.com

Online reader

enquiry nO. 513


Located in North France, CRITT M2A has become a leading engine test facility

Powertrain engineers making use of the CRITT M2A R&D facility can take advantage of a high-tech full anechoic bench that’s automated by PUMA

A complete range of engine test procedures can be undertaken at the CRITT M2A facility. All engine rigs are equipped with high-tech validation devices

efficient additional test equipment such as a binaural head, a holographic array, and a 900m acoustic test track. The facility’s range of electrodynamic shakers and its laser vibrometer enable engineers to perform vibration analysis that covers the entire NVH spectrum.

With its vast technical expertise, CRITT M2A has become an international reference point for turbocharger and engine testing. Although the center already provides services for organizations from France, Germany, the UK, and the USA, it is still looking to increase its client portfolio. With this in mind, representatives from CRITT M2A will be present at Automotive Testing Expo Europe 2012, an industry-leading event that takes place at Messe Stuttgart in Germany on June 12-14.

INDEX TO ADVERTISERS

Engine Technology International.com // March 2012// 71

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P2300217an_183x115.indd 1 22.02.2012 15:51:52

ANSYS Inc .................................................................11AVL List ......................................................................17Car Training Institute ...........................................71CD Adapco .............................................................. 13Contitech AG (Fluid Automatic) .......................3DSM ........................................Outside Back CoverEFD Induction AS ................................................... 9Emhart Teknologies – Spiralock ...................32Engine Expo 2012 ..................................19, 21, 22Engine Technology International Online Reader Enquiry Service .................. 61FEV ............................................ Inside Front CoverF-Diesel Power Co Ltd ....................................... 61GPM GmbH Merbelsrod ....................................52Grainger & Worrall Ltd .......................................59IAV GmbH ...............................................................35Industrie Saleri Italo SpA ................................... 16

International Products Corporation ............ 15Lubrizol ....................................................................52Micro-Epsilon Messtechnik GmbH & Co KG .................................................55Mim Indo-US Tec Pvt Ltd .................................29Nemak NA ..................................................................7Orbital Corporation Limited ............................ 57SAE International........................................... 57, 59SAS CRITT M2A ....................................................32Senior Flexonics .................................................... 47SPAL Automotive Srl ........................................... 41The Battery Show 2012 .....................................63The Scuderi Group ............. Inside Back CoverTransmission Technology Intermational 2012 ..........................................49www.EngineTechnologyInternational.com .55

last wordWords: rex roy

Launched 20 years ago, the XJ220 remains the fastest Jaguar ever produced. In fact, when released onto the market in late 1992, this supercar was not only deemed to be ahead of its time by critics, it also set the highest maximum speed of any production car with its blockbusting 213mph capability.

But speed and power formed only one small strand of the legend that the XJ220 has become. Constructed using advanced aluminum honeycomb, the car was strong but, despite its size, weighed only 1,470kg.

The concept XJ220 debuted at the 1988 British Motor Show, and such was its impact that by December 1989 it had been signed off for production, with TRW being selected as the main engineering partner.

Power for the production version of the XJ220 came from a 3.5-liter twin-turbo V6, a big step away from the showstopping concept that boasted a quad-cam 6.2-liter version of the Jaguar V12. Other engineering modifications included conventional doors being selected over the concept’s scissor doors, a slightly shorter body, and a rear-wheel drive system instead of four-wheel drive.

The decision to drop the V12 in favor of the V6 surprised some in the industry, but there were plenty of good reasons for such a move: the smaller unit helped the team to meet emissions regulations that just couldn’t be achieved with the V12. Also, packaging issues with the larger powertrain were proving particularly difficult, so a smaller block made more sense from a design perspective.

So, in came a 3.5-liter V6 race engine with twin Garrett T3 turbos that was good for 542bhp at 7,000rpm, and 645Nm of torque at 4,500rpm. These figures are impressive today, but back in the early 1990s they were record breaking in every sense. The XJ220 took less than four seconds to sprint to 60mph from standstill.

Words: Dean Slavnich

last word

Top cat

This engine marked many firsts for Jaguar. It was the first time that the ‘Big Cat’ had used a V6, and was also the first time that the British car maker had used forced induction. The unit was essentially a six-cylinder derivative from the Cosworth DFV Formula 1 engine, originally designed for the Austin Metro 6R4 rally car.

The production XJ220 channeled its drive through the 18in Speedline rear wheels shod in specially

developed 345/35 Bridgestone Expedia tires via a five-speed gearbox and an AP Racing twin-plate clutch. Braking was supplied by a set of AP Racing discs and four pot calipers.

Built by hand at an all-new factory in Bloxham, Oxfordshire, the first customer car

was completed in June 1992. However, despite such technological advances, not all customers

were pleased with the end product. The price of the supercar soared by about US$156,000 (£99,000) from

US$555,950 (£361,000) to US$720,000 (£460,000) as a result of index-linking of their contracts. Another setback was the global recession, prompting some potential suitors to back out of their orders. Production ceased in 1994, by which time 275 cars had been built.

However, with age the XJ220 has retained its looks, acquired a legendary status as a result of the technical advances achieved by the Jaguar engineering team, and its value is on the up – even in this financial climate. In fact, ETi has found one example in mint condition for US$292,000 (£185,000)


“Not only was it the first time thatthe ‘Big Cat’ had used a V6, it was

also the first time that the British car maker had used forced induction”

Most agree that the XJ220, which celebrates its 20th birthday later this year, was ahead of its time

For him, Bright Sciencemeans new ways to lightweighthis designs.

Rethink. Redesign. Revolutionize. With DSM’s high-performing plastics you can design cars that not only cost less to produce, but are stronger, lighter, and more fuel effi cient than ever before. It’s how DSM’s Bright Science is helping car manufacturers worldwide balance better performance with the drive for sustainability. And design cars with built-in pro tability.

Visit our new automotive market site to learn more about our weight saving solutions.

WWW.DSM.COM/AUTOMOTIVE

DSM_Eng_Tech_Int_Bleed(215x275).indd 1 24-01-12 12:41

engine technology international.com-mar2012

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