Valvetronic Engine Technology
VALVETRONIC ENGINE TECHNOLOGY
1. INTRODUCTION
The automobile has been providing individual mobility for more than 100 years. This mobility is made possible first and foremost by combustion engines drawing their power from fossil energy carriers, which, even today, provide the foundation in generating mechanical drive power in the automobile. The primary objectives in developing drive systems are to curb fuel consumption and reduce CO2 emissions. In an effort to meet this challenge, the automotive industry is developing suitable new engines. The voluntary commitment assumed by the European Automobile Manufacturers Association (ACEA) is to reduce the fleet emission average of all newly introduced cars to 140g of CO2 per kilometer by 2008 . The first objective is to minimise emission components such as hydrocarbon, CO2 and nitrogen oxides (NOx) subject to specific limits. At the same time, manufacturers are seeking to minimise fuel consumption and, accordingly, CO2 emissions. All of this should be achieved with a maximum standard of comfort and safety on the road. In the homologation of motor vehicles, Europe, Japan and the US apply different driving cycles to determine emissions and fuel consumption. However, it is the individual customer who ultimately decides on his/her particular style of motoring and up to 30% of a car’s fuel consumption depends on how it is driven and the style of motoring that is preferred by the driver. Clearly, the development engineer is unable to influence these external parameters – all that he/she can do is change the basic functions and control factors in the car and its drivetrain. The amount of energy required for driving a vehicle also drops with decreasing driving resistance provided by, for example, a reduction in roll and air resistance. To make more efficient use of the energy in fuel, the actual process of using energy must reach a higher standard of efficiency. Despite modern engine
1. INTRODUCTION
The automobile has been providing individual mobility for more than 100 years. This mobility is made possible first and foremost by combustion engines drawing their power from fossil energy carriers, which, even today, provide the foundation in generating mechanical drive power in the automobile. The primary objectives in developing drive systems are to curb fuel consumption and reduce CO2 emissions. In an effort to meet this challenge, the automotive industry is developing suitable new engines. The voluntary commitment assumed by the European Automobile Manufacturers Association (ACEA) is to reduce the fleet emission average of all newly introduced cars to 140g of CO2 per kilometer by 2008 . The first objective is to minimise emission components such as hydrocarbon, CO2 and nitrogen oxides (NOx) subject to specific limits. At the same time, manufacturers are seeking to minimise fuel consumption and, accordingly, CO2 emissions. All of this should be achieved with a maximum standard of comfort and safety on the road. In the homologation of motor vehicles, Europe, Japan and the US apply different driving cycles to determine emissions and fuel consumption. However, it is the individual customer who ultimately decides on his/her particular style of motoring and up to 30% of a car’s fuel consumption depends on how it is driven and the style of motoring that is preferred by the driver. Clearly, the development engineer is unable to influence these external parameters – all that he/she can do is change the basic functions and control factors in the car and its drivetrain. The amount of energy required for driving a vehicle also drops with decreasing driving resistance provided by, for example, a reduction in roll and air resistance. To make more efficient use of the energy in fuel, the actual process of using energy must reach a higher standard of efficiency. Despite modern engine
References: www.bmwworld.com/technology/valvetronic www.bmwworld.com/engines/valvetronic www.wikipedia.org/wiki/valvetronic Internal Combustion Engines by 1. SEMINAR TOPIC FROM :: www.edufive.com/seminartopics.html [pic]