Less fuel consumption and cleaner exhaust gases without the need for additional exhaust gas treatment. This year, the second occasion on which the prize has been jointly conferred by the Federal Ministry for the Environment and the Federation of German Industries, Continental has been awarded the Innovation Prize for Climate and Environment for its innovative diesel injection technology.
The, in which the nozzle needle is driven directly and without hydraulic assistance, is able to control the injection process even more precisely. “This makes it possible to reduce fuel consumption significantly, by up to five percent. Despite this, performance, torque and ride comfort can be improved still further”, said Dr. Detlev Schöppe, head of development at the Engine Systems Business Unit in Continental’s Powertrain Division at the award ceremony in Berlin. “The new system will first go into series production with a major vehicle manufacturer from 2013 on.” The prize was awarded in one of five categories by a panel of judges, presided over by Dr. Norbert Röttgen, the Federal Environment Minister.
The innovations submitted had first been assessed by the Fraunhofer Institute for Systems and Innovation Research in Karlsruhe. “Through this prize, the German Federal Ministry for the Environment, Nature Conservation and Nuclear Safety (BMU) and the Federation of German Industries (BDI) want to recognize outstanding achievements in this field and thereby pay tribute to German industry’s commitment to climate control, environmental protection, and conservation of resources”, said the Federal Environment Minister Dr. Norbert Röttgen. “The prizes awarded today demonstrate the innovativeness with which business and science are improving climate control and environmental protection”, added Dr. Werner Schnappauf, Director General of the BDI, at the ceremony.
“The new generation of injectors represents a further development of piezo technology”, explained Dr. Gerd Schmutzler, program manager for direct drive piezo common rail injectors, whose injector technology was being singled out for the award. Piezo injectors have been used in passenger cars for some ten years. The actuator, which consists of over 700 wafer-thin ceramic layers, exercises direct control over the needle in the injection nozzle. It does so within microseconds, thus allowing multiple injection. Until now, the actuator has always operated the needle via a hydraulic gear, whereas with the new design it acts directly on the needle.
This innovative direct drive means that the needle can be controlled more quickly and more precisely, allowing more flexibility in forming the injection pattern, i.e. it very accurately adjusts the quantity of fuel injected to match both the combustion process in the cylinder and the engine performance required at any given moment. In this design, the piezo actuator simultaneously acts as a sensor by reporting the precise position of the nozzle needle to the electronic control unit, producing the first self-contained control system. “Continuous injection rate pattern formation allows a seamless transition between pre-combustion and main combustion with beneficial effects on particulate emissions which can, in turn, be converted into benefits as regards NOx emissions. Combustion and injector noise is also reduced”, said Schmutzler, describing the advantages of a self-contained control system.
During development test cycles using vehicles which were otherwise fitted with standard engine technology conforming to Euro 5, not only did fuel consumption drop by up to 5 percent – which in itself means a sustainable reduction of CO2 emissions for the environment – but, extrapolated over the average time any driver keeps a vehicle, several hundred euros could also be saved at the filling station. “Drivers also felt that the engines were quieter and more economical without any loss of performance”, stressed Dr. Gerd Schmutzler, adding that “this innovative injection system also opens up the possibility of doing away with expensive exhaust gas aftertreatment systems in certain vehicle categories”. This could allow heavier, mid-range vehicles to meet the requirements of the Euro 6 emissions standard, mandatory from 2014, without nitrogen oxide aftertreatment.
