VW releases details on new clean engine design
Volkswagen already produces some of the most advanced and efficient engines on the market today, but as always, there's room for improvement. That's why VW engineers are hard at work developing a new range of diesel and gasoline powerplants that will combine the benefits of both types of engines to increase power and cut CO2 emissions.In a recent presentation, VW showed off two new designs that promise higher fuel economy and lower emissions. The first of these is a diesel engine that mixes fuel and air 'homogeneously' inside the engine, which in effect removes any trace of soot and reduces polluting nitrogen oxides.
For petrol heads, VW has created an engine that works by using spark plugs for ignition during start-up and hard acceleration, but can then switch to sparkless compression ignition, like a diesel, during low load situations. The end result is diesel-like efficiency but with cleaner exhaust properties of gasoline engines.
As for dwindling oil stocks, VW has also looked at solving that problem too. In the works is a new synthetic fuel derived from natural gas, but don't get too excited, its makers claim we're still at least a decade a way from the roll out of the new technology.
[Source: Automotive News - Subs. Req'd]
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
felipe 8:26AM (7/10/2007)
and suddenly i am proud that the test revealed me to be a VW GOLF....
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john riley 8:41AM (7/10/2007)
I thought the diesel-from-natural-gas thing was further along than that. Note the date on this story:
http://www.wired.com/science/discoveries/news/2005/05/67534
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Barney 9:08AM (7/10/2007)
Volkswagen was able to turn a gas engine into a very reliable diesel before. This news is well within their scope. The reliability of their cars had declined the last decade,however. For Volkswagen to produce their own fuel will not be enough but great that a car maker is looking at alternatives that everyone can benefit from.
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Greek Boy 9:54AM (7/10/2007)
Nobody makes them cleaner than PZEV and nobody offers more PZEV vehicles than Ford.
Bout time VW.
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chewy 2:07PM (7/10/2007)
VW already has PZEV engines in the Rabbit, Jetta, New Beetle.
Soon the 2.0T engine will also be PZEV rated so the GTI, GLI, Eos, and the Passat will also be PZEV vehicles.
This would mean that about 70% of VW's model line would be available with PZEV engines.
How about that?
shay 5:54PM (7/10/2007)
Umm...ALL VW vehicles can be made PZEV. It may cost a little extra, however...you can't sell a register a car in NY, or CA, unless it is PZEV. And, well, why sell a car you can't let the customer register?!
psarhjinian 9:56AM (7/10/2007)
Now, I'm all for low emissions, but wouldn't it be nice if VW could make a reliable engine first?
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scosol 1:27PM (7/10/2007)
Any more info on the Gas/Diesel thing? The only way I can come up with for that to work is to have a variable compression ratio.
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Farris 4:05PM (7/10/2007)
I was actually wondering the same thing... how would you adjust the compression ratio to get the gas to consistently knock?
Maybe they are planning a turbo that normally runs at low boost, then it ups the boost dramatically to get to compression-ignition?
why not the LS2/LS7? 12:01PM (7/10/2007)
Oddly, these are both aspects of the swirl combustion/lean burn work that the Japanese started in the 80s.
I am a bit skeptical how much they can reduce nitrogen oxides in Diesels. My understanding is the nitrogen oxides come simple because the knock-based ignition of Diesels burns so hot that it brings the nitrogen from the air into the mix and forms the nitrogen oxides. Note that knock-based ignition systems for gas will have to contend with this too.
I don't know if knock-based ignition for gas is all that sexy, what is sexy is a gas engine where it doesn't care whether it ignites based upon compression or spark. In an engine like this you don't have to close the throttle plate under part throttle (just like on a Diesel) and instead you just don't inject the fuel until just before TDC, and if it knocks, big deal, it was just about to be ignited anyway.
A system like this, where gas engines will gain the advantages of reduced pumping losses at part throttle, is why I keep saying (so far incorrectly) that the future of Diesel in cars is extinction. When you can get 250HP from 3 .0L DOHC or 3.6L pushrod gas engine normally aspirated with great highway mileage, it will greatly reduce demand for Diesel engines, which require twin turbos, twin intercoolers and larger (typically iron) blocks to get the same power.
Yes, Diesel engines will still get greater mileage per gallon of fuel, but that's because Diesel fuel contains more energy per gallon of fuel (just like ethanol contains less). On a per barrel-of-oil basis, gas and Diesel engines will be on a pretty equal footing at that time.
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MikeW 12:17PM (7/10/2007)
I want to know if they are going to upgrade the twincharger to the four lobe superchargers.
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Johnny Rocket 2:34PM (7/10/2007)
VW needs clean diesel technology to survive in the US market. It no longer has low prices or reliability.
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66coronet 7:10PM (7/10/2007)
When will chrysler bring the VW crd to the north american market? They use it in 5 vehicles in Europe.
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Kumar 11:14AM (7/11/2007)
Hopefully sooner than later now that they're not so hamstrung by benz. They wouldn't even give us the little diesels, only the bluetec for the high end cars.
I think chrysler is using last gen diesels in europe though, so hopefully we can work something out to get their newest diesels.
We have to have something to show locally for the minivan partnership...
66coronet 3:58PM (7/11/2007)
Chrysler is using the new VW 2.0L diesel in Europe. It's the crd not the pump duse. Maybe you could even credit chrysler in pushing VW to go to the crd in thier small motor.
As for other MB small motors chrysler will use is the new I-4 2.2Lcrd om651 bluetec. This will replace the VM 2.8Lcrd in the minivans. The outputs are very similar. Not sure about Dodge Nitro, Jeep wrangler, & Liberty diesel future. If they go to the MB 2.2Lcrd or MB 3.0Lcrd or both.
Plus the V-6 cummins 4.3L is for dodge trucks.
strangway 12:25AM (7/11/2007)
Hmmm, someone should make a twin-turbo 1.0 liter engine. One turbo for every 2 cylinders. Sounds crazy, but in ten years manufacturers will get desperate.
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Baker 11:12AM (8/01/2007)
please car u get me a new vw bora engine 1.6litre desil or patrol.please reply
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