Filed under: Etc., Plants/Manufacturing, Tech, Audi
Eaton tapped to produce superchargers for Audi
Audi is using American supercharging muscle to give its new 3.0 liter TFSI V6 the desired wallop. Eaton Corporation has been enlisted by Ingolstadt to supply positive-displacement, Roots-type blowers that will work with direct injection to deliver 290 horsepower and fat, responsive torque down low on the tach. Roots blowers aren't anything new, but Eaton has refined the design with its latest Twin Vortices Series units. The TVS units add a fourth lobe to the rotors, and crank up the twist to 160 degrees for maximizing the amount of atmosphere the blower can pump out. Jettisonning turbochargers may help packaging when the V6 is crammed into the S4's engine bay, as well as reducing complexity by simplifying intake plumbing. 310 lb/ft of torque at 2,500 rpm will put a grin on anyone's face, and we'd expect to see this engine proliferate into many Audi engine bays. Press Release after the jump.[Source: Eaton]
PRESS RELEASE
SOUTHFIELD, MI--Diversified industrial manufacturer Eaton Corporation today announced that its Twin Vortices Series™ (TVS™) supercharger has been chosen by Audi to power the automaker's all-new 3.0 liter TFSI V6 engine.
"Audi engineers did extensive comparative testing and found our new TVS supercharger provided superior throttle response and low-end torque coveted by drivers," said Joao Faria, president of Eaton's Powertrain and Specialty Controls Business. "Additionally, when paired with direct injection and enhanced transmission ratio, the TVS supercharger helps the engine achieve 290 hp with an average fuel economy of nearly 24 miles per gallon."
The supercharged 3.0 liter TFSI V6 is a member of Audi's family of ultramodern V engines and will go into production later this year. Audi has a tradition of developing supercharged engines dating back to grand prix racing cars in the 1930s.
The Eaton TVS is an all-new Roots-type positive displacement supercharger that features twin four-lobe rotors that are twisted 160-degrees. The intermeshing, high-speed rotor design pumps air directly into the engines intake system that when mixed with fuel creates more power. By comparison, the original Eaton supercharger features three lobes twisted 60 degrees. The fourth lobe and added twist, when combined with redesigned air inlet and outlet ports, creates a smooth, highly efficient flow of air into the engine and has improved noise and vibration characteristics.
With sales of $1.6 billion in 2007 and 11,000 employees around the world, Eaton's Automotive Group supplies the passenger car, light-truck and commercial vehicle industries with critical components that reduce emissions and fuel consumption and improve vehicle stability and performance. Principal products include, engine valves and valve train components, transmission and engine controls, superchargers, locking and limited slip differentials, cylinder heads, fluid conveyance components, decorative body moldings and spoilers.
Eaton Corporation is a diversified power management company with 2007 sales of $13 billion. Eaton is a global technology leader in electrical systems for power quality, distribution and control; hydraulics components, systems and services for industrial and mobile equipment; aerospace fuel, hydraulics and pneumatic systems for commercial and military use; and truck and automotive drivetrain and powertrain systems for performance, fuel economy and safety. Eaton has 81,000 employees and sells products to customers in more than 150 countries. For more information, visit www.eaton.com.
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)
Valentino Amoro 6:16PM (7/18/2008)
Where have you discovered that this Super-charged 290 HP engine is making it into the s4?
And how is this 'cramming' into the S4 after the V8?
Where are you getting your facts?
Reply
Jackattak 6:46PM (7/18/2008)
Question:
"Where have you discovered that this Super-charged 290 HP engine is making it into the s4?"
Answer (provided directly from the blog):
[Source: Eaton]
PRESS RELEASE
SOUTHFIELD, MI--Diversified industrial manufacturer Eaton Corporation today announced that its Twin Vortices Series™ (TVS™) supercharger has been chosen by Audi to power the automaker's all-new 3.0 liter TFSI V6 engine.
Dave Peterson 7:07PM (7/18/2008)
Exactly, Audi is not going to drop the power from 350bhp to 290bhp - which is only 25bhp more than the current 3.2 FSI. NOT GOING TO HAPPEN. They are talking about the base supercharged 3.0T which will replace the 3.2
CB 9:53PM (7/18/2008)
Does this engine sound boring to anyone else?
Valentino Amoro 8:18PM (7/18/2008)
@Jackattak
You still didnt answer my question. NO WHERE in the Eaton post does it say this will power the Audi S4.
RJ 6:34PM (7/18/2008)
That combined fuel economy of 24 mpg is pretty respectable for a 290hp, 310 lb-ft engine. In comparison, the 290 hp Maxima averages 22 mpg (which is already one of the best).
Audi can probably squeeze out another mpg or 2 using a turbo, but the tradeoff in throttle response may not be worth it.
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Bill Montgomery 7:04PM (7/18/2008)
The 3.0 TFSI engine in 290bhp form will not power the S4. It will be in a different state of tune (and boost) to have at least as much power as the previous S4 (which is 354bhp now in the S5). Audi has never gone backwards in power output with the new generation. I don't think there are many car companies out there that have actually - at least not in the "performance" version.
Bill Montgomery 6:59PM (7/18/2008)
The 290bhp engine will replace the company's standard 3.2 FSI V6 which is in the A6 and A4. The S4 will get at least 350bhp out of increased boost and close to 400 ft/lbs torque. The RS4 is still an unknown to whether it will use a further 'hopped up' version of this engine or will stick with the high-reving 4.2 V8. Audi announced recently that they were going back to the Forced Induction V6 design for the RS4.
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Jonathan B. 7:28PM (7/18/2008)
Why the heck do manufacturers continue to use Eaton (roots) superchargers when twin screw superchargers are always more efficient? Is it the bean counters at work? I really don't understand! Can someone please explain?
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nirad 8:15PM (7/18/2008)
The new Eaton TVS is more efficient than a traditional roots type supercharger. This should be similar to the one in the Corvette ZR1.
why not the LS2LS7? 8:17PM (7/18/2008)
Supercharger whine is very pronounced on a lysholm unit.
Also, Roots are a a lot simpler and can pump a lot more air, as the entire length of the supercharger of acts as an intake (and an exhaust), whereas on a lysholm, the air must enter at one end and travel down the screws to be supercharge.
B 9:29PM (7/18/2008)
Screw Supercharger whine. Its a perf car, its supposed to make loud noises.
Lysholm FTMFW
Bob 9:48PM (7/18/2008)
Another problem with screw compressors is that they tend to have a high amount of parasitic loss which really hurts the fuel mileage that Audi was apparently going for.
why not the LS2LS7? 1:19AM (7/19/2008)
Audi's are luxury cars, some of them are sporty luxury cars, but they're still luxury cars.
PhattyDre16 2:36AM (7/19/2008)
Am I the only one who orgasms when he hears supercharger whine? Or am I not normal?
This gets me every time: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2lQX3cOAbes
why not the LS2LS7? 1:37AM (7/19/2008)
That's already too loud, and that's for a muscle car. On a luxury car it would be far out of place.
Toy Yoda 7:29PM (7/18/2008)
Why not go with a Lysholm/"twin" supercharger?
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wonkydonkydotnet 9:26PM (7/18/2008)
I agree on the Lysholm and said so in the last post AB did on this.
+++ Nice thing about a SC is that it can partially fail and you can still get yourself home in Limp-Mode. -Once a Turbo borks, that's it; your car's a brick. Reliability is niiiice.
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why not the LS2LS7? 11:39PM (7/18/2008)
Heh? These superchargers are positive displacement. If the supercharger eats it, it can block the flow of air completely. On an impeller-based system (like a turbocharger), the whole turbo can eat it and you can still limp home just with the air flowing around it.
Justin 11:55PM (7/18/2008)
I guess if you can't have a cool sounding v8, at least some blower whine is the next best thing :)
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