VIDEO: Aural evidence new Ford 6.7L Scorpion diesel is quieter
Click above to view the video after the jump
Ford will officially unveil its revised 2011 Super Duty pickups Thursday at the State Fair of Texas, and the all-new, Ford-designed and produced 6.7-liter Power Stroke (aka Scorpion) diesel is the star of the show. We've already given you the details on the Scorpion, as well as a description of how quiet it is, and now Ford has now posted a video of one of the diesels on a dynamometer switching from the old single injection pulse control to the new multi-pulse strategy.
The difference in sound levels is quite startling. By splitting the fuel delivery into multiple pulses (and ignition events) the pressure impulse on the piston is flattened out and spread over a larger time, mitigating the knocking sound. The new engine will be available in production trucks in the second quarter of 2010 and you can check it out for yourself in the video after the jump.
[Source: Ford]
FORD'S ALL-NEW DIESEL IS CURIOUSLY QUIET
6.7-liter Power Stroke V-8 Turbocharged Diesel Engine
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VIDEO: Quiet New Ford 6.7-liter Power Stroke Turbocharged Diesel Engine
DEARBORN, Mich., Sept. 23, 2009 – People who know diesel engines are familiar with, and expect, the noisy clatter generally associated with diesels. That is, until now. When Ford's new 6.7-liter Power Stroke® diesel engine debuts in the 2011 Super Duty lineup, it's expected to be the quietest, smoothest diesel on the market, outperforming its closest competitors by several decibels.
Engineering and design improvements to the all-new Ford-engineered, Ford-tested and Ford-built 6.7-liter Power Stroke® turbocharged diesel engine – debuting in the 2011 F-Series Super Duty – eliminate the harsh sounds of the typical diesel to make it one of the quietest and smoothest diesels on the market. Significantly quieter than its toughest competitor, the 6.7-liter diesel challenges traditional views about how diesels should sound.
"Historically, consumer perception has been that diesels should sound rough and tough, but from a sound quality perspective they were actually loud and unrefined," said Scott DeRaad, engine NVH (noise, vibration and harshness) engineer. "At Ford, we approached the new diesel development as though it was more than a work truck and something that people wanted to drive, making 'quieter' a reason to buy."
Most of the improvement in NVH comes from changes made to the combustion system and the structural integrity of the compacted graphite iron block, as well as from mounting one turbocharger on the engine block instead of two.
Specific design upgrades were made to both the piston and the piston bowl to optimize the combustion process, which features a two-stage combustion event instead of a single-injection event, causing harsh, sudden and loud combustion. Instead, a starter or pilot injection of fuel begins the compression process before the main injection.
The result is a smoother combustion and a more refined sound for the customer. When at idle, two pilot injection events are used to make the firing process even smoother and aid in quietness. The "ticking" of the high-speed injectors also is masked by specially designed covers on the engine.
Mounting the turbocharger from the center housing directly to the block provided several advantages as well in terms of NVH performance.
"When turbochargers vibrate, it can lead to other parts of the vehicle vibrating," said DeRaad. "The exhaust system, for example, is directly attached to the turbocharger. So when the turbocharger vibrates a lot, the exhaust system vibrates too and that's disturbing to the customer. Bolting the turbocharger directly to the block eliminates that concern."
Using one turbocharger, instead of two operating in series or sequentially, helped solve some NVH challenges as well.
"Having one turbocharger eliminates the air-handling noises – the whooshes – as the engine switches from one turbo to the next turbo," DeRaad said. "Our turbocharger also has ball bearings that pilot the shaft in the turbo, which helps eliminate the potential for the shaft of the turbocharger to gyrate in its housing, which can create noise."
Other improvements include the addition of two resonators in the intake system as well as a third resonator near the air cleaner.
"We've been able to tune the diesel intake system to give us the sound we wanted," DeRaad said. "It's now a nice complement to the engine."
The new diesel will also deliver other significant improvements including better torque and horsepower, class-leading fuel economy and best-in-class towing and payload for unparalleled performance.
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 3)
dodgeboy 11:36AM (9/24/2009)
Personally I like my diesel loud.
Reply
TKOsoccer03 11:42AM (9/24/2009)
that's because your a dodge guy and they can't seem to make a quiet diesel ;) lol
but this is goo news. i mean .. nothing is more annoying than having to turn off your engine at the drive thru window. pain in the ass.
the 6.4 PS is already the quietest diesel on the road, and it is quiet. put this motor under some insulated metal, and you won't be able to hear a thing!
congratulations Ford on engineering your own diesel engine. something the other two can't and never will do.
Shipey 11:54AM (9/24/2009)
Why are so many folks so quick to insist that a liking for big trucks or powerful cars has something to do with penises? Don't project your insecurities on the rest of us.
As it turns out, these types of vehicles are FUN.
Andy 12:13PM (9/24/2009)
So are penises!
Dr. Greenthumb 12:18PM (9/24/2009)
Andy: Is this your official coming out announcement?
Randy 5:41PM (9/24/2009)
"Personally, I don't care to hear your penis-substitute."
At first I though that was kinda rude but it actually was witty! So I won't - you!
For the record: I like loud in a truck too! But it's still funny! LOL
Jim 8:08PM (9/24/2009)
"Personally, I don't care to hear your penis-substitute."
it's no worse than the fart can on your rust & primer Civic.
Evan 11:37AM (9/24/2009)
"pickup trucks", "Thursday", "state fair" - sounds like a real hick event!
Reply
From My Cube 11:41AM (9/24/2009)
or good marketing....i too, can also judge you by your avatar.
Chibi Chaingun - blackhivemedia.com 12:19PM (9/24/2009)
What is that avatar? A ghetto Tails from Sonic the Hedgehog? Sounds like a real nerd event! (I kid... I'm a game developer and long-time gamer. :P) But really, what a dumb comment... :\
paul34 1:24PM (9/24/2009)
I'd lean towards "furry" myself, if we're going 100% by the avatar.
DKB_SATX 1:27PM (9/24/2009)
I can't imagine what "Thursday" has to do with "hick" but the rest of your comment suggests that you're not very perceptive so perhaps no link exists.
Texas is a huge market for pickups, and the F150 was very popular here before it became fashionable for people all over the country to drive a pickup to their white-collar job. The auto show at the State Fair of Texas has been an important marketing event for car makers for decades, so it's a natural fit.
Chibi Chaingun - blackhivemedia.com 2:27PM (9/24/2009)
I see you changed your icon to literally being Sonic...
jv2k 4:09PM (9/24/2009)
Has anyone ever told you to yiff in hell because of your furry avatar on this site?
So why stereotype other people?
From My Cube 11:39AM (9/24/2009)
say what you want about Ford of the late 90's and early 2000's...but they have their heads on straight now and are putting out some quality products
Reply
BigMcLargeHuge 11:50AM (9/24/2009)
Actually with their trucks, its kinda reversed.
The 90's era F-series and Superduty's were at their prime. Reliable and versatile.
Then to meet emissions criteria in 2002, International threw out their trusted 7.3L tD and started fresh with an exploding 6.0L tD. And followed that up with an exploding 6.4L twin-tD.
Now Ford has decided to build its own diesel, and hopefully their Superduty's will go back to being a friend of the working man.
Chibi Chaingun - blackhivemedia.com 12:16PM (9/24/2009)
It seems to me as far as their trucks go, they've always been pretty dependable save for the supplier's diesel issue they had recently. Every Ford truck owner, including myself, that I've known has had very high mileage with little to no problems. Just my own observation, but *to me* they've done really well with their trucks for a long time all the way to now with the Ranger getting highest ranked dependability for a small/mid-size pick-up.
From My Cube 11:40AM (9/24/2009)
or good marketing....i too, can also judge you by your avatar.
Reply
From My Cube 11:41AM (9/24/2009)
holy crap, this comment system is about as good as an 80's chevy!
BigMcLargeHuge 11:51AM (9/24/2009)
I see what you did there.