- New generation XL3 injector for state-of-the-art gasoline direct-injection (GDI) engines goes into production
- Fast-response, high-precision solenoid injector technology prepares the ground for future Euro 6c applications
- With further-refined monitoring functions, the XL3 injector can reduce particulate emissions in GDI engines
Compliance with future emissions standards such as Euro 6b (from 9/2014) and Euro 6c (from 9/2017) will call for further improvements in engine combustion processes.
As gasoline engines offer significant scope for reducing emissions through more efficient combustion, downsizing and turbocharging, they will play a significant part in realizing these improvements. This explains the ongoing worldwide trend of bringing increasing numbers of gasoline direct-injection engines onto the market.
The high-performance injectors required for this highly efficient type of engine are currently designed to operate at pressures up to 200 bar. International automotive supplier Continental was quick to develop a solution that meets the needs of such applications, in the shape of the XL3 solenoid injector which went into volume production this year in a new turbocharged 1.5-litre GDI engine. “The debut of the XL3 injector in a compact 4-cylinder gasoline engine is further proof of the potential of our injection technology,” says Wolfgang
Breuer, Head of the Engine Systems Business Unit in Continental’s Powertrain Division.
“Building on the level we’ve already reached, we are continuing to work on the XL3 injector with an eye to meeting the stringent requirements of Euro 6c,” adds Breuer. The refinements will focus among other things on designing the actuation system for fast injector opening and closing, which is key to ensuring ultra-accurate metering performance, particularly in the small quantity range. “Precision metering, combined with multiple injection capability, helps to reduce the particulate emissions of GDI engines and can cut the costs of aftertreatment technology,” says Breuer.
Matching the injector to the engine
For maximum fuel efficiency, GDI engines require extremely precise matching of the injector characteristics to the engine. “The XL3 injector has the precision it takes to meet this requirement,” says Gunnar Lowack, Head of the Injector Product Line in the Powertrain Division’s Engine Systems Business Unit. “For example, the Controlled Solenoid Injection (COSI) function continuously monitors the closing rate of the injector needle. On the basis of this information, an integrated correction function then ensures compliance with the nominal injection values throughout the lifetime of the injector.”
To meet the stringent particulate number and mass emissions limits of Euro 6c, precision injection control is vital. It holds the key to achieving the required spray preparation and penetration characteristics under all combustion chamber conditions. And this precision is set to become even more crucial in the future, as new test methods like WLTC (World Harmonized Light Duty Driving Test Cycle) and RDE (Real Driving Emissions) put greater emphasis on transient conditions (load change). “Such dynamic variations in injection and combustion conditions can have a significant effect on fuel consumption,” says Lowack, “which demands even more of the injectors.”
With sales of €32.7 billion in 2012, Continental is among the leading automotive suppliers worldwide. As a supplier of brake systems, systems and components for powertrains and chassis, instrumentation, infotainment solutions, vehicle electronics, tires, and technical elastomers, Continental contributes to enhanced driving safety and global climate protection.
Continental is also an expert partner in networked automobile communication. Continental currently has approximately 173,000 employees in 46 countries.
The Automotive Group with its three divisions Chassis & Safety (sales of approximately €7,0 billion in 2012, 34.5000 employees), Powertrain (sales of approximately €6,1 billion in 2012, 31,000 employees) and Interior (sales of approximately €6.4 billion in 2012, 33,000 employees) achieved sales of approximately €19,5 billion in 2012. The Automotive Group is present in more than 170 locations worldwide. As a partner of the automotive and commercial vehicle industry, it develops and produces innovative products and systems for a modern automotive future, in which cars provide individual mobility and driving pleasure consistent with driving safety, environmental responsibility and cost-efficiency.
The Chassis & Safety Division develops and produces electronic and hydraulic brake and chassis control systems, sensors, driver assistance systems, airbag electronics and -sensorics, washer systems and electronic air suspension systems. Its core competence is the integration of active and passive driving safety into ContiGuard. The Powertrain Division integrates
innovative and efficient system solutions for vehicle powertrains.
The comprehensive range of products includes gasoline and diesel injection systems, engine management, transmission control, including sensors and actuators, as well as fuel-supply systems and components and systems for hybrid and electric drives. Information management is at the very heart of the Interior Division, which provides a range of products that includes instrument clusters and multifunctional displays, control units, electronic car-entry systems, tire-monitoring systems, radios, multimedia and navigation systems, climate control systems, telematics solutions and cockpit modules and systems.
