Manufacturer Engine development
01/24/2010
The engine developers from M ercedes have a clear goal in mind: diesotto. From today's perspective, it is an exotic combustion engine with variable compression, compression ignition, variable valve opening times and stratified charge. The combination of gasoline and diesel features should guarantee the best efficiency, but the road to a unit ready for series production is long and rocky. The company's next generation of engines will already have some of these features, but can still be clearly separated into diesel and gasoline engines.
At the end of 2010, the Mercedes S-Class will come with a four-cylinder diesel
The new OM 651 is currently penetrating the various diesel engines Series. Although the four-cylinder is currently under discussion due to problems with its injection nozzles, it impresses under normal conditions with low fuel consumption, good running smoothness and powerful performance. With this characteristic it would even become a S- Class fit, and in fact, the OM 651 should power the Mercedes flagship in a further expansion stage from the end of 2010. Without such breaks, however, things continue with the gasoline engines, because in the upper house there will be V6 and V8 engines from late summer.
Unlike BMW For the time being, Mercedes does not use forced ventilation in the V6 of the new engine family known internally as Move. Although it is already known in principle from the 350 CGI models, Mercedes is talking about a completely new engine with stratified charge of the second generation, double camshaft adjustment, map-controlled oil pump and start-stop function.
The new six- and eight-cylinder petrol engines will cover a performance range between 252 and 544 hp - only slightly more than their predecessors. As before, the 3.5-liter V6 has a maximum of 306 hp, while the 4.6-liter V8 is significantly more powerful thanks to the twin-turbo: With 435 hp and 700 Nm of torque, it not only distanced the equally large suction cup in the S 450 (340 PS, 460 Nm), but also the current S 500 (388 PS, 530 Nm). Its 5.5-liter V8 is therefore also charged twice and wrestlesthe crank drive from 900 Nm torque.
Focus on reducing consumption and CO2
Much more important to Mercedes, however, was a sustainable reduction in consumption and CO2. With the obligatory gasoline direct injection and the stratified charge made possible by it, the V6 and V8 engines should consume ten to 30 percent less. An S 350 with 306 PS and an ECE consumption of less than 7.5 L /100 km would then be more economical than a current Mercedes S 400 Hybrid (ECE consumption: 7.9 L /100 km). There is no question that Euro 5 standards can be met, but these engines will also manage Euro 6 without any problems. After all, the new generation of engines should be future-proof for the next ten to 15 years in the luxury class.
New six-cylinder at BMW
In this segment, a cooperation with BMW is therefore off the table for the foreseeable future. After all, Bayern have recently started to replace their six-cylinder with a new series. The three-liter in-line engine with 306 hp called the N55 has recently been available in the BMW 535i GT, for example. The chain drive for the camshafts moved backwards, which makes it a bit more compact - with advantages for pedestrian protection in the event of a crash. The waiver of double charging is also new. Instead, single turbochargers with twin-scroll throttle and variable valve control give the performance plus.
This engine will soon be available in other series, BMW 5er and 7er will be ready in a few months, the 3er , however, will have to wait until the model change in spring 2012. Then the six-cylinder should meet the Euro 6 limit values and probably also in the next 1er are used. A new two-liter four-cylinder with supercharging, which will be ready for series production from 2011, is derived from this. BMW is even thinking hard about a three-cylinder. The gasoline engine with a displacement of 1.2 liters and turbocharging should be available as early as 2013 and then cover a performance range between 75 and 184 hp. A smaller four-cylinder with a volume of around 1.6 liters would be obsolete with this bandwidth.
BMW brings the three-cylinder diesel
Even diesel with three cylinders will be found in the future. 1.5 liters of displacement are here - as in the IAA -Study Vision Efficient Dynamics shown - to expect, less volume would also be less efficient in the opinion of BMW technicians. Versions with 95 to are being considered177 hp, production could start at the end of 2011. It is not yet clear whether PSA will again be considered as a development partner. Because with the small engines Mercedes also seems interested in a cooperation. After all, Daimler head of development Thomas Weber was spotted together with his BMW colleague Klaus Draeger in a Bavarian three-cylinder prototype.
Three-cylinder engines for the VW Golf VII
VW is already a few steps further, because three-cylinders have long been part of the engine range - currently only for small cars VW Polo and Fox , but by 2013 Golf VII customers can use it to order their car. The advantages of this design are too tempting: the internal engine friction is lower, the wide ignition intervals of 240 degrees facilitate turbocharging, with larger individual cubic capacities - 400 to 500 cubic centimeters are considered ideal - the thermal efficiency increases, and last but not least, a three-cylinder is more compact. The somewhat bumpy idling can be eliminated with a balance shaft. If there is even an automatic start-stop system on board, the idle shaking practically disappears completely. The development of the internal combustion engine is by no means over. On the contrary: The race with the electric drive has released a lot of potential and the courage to find new solutions.
