Search Results

Market expectations for the next generation of gasoline engines are: improved performance for better driveability, lower toxic emissions to meet future legislation, and reduced fuel consumption to help meet future legislation linked to Green House Gas emissions (including CO2) and to counter the recent increase in fuel price. In addition, any new technical solution must be cost effective and applicable to a large volume of engines. In order to improve fuel efficiency, the combustion process needs to be optimized. A key technology to achieve this is fully variable valve actuation for both naturally aspirated and turbocharged engines (variable displacement, reduced pumping losses, Miller-Atkinson cycles). To futher improve, accurate control of ignition and the air/fuel ratio will also be required and are necessary for CAI-HCCI combustion. VALEO Engine Management Systems has, since 1998, been working on an infinitely variable valve actuation system based on a linear spring-mass actuator.