Mercedes-Benz wins Safety and Technology award for DiesOtto
At their annual award ceremony, British magazine AutoCar singled out the Mercedes-Benz DiesOtto engine concept for recognition. The DiesOtto is a turbocharged homogeneous charge compression ignition (HCCI) engine. It first appeared in the F700 concept at the Frankfurt Motor Show in September. HCCI runs essentially as a diesel engine under certain operating conditions but runs on gasoline and produces far fewer emissions than a diesel without expensive after-treatment systems. The 1.8L engine produces the power of a 3.5L V-6 while achieving 44.3mpg.
Related:
- ABG Tech analysis and driving impression: GM's HCCI Engine
- Frankfurt 2007: Mercedes-Benz F700 research vehicle with DiesOtto
The innovative DIESOTTO concept developed by Mercedes‑Benz has won its first major international award. In recognition of this forward-looking drive system, the well-known UK magazine Autocar presented its prestigious "Safety and Technology Award" to Mercedes-Benz at a ceremony in London.
Autocar's editor Chas Hallet acknowledged the development achievement of the DIESOTTO concept as impressive leading-edge technology with a high degree of practicability and the potential to ensure a bright future, both for the automotive industry and for motorists. The DIESOTTO drive system combined with a hybrid module, as featured in the Mercedes-Benz F 700, demonstrates that a large and comfortable touring saloon is capable of returning a fuel-consumption figure of just 5.3 litres per 100 kilometres, enabling a drastic reduction in CO2 emissions without compromising on driving comfort and pleasure. As the search for greater efficiency becomes increasingly pressing, neither a car having a high-powered engine nor continuing to further develop the internal combustion engine needs to be called into question.
The award was accepted by Dr. Günter Karl, responsible for advanced petrol engine design in the Group Research & Advanced Engineering Powertrain. "Our DIESOTTO concept shows how, in the medium term, a petrol engine can be made just as efficient as its diesel counterpart and how the internal combustion engine will remain a key drive concept when it comes to meeting private-transport requirements," said Dr. Karl.
"Today we already use aspects such as direct petrol injection in our latest models, for example in the Mercedes-Benz E 350 CGI and in the Mercedes-Benz CLS 350 CGI. During subsequent stages of development, further DIESOTTO modules will be gradually phased into series-production development."
Dr. Karl added: "We are very pleased to receive the Autocar award. For us, it represents confirmation from an independent source, highlighting the fact that this technology is set to play an important part in ensuring mobility in tomorrow's world. It encourages us to continue working intensively in order to achieve this aim."
DIESOTTO technology - an innovative further development of the internal combustion engine - made its first appearance in the Mercedes-Benz F 700 research vehicle at this year's International Motor Show (IAA) in Frankfurt. With its new controlled auto ignition, direct injection and turbocharging system, it combines the high output of a petrol engine with the exemplary torque and low consumption of a diesel engine. The four-cylinder drive system with two-stage turbocharging in the F 700 achieves the same level of performance as the current S-Class with a 3.5-litre V6 naturally-aspirated petrol engine or the 3.0-litre V6 turbodiesel.
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
Joseph 1:50AM (12/09/2007)
Mercedes says this 1.8 liter engine puts out ~230 hp. I know it is supercharged, but it still sounds like too much.
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Rojo 3:36AM (12/09/2007)
I drive a car with a 2.0L Turbo and get 260hp.
230 out of a supered 1.8 liter isn't too much...
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rgseidl 9:10AM (12/09/2007)
HCCI combustion is unlike either conventional spark and conventional compression ignition. True, the fuel-air mixture is homogenized, yielding very low particulate emissions. Ignition does occur as a result of compression heating alone. However, there is no flame front as the charge ignites virtually simultaneously throughout the combustion chamber. Ignition timing has to be reliably controlled to within roughly one degree crankshaft, which at 3000RPM translates to +/-50 microseconds. Control depends on precise maangement of EGR rate, charge motion and fuel injection. On the upside, the high EGR rates involved mean the engine can run (virtually) unthrottled while in HCCI mode.
HCCI is therefore thermodynamically efficient and largely avoids the formation of nitrous oxides. However, it is also loud and mechanically demanding for the surrounding material. Therefore, HCCI can only be used in low part load and at low speed. The biggest hurdles relate to the transparent transitions back and forth between HCCI and conventional ignition modes.
Research implementations currently exist for both gasoline and diesel fuel but not natural gas. Mercedes's four-cylinder DiesOtto concept runs on gasoline.
As for the rated power of 238hp, this particular engine features sequential turbos rather than a mechanical supercharger. That means it will deliver not only high specific power at the top end but also minimal lag and high maximum sustained torque at the low RPM. This permits long gear ratios and quiet, fuel-efficient freeway cruising in addition to clean, efficient HCCI cruising in urban areas.
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mmm 1:57PM (12/09/2007)
Did you think that by pronouncing the Model:DeisOtto differently it becomes:
DESOTO???
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1985 Gripen 2:10PM (12/09/2007)
Saab had a prototype engine in 2000 called "Saab Variable Compression" (SVC) which won all kinds of engineering awards. It was a 5-cylinder 1.6-liter supercharged gasoline engine that output 225 bhp and more importantly 225 lb-ft of torque while consuming 30% less gasoline than a similarly-powered car. It achieved this by varying the compression ratio of the engine.
http://www.channel4.com/4car/ft/feature/feature/1878/1
http://www.trollhattansaab.net/archives/2005/09/more_svc.html
When GM purchased the remaining shares in Saab it didn't previously own and took over full ownership in 2000 the SVC engine was never heard from again. However, there are reports of a new patent on the technology being filed by Saab just this past May so perhaps engineering work is ongoing.
http://www.gtyurkon.com/Saab/pat7213545.pdf
There is still a lot of efficiency to be squeezed from the internal combustion engine. The ICEs in regular production today are incredibly inefficient. Maybe this isn't the way to go in the long-term, but it can sure have strong short-term benefits.
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Jon 2:16PM (12/09/2007)
I had a bowel movement that looked better than this Mercedes, although it wasn't a hybrid.
Jon
http://www.sportscardriven.com
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