BorgWarner looks to benefit from demands for increased fuel efficiency
With internal combustion engines set to continue playing a major role in automotive drivetrains for some time to come, technologies that can help improve efficiency are growing in demand. Two of the most popular at the moment are turbochargers and dual clutch transmissions (DCT). Both are seen as means to achieve significant improvements in efficiency at much lower cost than alternatives like hybrids. One of the chief suppliers of both of these components is BorgWarner.
BorgWarner has been the supplier of DSG transmissions to Volkswagen, which just recently passed the one million installation mark. With Ford set to produce upwards of 500,000 turbocharged direct injection engines annually within the next few years and many manufacturers looking to follow a similar path BorgWarner is well positioned to benefit from the shift. The company expects revenues to rise by 10 percent this year in spite of falling U.S. sales.
[Source: Detroit Free Press]
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
TomtenT 7:08AM (2/12/2008)
Hm ?
Am I missing something here ?
As far as I know there's no significant improvement in efficiency for an ICE engine by using overboost.
There's a common misconception that because the power output is increased, and the power per given cylinder volume is increased, that also the specific fuel consumption would improve.
That is not the case - the ICE works along the ancient principle of expansion of a gas due to heating. Consequently overboost is a method of stuffing more air ( and fuel ) into the cylinder -> resulting in more heat when burned and so increasing the pressure -> equals more power.
This is of obviously a VERY coarse description, but I claim that any ( if any ) benefits in fuel consumption in a turbocharged ICE is achieved essentially through more precise engine mangement and combustion control.
The principle of burning something to get gas to expand seems outdated to me ( after decades of enthusiastic motorsport ) -> surely Electric should be the way to go ! Just produce the juice right !
While I'm at it ... ;-) ...
I'd like to read more in-depth reports on electric motor evolvements, and "battery business" , the strategy and economy game behind one of the most crucial issues for EV future.
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Ninjaf 8:11AM (2/14/2008)
TomtenT
You are obviously missing something . . . the fact that manufacturers who add turbos also down size the engine offered, sometimes from 6- to 4-cylinders, which offers significant fuel economy gains.
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Ninjaf 9:49AM (2/13/2008)
TomtenT
You are obviously missing something . . . the fact that manufacturers who add turbos also down size the engine offered, sometimes from 6- to 4-cylinders, which offers significant fuel economy gains.
Reply