VIDEO: GM EcoTec chief engineer talks direct injection
Click above for a high res gallery of GM's new 2.4L DI four cylinder
One of the most important new technologies to come to spark ignition engines in recent years is direct fuel injection. Audi was one of the pioneers in applying the system to road cars after using it on the Le Mans-winning R8 earlier this decade. More recently, General Motors has used it on the 2.0L turbo four cylinder that powers a number of performance models as well as the 3.6L V6 in used in Cadillacs and crossovers. With two new high volume DI engines coming for the 2010 model year, Chris Meagher, chief engineer for the EcoTec four cylinder engines, has published a post on the Fastlane blog as well as video discussing direct injection.
Among the key benefits of DI are more precise fuel metering as well as a more homogeneous mixing of air and fuel. That helps reduce wasted and unburned fuel. The other component is that a higher compression ratio can be used without causing problems with pre-ignition and knock. By compressing only air, there is nothing to burn as the air heats up. When the fuel is sprayed directly into the cylinder, the temperature is reduced as the liquid fuel vaporizes. The result is more power from less fuel and less displacement. Smaller engines also mean less mass, further helping efficiency. Check out Meagher's video after the jump.
Gallery: 2010 GM direct injected 3.0L V6
[Source: General Motors]
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
Woodenbee 10:28AM (3/10/2009)
with all this news coverage of GM, I havent seen one interview or guest that was a regular GM worker, often you can get a real perspective on how a company is run by just talking to the people actually doing the work, yet every media outlet just talks to the chief whatever, I think the biggest problem with GM has been too many overpaid chiefs and not enough input from the indians, its the Bush administration model of handing out jobs for your buddies who do nothing except suck up pay and benefits and run the company into the ground, and then run to the peoples treasury to bail them out, I don't understand why republican voters cant figure this out, I guess they buy the BS about unions being the problem and if only the labor would take less pay and benefits then the company would do better, in reality the workers see how the management is the problem and thats why they fight so hard to keep their pay and benefits, God bless em! the sad thing is the first thing this type of management does is make sure no matter when they ruin the company they can ride off into the sunset with enough money till the next fat paycheck shows up, they make any amount of union mismanagement look positively genius in comparison to their feckless and inept mismanagement.
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Mirko 11:18AM (3/10/2009)
"Recent years" - So what about some cars from the 1950s? A lot of Mercedes cars, like the original gullwing SL or the 300d "Adenauer" sedan were direct injected. Some Mitsubishis from the 1990s too - Carisma GDI, Pajero Pinin GDI, Space Star and Space Wagon GDI...
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stas peterson 12:25AM (3/20/2009)
Mechanical Fuel injection was also used by American cars like the Corvete and I believe the Chrysler 300.
But these were not Direct Injection but poorly metered throttle body single central point injection, as I recall. The technology was not ready and these systems were soon dropped by all manufacturers.
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Lad 3:52PM (3/10/2009)
Love all this great mechanical engineering; turbos, inter-coolers, variable valve timing, hydraulic valve lifters, direct injection, ultra-high pressure fuel pumps, etc. Too bad they didn't spend this money on BEVs and battery research. I think we would have been years ahead in the auto game by now. It's the vision of GM management that is called into question by their decisions to satisfy political interests and Big Oil's interest over the years...they simply don't know how to marshal their forces to innovate in the right direction.
Upper management at GM should be replaces immediately by people who understand innovation and have a clear vision of the future. Perhaps then the company will have a good shot at survival.
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