Volvo Introduces New Diesel Technology; Calls V8 a ‘Dinosaur’
04-09-13, 08:27 AM
#1
Guest
Posts: n/a
Volvo Introduces New Diesel Technology; Calls V8 a ‘Dinosaur’
http://www.enginelabs.com/news/volvo...-v8-a-dinosaur
Calling V8 engines “dinosaurs,” Volvo today announced an advanced diesel technology that helps provide more precise fuel metering, which should improve power and fuel economy for the company’s new VEA family of engines.
“We will create smaller, more intelligent engines with so much power that they will turn V8s into dinosaurs. Our 4-cylinder engines will offer higher performance than today’s 6-cylinder units and lower fuel consumption than the current 4-cylinder generation,” boasts Derek Crabb, Volvo’s powertrain engineering boss.
Designated as i-ART, the new technology monitors pressure feedback from each fuel injector, instead of using the more traditional single pressure sensor in the engine’s common-rail system.
“Each injector has a small computer on top, which monitors injection pressure. Using this information, the self-adapting i-ART system makes sure that the ideal amount of fuel is injected during each combustion cycle,” says Crabb. “Increasing the rail pressure to an exceptionally high 2,500 Bar (36,260 psi), while adding the i-ART technology, can be described as the second step in the diesel revolution. It is a breakthrough comparable to when we invented the groundbreaking lambda sensor for the catalytic converter in 1976. It’s another world-first for Volvo.”
The one drawback to electronically controlling fuel injection in diesel engines is the lack of knowledge of what’s actually happening inside the combustion chamber. With a gas engine, the O2 sensor located in the exhaust header or downpipe lets the engine-management computer immediately know the air-fuel ratio from each combustion event. Combined with information from other sensors, such as manifold pressure, throttle position and inlet air temperature, the computer can make real-time adjustments for optimum performance.
With a diesel, air-fuel ratio varies so much that it’s hardly a factor in determining fuel delivery. A more informative factor would be the actual cylinder pressure at the crank angle, but that technology would be very expensive. The i-ART technology does provide a little more information to the ECU, which should help optimize combustion.
“We will create smaller, more intelligent engines with so much power that they will turn V8s into dinosaurs. Our 4-cylinder engines will offer higher performance than today’s 6-cylinder units and lower fuel consumption than the current 4-cylinder generation,” boasts Derek Crabb, Volvo’s powertrain engineering boss.
Designated as i-ART, the new technology monitors pressure feedback from each fuel injector, instead of using the more traditional single pressure sensor in the engine’s common-rail system.
“Each injector has a small computer on top, which monitors injection pressure. Using this information, the self-adapting i-ART system makes sure that the ideal amount of fuel is injected during each combustion cycle,” says Crabb. “Increasing the rail pressure to an exceptionally high 2,500 Bar (36,260 psi), while adding the i-ART technology, can be described as the second step in the diesel revolution. It is a breakthrough comparable to when we invented the groundbreaking lambda sensor for the catalytic converter in 1976. It’s another world-first for Volvo.”
The one drawback to electronically controlling fuel injection in diesel engines is the lack of knowledge of what’s actually happening inside the combustion chamber. With a gas engine, the O2 sensor located in the exhaust header or downpipe lets the engine-management computer immediately know the air-fuel ratio from each combustion event. Combined with information from other sensors, such as manifold pressure, throttle position and inlet air temperature, the computer can make real-time adjustments for optimum performance.
With a diesel, air-fuel ratio varies so much that it’s hardly a factor in determining fuel delivery. A more informative factor would be the actual cylinder pressure at the crank angle, but that technology would be very expensive. The i-ART technology does provide a little more information to the ECU, which should help optimize combustion.
04-09-13, 09:05 AM
#2
Lexus Fanatic
iTrader: (20)
corvette owners are lol'ing. 
04-09-13, 09:59 AM
#4
Lexus Fanatic
“We will create smaller, more intelligent engines with so much power that they will turn V8s into dinosaurs. Our 4-cylinder engines will offer higher performance than today’s 6-cylinder units and lower fuel consumption than the current 4-cylinder generation,” boasts Derek Crabb, Volvo’s powertrain engineering boss.
Last edited by mmarshall; 04-09-13 at 10:38 AM.
04-09-13, 10:29 AM
#5
There will always be a market for V8s. It will get smaller and smaller, however. It's going to become more of a niche motor. If they are able to develop a TTV6 that pumps out a supposed 420hp like the one Caddy has in store, I don't mind. CAFE will only get tougher, oil reserves will only get smaller, and fuel prices will only go up.
04-09-13, 10:36 AM
#6
Lexus Champion
I'm 50/50 on this one.
I do praise and applaud Volvo in their effort to further enhance and improve their diesel engines (hey, their D5 engines are superb and that D6 Plug-in Diesel Hybrid for the V60 wagon is something epic and I wish I could personally drive and own one)
HOWEVER
I still feel that big displacement and engines with eight or more cylinders shouldn't be called as 'dinosaurs'. In some cases and in more extreme vehicles, there is no replacement for a displacement and cylinder count (i.e. does the Veyron only have four cylinders? No, it has SIXTEEN). The Corvette and new SRT Viper use naturally-aspirated V8 and V10 engines, respectively. Hence, why I disagree with labeling V8 engines and another engine with eight cylinders or more as "DINOSAURS".
Still, the reason comes from the notion in that Volvo stopped using the Yamaha V8 engine in the XC90 and S80. Pretty soon, like it or not, Volvo themselves stated that they will be phasing out their six-cylinder and five-cylinder engines in the next few years and as such, Volvo will only be having four cylinder engines at most in the near future...........
I do praise and applaud Volvo in their effort to further enhance and improve their diesel engines (hey, their D5 engines are superb and that D6 Plug-in Diesel Hybrid for the V60 wagon is something epic and I wish I could personally drive and own one)
HOWEVER
I still feel that big displacement and engines with eight or more cylinders shouldn't be called as 'dinosaurs'. In some cases and in more extreme vehicles, there is no replacement for a displacement and cylinder count (i.e. does the Veyron only have four cylinders? No, it has SIXTEEN). The Corvette and new SRT Viper use naturally-aspirated V8 and V10 engines, respectively. Hence, why I disagree with labeling V8 engines and another engine with eight cylinders or more as "DINOSAURS".
Still, the reason comes from the notion in that Volvo stopped using the Yamaha V8 engine in the XC90 and S80. Pretty soon, like it or not, Volvo themselves stated that they will be phasing out their six-cylinder and five-cylinder engines in the next few years and as such, Volvo will only be having four cylinder engines at most in the near future...........
04-09-13, 10:36 AM
#7
Lexus Fanatic
Trending Topics
04-09-13, 11:51 AM
#8
I'm 50/50 on this one.
I do praise and applaud Volvo in their effort to further enhance and improve their diesel engines (hey, their D5 engines are superb and that D6 Plug-in Diesel Hybrid for the V60 wagon is something epic and I wish I could personally drive and own one)
HOWEVER
I still feel that big displacement and engines with eight or more cylinders shouldn't be called as 'dinosaurs'. In some cases and in more extreme vehicles, there is no replacement for a displacement and cylinder count (i.e. does the Veyron only have four cylinders? No, it has SIXTEEN). The Corvette and new SRT Viper use naturally-aspirated V8 and V10 engines, respectively. Hence, why I disagree with labeling V8 engines and another engine with eight cylinders or more as "DINOSAURS".
Still, the reason comes from the notion in that Volvo stopped using the Yamaha V8 engine in the XC90 and S80. Pretty soon, like it or not, Volvo themselves stated that they will be phasing out their six-cylinder and five-cylinder engines in the next few years and as such, Volvo will only be having four cylinder engines at most in the near future...........
I do praise and applaud Volvo in their effort to further enhance and improve their diesel engines (hey, their D5 engines are superb and that D6 Plug-in Diesel Hybrid for the V60 wagon is something epic and I wish I could personally drive and own one)
HOWEVER
I still feel that big displacement and engines with eight or more cylinders shouldn't be called as 'dinosaurs'. In some cases and in more extreme vehicles, there is no replacement for a displacement and cylinder count (i.e. does the Veyron only have four cylinders? No, it has SIXTEEN). The Corvette and new SRT Viper use naturally-aspirated V8 and V10 engines, respectively. Hence, why I disagree with labeling V8 engines and another engine with eight cylinders or more as "DINOSAURS".
Still, the reason comes from the notion in that Volvo stopped using the Yamaha V8 engine in the XC90 and S80. Pretty soon, like it or not, Volvo themselves stated that they will be phasing out their six-cylinder and five-cylinder engines in the next few years and as such, Volvo will only be having four cylinder engines at most in the near future...........
04-09-13, 06:17 PM
#11
Lexus Fanatic
The V8 is not a dinosaur at all, you can't replace the sound, performance, and character of a V8 with a 4 cylinder but the V8 is sadly becoming extinct as a option on lower to mid priced cars because of overbearing gov regulations. If it was not for these regulations Volvo would still most likely offer a V8 and would be promoting it. The Yamaha V8 offered in the Volvo's was never integrated all that well or sold in high numbers.
The only V8's that are dinosaurs are heavy ones that get really bad mileage, have high emissions, and that don't offer much more power then V6's and there are very few of them left. Even the OHV engine in the new Corvette is very impressive, more so then many new 4 cylinders and V6's.
Go drive a Ferrari 458, McLaren MP4-12C, M3, new A8/S8, new M5, new Corvette, RS5, and try to say V8's are dinosaurs or a new high tech 4 cylinder or diesel can provide the same level or performance and experience.
The only V8's that are dinosaurs are heavy ones that get really bad mileage, have high emissions, and that don't offer much more power then V6's and there are very few of them left. Even the OHV engine in the new Corvette is very impressive, more so then many new 4 cylinders and V6's.
Go drive a Ferrari 458, McLaren MP4-12C, M3, new A8/S8, new M5, new Corvette, RS5, and try to say V8's are dinosaurs or a new high tech 4 cylinder or diesel can provide the same level or performance and experience.
Last edited by UDel; 04-09-13 at 06:45 PM.
04-09-13, 06:22 PM
#12
The V8 is not a dinosaur at all, you can't replace the sound, performance, and character of a V8 with a 4 cylinder but the V8 is sadly becoming extinct as a option on lower to mid priced cars because of overbearing gov regulations. If it was not for these regulations Volvo would still most likely offer a V8 and would be promoting it. The Yamaha V8 offered in the Volvo's was never integrated all that well or sold in high numbers.
The only V8's that are dinosaurs are heavy ones that get really bad mileage, have high emissions, and that don't offer much more power then V6's and there are very few of them left. Even the OHV engine in the new Corvette is very impressive, more so then many new 4 cylinders and V6's.
Go drive a Ferrari 458, McLaren MC4, M3, new A8/S8, new M5, new Corvette, RS5, and try to say V8's are dinosaurs or a new high tech 4 cylinder or diesel can provide the same level or performance and experience.
The only V8's that are dinosaurs are heavy ones that get really bad mileage, have high emissions, and that don't offer much more power then V6's and there are very few of them left. Even the OHV engine in the new Corvette is very impressive, more so then many new 4 cylinders and V6's.
Go drive a Ferrari 458, McLaren MC4, M3, new A8/S8, new M5, new Corvette, RS5, and try to say V8's are dinosaurs or a new high tech 4 cylinder or diesel can provide the same level or performance and experience.
04-10-13, 05:34 PM
#15
Guest
Posts: n/a
I think the V-8 may go away from non high performance luxury cars, Benz is dropping it from the E class unless you get an AMG and Porsche replaced the S model with a V-6 but the Turbo has it.
Maybe Cadillac was way ahead of its time offering a V-6 only until the V-8 CTS-V and no regular V-8 model. I don't think anyone will argue with a TT V-6 that makes the same power as a V-8.
Maybe Cadillac was way ahead of its time offering a V-6 only until the V-8 CTS-V and no regular V-8 model. I don't think anyone will argue with a TT V-6 that makes the same power as a V-8.