On the road towards consequent downsizing

Downsizing and boosting are a key reasons for the favorable fuel consumption characteristics and the success of the Diesel engine. Boosting will shape the future development of both, passenger car Diesel and SI engines. Continuously variable compression ratio (VCR) offers an opportunity to further enhance the downsizing potential. FEV has developed a concept car that features variable compression ratio. A highly boosted, 4-cylinder turbocharged SI engine was equipped with FEV’s eccentric crankshaft positioning concept. The concept was manufactured, tested and integrated in a vehicle by FEV. The successful implementation and the very promising results yielded a very positive response. The technology and procedure are described in this article.