Beruflich Dokumente
Kultur Dokumente
v
k
.
a
t
/
s
y
m
p
o
s
i
u
m
SPECIAL REPORT: POLLUTING GDI ENGINES
42 // March 2014 // Engine Technology International.com
SPECIAL REPORT: POLLUTING GDI ENGINES
A controversial new study has concluded
that high-tech GDI powertrains cause more
air pollution than modern diesel engines.
ETi investigates WORDS: DEAN SLAVNICH
Caught in
a trap
SPECIAL REPORT: POLLUTING GDI ENGINES
Engine Technology International.com // March 2014 // 43
SPECIAL REPORT: POLLUTING GDI ENGINES
A
research study undertaken by an inuential
transport policy think-tank has highlighted
major concerns relating to particle emissions
from the latest generation of GDI engines, with
the report concluding that these new gasoline
powertrains cause far more air pollution than diesels.
Testing performed by engineers at TV Nord on behalf
of Transport & Environment (T&E) on three mainstream
C-segment hatchbacks showed that GDI engines tted
without gasoline particulate lters (GPFs) produce
10 times more particles than modern diesel engines
tted with DPFs.
The vehicles used in the study were a Ford Focus with
the award-winning 1.0 EcoBoost engine, a Hyundai i40
Kombi with a 1.6-liter GDI powertrain, and a Renault
Mgane powered by a 1.2-liter TCe motor. All three test
cars featured a six-speed transmission, were in good
condition and had been maintained at appropriate service
intervals. We selected the vehicles on the basis that they
came from a range of manufacturers and that they were
signicant models in terms of sales, outlines Greg Archer,
program manager for clean vehicles at T&E.
The testing followed standard procedures in the lab
using the current ofcial system for measuring exhaust
emissions the NEDC. Measurements were also made
using a new test schedule that will be introduced in 2017
the World Light Duty Cycle (WLDC) as well as the
Supplemental Federal Test Procedure (US 06), which
has an emphasis on strong acceleration and is therefore
seen by many as being much more representative of
real-world driving.
TDI cleaner than GDI
The results were staggering. While all the test vehicles met
the required Euro 5 laws during the NEDC assessment
that is currently used, and also complied with Euro 6.2,
which comes into force later this year, on all three test
cycles not one of the cars met the Euro 6c regs due in
2017, which stipulate that particle numbers in the exhaust
must be less than 6x10
11
per kilometer. Crucially and
this really is the important point underpinning the study
this 6c limit is already met today by modern diesels
with DPF technology.
According to Archer, the Ford had the lowest particle
number, being marginally better than the Hyundai. Yet
the Renault TCe produced twice as many emissions as
the EcoBoost product.
What this indicates is that diesels with DPFs are
cleaner than current GDI engines, states Archer,
who admits that he too was taken aback by the
results from the TV Nord labs. Another thing
this study shows is that these GDI engines will
need further work, further emissions controls,
for them to meet the 2017 norms.
Without the lter tted, the Ford averaged
6x10
11
particles per kilometer on the NEDC. On
the WLDC it recovered 2,417x10
12
and for the
US cycle it was roughly 2x10
12
. These results
obviously compare to the US 6C limit of 6x10
11
.
So its easy to see how were getting signicantly
higher emissions from these new GDI engines
compared with diesels.
SPECIAL REPORT: POLLUTING GDI ENGINES
When judged against the Ford EcoBoost engine, which
for the last two years has been crowned the International
Engine of the Year, the Hyundai GDI unit was slightly
worse on the NEDC, slighter better on WLDC and
considerably worse on the US 06. This comparison
actually shows the differences when testing under
standardized test conditions and when youre on a
more aggressive cycle, adds Archer.
Finally, for the Renault engine, on the WLDC and US
06 cycles it was by far the worst performing engine, and
only just crept below the Euro 6.2 standard of 6x10
12
.
I think this is equally interesting because it shows there
is a very big difference in performance between car
manufacturers and engines.
Following the rst round of results, tests were then
undertaken with GPFs tted to the GDI test vehicles using
US 06 norms, because, This legislation allows the highest
emissions, according to Archer. This latter, all-important
test was repeated for each car and the average emissions
output noted. The results were just as interesting: With
the lter tted, the particles decreased by a factor of three
for the Ford and Hyundai and by a factor of four for the
Renault, reports Archer, meaning that all three test
vehicles would then meet 2017 Euro 6c laws.
Complex problem, simple solution
So, it would seem that the answer to the GDI emissions
question is simple: all car makers have to do is bolt on
GPFs to their GDI products. But things are never that
straightforward, as Archer explains: By applying GPFs,
the improvement to these engines is just staggering. The
engineers at TV Nord actually told me that the exhaust
is cleaner than the ambient air. Its almost that these cars
are driving around cleaning the air for us the air thats
coming out of the engine is cleaner than the air going in!
Archer also makes a much more serious point: What
this study shows is just how clean lters are. And while
car makers continue to claim that by optimizing engine
management systems theyll be able to further reduce
particle numbers, they will not be able to get the values
down to anything like as low as they would by tting a
lter. Yet they just dont want to apply GPFs to their engines.
ETi approached several car makers but nearly all
declined to comment on the study and specically why
there seems to be a resistance to incorporate GPFs in their
GDI powered vehicles (see The industrys perspective on the
opposite page). In fact, from our research and something
thats backed by T&E there are currently no GDI
engines on the market with GPF technology, simply
For the Renault, on the WLDC
and US 06 it was by far the
worst performing engine, and
only just crept below the
Euro 6.2 standard of 6x10
12