Materials
While the combustion process in diesel engines achieved maximum exhaust temperatures of 600°C up until the middle of the 80s, exhaust temperatures of above 800°C are now achieved with the use of direct injection technology (pump/nozzles or common rail) and turbochargers. This trend is even stronger in petrol engines due to the introduction of downsizing (smaller hub volume and fewer cylinders with higher power). Modern engines with stratified charges and turbochargers now even achieve exhaust temperatures that are significantly higher than 1000°C.
The new engine concepts use the load-point shifting of engine operating points in areas of higher efficiency. Smaller, compacter engines with fewer cylinders also have lower friction losses and are lighter. On one hand, this allows the automobile industry to fulfil the requirements of the exhaust gas laws for the reduction of CO² values and, on the other hand, helps fulfil the customer's need for less fuel consumption.
