Bangkok--30 Oct--Oasis Media
- Melbourne to St. Petersburg in 17 days on clean diesel
- Common rail technology by Bosch makes diesel engines cleaner and economical since 1997
A Volkswagen Touareg TDI Clean Diesel SUV powered by diesel injection technology from Bosch has set a new road rally world record from Melbourne, Australia to St. Petersburg, Russia in just 17 days. Adventurer and off-road driver, Rainer Zietlow traveled 23,000 kilometers with his team from the earth’s southernmost city to its northernmost counterpart in record time.
“Melbourne to St. Petersburg marks our third drive, after Argentina to Alaska in 2011 and the journey up the Chilean volcano Ojos del Salado — the highest volcano in the world in 2005. This remarkably-seamless journey is proof of our choice to rely on a vehicle powered by Bosch diesel technology for power, speed and reliability in the most challenging driving conditions,” said Mr. Zietlow.
The Common Rail System (CRS3-20) is the backbone of the Volkswagen Touareg TDI Clean Diesel model’s cost-effective, clean and powerful diesel engine. The technologically-advanced, electronically-controlled fuel injection system is developed by Bosch, the global leading manufacturer of diesel fuel injection systems.
“For both challenges, there was not a single technical problem from the Bosch common rail system, regardless of the different climate zones that Rainer drove through, and the different qualities of fuel used in the respective countries,” said Klaus Landhaeusser, Regional Head, External Affairs & Governmental Relations (Southeast Asia) of Robert Bosch (SEA) Pte Ltd.
Mr. Landhaeusser added: “For Bosch as a global automotive supplier and manufacturer of modern Clean Diesel Systems, this project demonstrates the reliability of the Bosch common rail clean diesel technology in all weather conditions and continuous usage.”
The future of common rail technology with up to 2,500 bar
The term “common rail” is a reference to the pressure accumulator from which fuel is injected at high pressure into the cylinders. Multiple injections result in quieter engines, increase fuel efficiency, and drastically decrease the emission of CO2 and other pollutants.
Today’s modern clean diesel vehicles consume on average 30 percent less fuel, produce approximately 25 percent less emission, and generate about 50 percent higher torque against comparable gasoline vehicles.
The first generation of common rail systems operates at a pressure of 1,350 bar, but today's CRS2 achieves up to 2,000 bar. Fuel is precisely metered by solenoid valves that allow up to eight single injections per power cycle.
CRS2 can be applied in all passenger car classes around the world, commercial vehicles, and off-highway applications. Bosch also offers CRS3 with piezo injectors for the most demanding applications. This makes it possible to meter the tiniest amounts of fuel even more precisely for pre- and post-injection, which further reduces nitrous oxide (NOx) emissions, resulting in the engine operating even more quietly. Common Rail System developers have achieved overall engine reliability even with low quality diesel fuel.
Due to the control using a piezoelectric element, which is 10 times more powerful than solenoid control, injectors are, as a result, less sensitive to particles present in the fuel.
In the common rail system, the injection pressure can reach as high as 2,200 bar. Bosch engineers are already working on systems with 2,500 bar and more, ensuring that the diesel engine is well-equipped for the future.
In conjunction with NOx exhaust gas treatment such as Bosch Denoxtronic, common rail technology makes it possible to meet the strictest emissions regulations, including Euro 6 in Europe from 2014, or Tier 2 Bin 5 in the United States. Diesel vehicles equipped with the necessary technology are already commonly available in the European and U.S. markets.