Volvo’s New i-ART VEA Diesels Turn V8s into Dinosaurs

Volvo says its upcoming i-ART high-pressure diesel injection system will make the V8 engine obsolete. Granted, we’ve heard talk like this for years – but considering Volvo’s most recent V8 is an absolute jewel of high-revving, DOHC excitement that was co-developed with MotoGP championship-winning manufacturer Yamaha, they might be worth listening to on this one.

The new Volvo Engine Architecture (VEA) diesels carry to the concept of direct cylinder injection to a new extreme, incorporating cylinder pressure systems directly into the injector, allowing the advanced ECU to continuously adapt fuel delivery throughout the combustion process – and that fuel delivery happens almost instantaneously, thanks to the almost unimaginably high 2500 BAR of pressure pushing the fuel into the combustion chamber. That’s over 36,000 PSI of pressure!

Volvo’s new i-ART Diesel engines carry along the brand’s “Every Drop Counts” ad campaign, and are expected to start production this fall. The first production versions should roll out first on the 2014 version of the V60 hybrid wagon, which will be coming to America the following year.

No word, yet, on whether the new Volvo diesels will be rated for bio-diesel. You can check out the full press release, as well as a few technical images that may or may not actually tell you something about Volvo’s new VEA development program, below. Enjoy!

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Volvo Car Group launches world-first injection technology in the new VEA engine family

Volvo Car Group’s new engine family VEA (Volvo Engine Architecture) will be launched this autumn with world-first i-ART technology that helps to cut fuel consumption in the new diesel engines.

By featuring pressure feedback from each fuel injector instead of using a traditional single pressure sensor in the common rail, i-ART makes it possible to continuously monitor and adapt fuel injection per combustion in each of the four cylinders.

“Increasing the rail pressure to an exceptionally high 2,500 Bar, 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,” says Derek Crabb, Vice President Powertrain Engineering at Volvo Car Group.

He adds: “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.”

The combination of higher injection pressure and i-ART technology gives the customer an engine with improved fuel economy, considerably lower emissions and high performance output as well as a powerful sound character.

Launched autumn 2013

Volvo Car Group will launch the Volvo Engine Architecture in autumn 2013. With VEA, Volvo will also introduce a new 8-speed automatic gearbox that contributes to a refined drive and excellent fuel economy.

Diesel common rail and petrol direct injection are standard in the upcoming modular range of diesel and petrol engines.

Several levels of turbo charging open up for the flexibility to cover the whole range from fuel-efficient derivatives through to high power and torque variants. In order to cover all customer requirements, certain engines will also gain added performance via electrification or other spearhead technology.

“The new powertrains will boost driving pleasure through their agile, yet smooth, responsiveness and the seamless character of the new 8-speed automatic,” says Derek Crabb.

V8s are dinosaurs

“We will create smaller, more intelligent engines with so much power that they will turn V8s into dinosaurs. Our four-cylinder engines will offer higher performance than today’s six-cylinder units and lower fuel consumption than the current four-cylinder generation. On top of that, electrification will bring us up into power figures in today’s V8-territory,” says Derek Crabb.

The engines will be built at Volvo Car Group’s high-tech engine plant in Skövde, Sweden.

   

Source: Volvo.