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Schaeffler UK has just published a free reference guide to the development, manufacture and application of the latest valve train systems for internal combustion engines. A free, pocket-sized, 70-page guide to valve train systems for internal combustion engines is now available.
Published by precision bearing and automotive component manufacturer The Schaeffler Group, the reference guide includes information on the development, manufacture and application of valve train systems and components for internal combustion engines, including the company’s latest switchable and fully variable valve train systems, which help OEMs reduce vehicle fuel consumption and emissions.
The book will be of interest to students, car mechanics, design engineers, mechanical engineers or drivers who wish to find out more about how their engine develops its power.
Since the introduction of multi-valve technology in automotive engine building, there has been considerable progress in valve train technology. Therefore, new terms are now being used that some engineers may find confusing: finger followers, tappets, hydraulic valve lash adjustment, variable and fully variable valve trains, and so on.
These engine components are responsible for supplying the engine with the necessary air for aspiration and for developing power. This new technology has also significantly improved the performance of petrol and diesel engines in the last 20 years.
The guide covers the various valve train systems now available, including Schaeffler’s own INA-branded systems, and the components these systems require. In five concise chapters, the various basic valve train concepts are explained, including tappet valve trains and rocker-type valve trains, as well as the design, manufacture, testing and calculation of such systems.
The book concludes with a chapter on switchable and continuously variable valve trains. Fully variable valve trains that have already reached volume production include BMW’s ‘VALVETRONIC’ system, which enables reductions in vehicle emissions and fuel consumption.
Engineers at the Schaeffler Group’s Engine Systems division have recently developed a fully variable valve control system which, in tests, reduced fuel consumption by 10% compared to conventional valve train systems. A significant reduction in diesel engine NOx emissions was also achieved, as well as improved engine response and torque.
The INA ‘UniAir’ (Universal Air) system is a cam-actuated, electro-hydraulic valve train system, which is supplied by the vehicle’s existing engine oil circuit. The system can be used in both petrol and diesel engines and should be ready for volume production in 2009.
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