By Karen Auguston Field --
Design News,
August 17, 1998
If you haven't driven any diesel-powered cars lately, you probably remember them as loud, smelly, and hard to start in sub-freezing temperatures. In the early 1980s, a neighbor of mine in Minneapolis was crazy enough to buy one. Talk about an opportunity to do some cold weather testing!
ADVERTISEMENT
Sponsored Content
Technology Marketplace
Well, times have changed. On a recent visit to Robert Bosch's new test track in Boxberg, Germany, I had a chance to drive a diesel-powered 1998 Chrysler Voyager SE, equipped with Bosch's VP36 direct fuel injection system. While not the minivan type, I have to admit I was pleasantly surprised by the exceptionally quiet ride.
When people talk about diesel "knock," they are referring to the combustion noise, which is an unwelcome consequence of the high rise in pressure during rapid combustion. Direct fuel injection systems help to reduce this noise by timing the injection so that it occurs closer to the end of the compression stroke.
Taking the minivan out for a few loops on the high speed oval was sufficient to prove out the effectiveness of Bosch's technology. While traveling at speeds approaching 90 mph, I was actually able to carry on a conversation in a normal speaking voice with a Bosch engineer who was along for the ride. And in a moment of sheer ludicrousness out on the test track, I had no difficulty taking a long-distance call that came in for me on a cell phone.
JUNE 26TH WEBCAST: Collaborative Requirements Engineering
Speed your innovation. Capture the "voice of the customer" and translate customer requests into user requirements that define new products. Find out why the new ENOVIA Requirements Management solution enables organizations to improve their overall global requirements management process. Read More
Mechatronics in action
Successful synergistic integration of controls, electronics, computers and mechanical systems is key to the 21st century design process. Unlock the secrets at the Mechatronics Zone!
Webcast: Sensor Know-How Now
Join our moderator Randy Frank and John Keating from Cognex and explore Solving Industrial Inspection Problems. Read More
Engineering Concept Conduit
Engineering Concept Conduit looks at new products and the components that make them exceptional. Each month we’ll look at a new electronic product and see what makes it tick from an engineering point of view. We’ll explore the design and engineering challenges for the product and examine the components that solved those challenges.
Light Matters: Systems Level Approach to HBLED illumination applications
Its good practice to apply a systems-level approach to high-brightness LED (HBLED) illumination applications. Minimally, the system includes the optical, thermal and electrical characteristics of the of the HBLED, the lens (if any) which is built-in to its package, secondary optics such as external plastic lenses/reflectors to direct the light as your application requires and power driver electronics. Read More