Variable drive compressor technology for engine downsizing (Rotrak joint venture)

In the high-volume automotive industry, a significant proportion of the sector’s investment is going into developments that improve engine efficiency. There is a pressing need for vehicle manufacturers to reduce CO₂ emissions for legislators and fuel consumption for customers.

Reducing the size of their engines while maintaining their power output is recognised as being one of the most pragmatic approaches. A smaller engine normally has fewer cylinders than a larger displacement unit, and so has lower frictional and pumping losses. The smaller engine is then pressure-charged to deliver the same power as the larger engine.

The turbocharger and supercharger technologies that do this are achieving greater market penetration as a result. But they have shortcomings and the most common is a lack of boost or pressure at low engine speeds that can compromise response.

Introducing a cost-competitive, compact variable drive that gives engine designers complete control over the compressor speed can overcome more of their technical challenges. It can also enable more radical engine downsizing and provide a more enjoyable driving experience.

This represents a distinct opportunity for Torotrak and has been at the heart of our recently announced joint venture Rotrak. The venture combines our compact variable drive technology with a novel compressor technology developed by Rotrex that has been proven in motorsport and the performance vehicle market.

This new technology solution has the ability to outperform the most sophisticated current systems when fitted to small engines. The key selling points of the concept are cost-competitiveness against complex turbocharger systems and its outright performance. Our studies indicate that the system can reduce the low speed “lag” that most vehicle manufacturers are working to overcome in their engine downsizing work.

Rotrex and Torotrak together have established that there is tangible industry appetite among automotive Tier-One suppliers and vehicle manufacturers to support our decision to invest in the shared enterprise. This represents a distinct opportunity in a material and growing market (independent analysts estimate that the market for pressure-charged gasoline engines will grow from the current global level of 2.5 million units per year to 12 million by 2016). Through this partnering approach, Torotrak has taken a highly speculative development, built its value in combination with other technologies, and is pursuing it on a shared risk and shared resource basis.

The joint venture’s next step is to progress to a jointly funded prototype programme to demonstrate the capability of the technology in a suitable vehicle.

 

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