The Global Small Engine 3 and 4 Cylinder Turbo: The New FCA’s Family of Small High-Tech Gasoline Engines

Authors

Dipl.-Ing. C. De Marino, Dipl.-Ing. G. Maiorana, Dipl.-Ing. P. Pallotti, Dipl.-Ing. S. Quinto, Dipl.-Ing. D. Sacco, FCA EMEA Powertrain Engineering, Torino

Year

2018

Print Info

Fortschritt-Berichte VDI, Series 12, No 807

Summary

Starting from 2007 one of FCA’s strategies for fuel economy improvement has been the implementation of the powertrain “downsizing” concept with the FIRE 1.4L turbocharged engine.
The worldwide CO₂, Green House Gas and exhaust emissions reduction targets will continue to provide challenges for the application of the internal combustion engine through 2020 and beyond.
Given the global market requirements as well as the new vehicle test cycles, a significant challenge for a modern efficient internal combustion engine is to expand its minimum specific fuel consumption area to cover all driving conditions.
It is mandatory to develop a smart combination of engine technologies which enable stoichiometric operation under all driving conditions, as well as to ensure the engine right sizing according to Vehicle Demand Energy (VDE): Miller and/or Atkinson cycles in combination with direct fuel injection, cooled exhaust manifold, variable valve lift and external EGR may be required.
The GSE engine family, consisting of 3 cylinder 1.0L and 4 cylinder 1.3L versions, is completely new and features: long stroke, small bearing diameters, crank-offset and low crank radius / conrod length ratio, all-aluminum engine structure, compact 4-valve combustion chamber with high tumble inlet ports and high pressure side fuel injector, MultiAir VVL system (FCA proprietary technology) and an integrated exhaust manifold cylinder head. Additionally protection for hybridization has been guaranteed.
All these features make the GSE turbo engines a key player, among the small displacement engines, in terms of fuel consumption, performance, weight and NVH behavior.