The automobile industry is looking for the perfect balance between different needs. On the one hand, there is a high demand for improved engine response, enhanced fuel efficiency and reduced emissions. However, this demand can only be satisfied using additional technical components - and weight, fuel consumption and CO2 emissions increase as a result. Röchling Automotive has developed a turbocharged air duct which perfectly meets the needs for better engine response as well as improved fuel economy and reduced emissions. Featuring a significant weight reduction and an optimized space-saving architecture, this environmentally friendly application is 100% recyclable. The air duct is currently in successful use in 2.0-liter turbocharged gasoline and diesel engines produced by a German premium car manufacturer and has been presented with the prestigious SPE (Society of Plastics Engineers) Innovation Award in the "powertrain" category.Enhancing Performance and Comfort
Röchling Automotive's award-winning solution transports the air into the engine after it has been compressed by the turbocharger and cooled down by the charge air cooler. The turbocharged air duct weighs 1.4 kg less than its predecessor. This is partly the result of a reduced number of parts, for example due to the omission of several rubber hoses and metal clamps. Thanks to the more compact design, it was possible to reduce the packaging space in the engine compartment. Also, vibrations or movements of the air duct are now absorbed by the whole component instead of this happening at certain specified positions only, so it was also possible to reduce the distance to other parts. In addition, the quality improves significantly because the risk of leakage at the connections virtually no longer exists as the number of connections has been reduced considerably. Since the air duct is able to decouple engine movements from the intercooler by itself, there was no need to design bellows for this solution.Here's Dr. Ing. Fabrizio Chini, who is responsible for the engine air intake product line at Röchling Automotive: "This design reduces pressure losses and the turbine work necessary at high engine loads, and this in turn saves energy for the pumping work done inside the turbocharger while maintaining the same boost pressure at the air-intake valves. Additionally, we rearranged the acoustic properties in a positive way."
