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The new two-cylinder engine family made by
FPT - Fiat Powertrain Technologies called
TWIN-AIR will be making its debut at the
Geneva Motor Show. This is a brand-new
concept on the worldwide auto scene and
confirms the leadership of the Fiat Group in
this field. |
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The new
two-cylinder engine family made by FPT - Fiat Powertrain
Technologies called TWIN-AIR will be making its debut at
the Geneva Motor Show. This is a brand-new concept on
the worldwide auto scene and confirms the leadership of
the Fiat Group in this field.
Using
next-generation technology, the new engine implements
the revolutionary Multiair system combined with special
fluid dynamics optimised for the best fuel efficiency.
Furthermore, by taking the concept of downsizing to the
extreme and masterly tuning the basic mechanics, the new
family - delivering from 65 to 105 HP - emits 30% less
CO2 than an engine of equal performance.
Visitors to the show will admire the first application
of this new engines on a 500, the first Fiat model on
which it will be introduced next July. The car is
equipped with a two-cylinder turbo 85 HP engine which
has the lowest CO2 emission levels for a petrol engine
(up to 95 g/km) without compromising performance and
driving pleasure. Compared with the two engine versions
available today, it provides excellent performance with
a major fuel reduction: the new turbo two-cylinder 85 HP
engine consumes down to 15% less fuel and has 25% more
performance than the 1.2 8v, while fuel consumption
drops to a remarkable 30% with respect to the 1.4 16v
with comparable performance and the same high driving
pleasure.
Furthermore, with respect to a four-cylinder of equal
performance and medium displacement, the new engine is
significantly shorter (-23%) and lighter (-10%), opening
the way to interesting further developments, such as
methane fuel feed or hybrid technology combinations,
again under the sign of greater eco-friendliness. In
particular, a methane version of the TWIN-AIR will be
available soon providing a further CO2 emission
reduction: this is possible by adopting a pair of
special injectors in addition to the petrol injectors on
the intake manifold rails. Improving these fuel saving
results using internal combustion engines will be
difficult and alternative technologies will need to be
developed. The combination of traditional engines and
electric motors appears particularly promising.
Precisely because of its small size, the TWIN-AIR is
well suited to be coupled with an electric motor, and in
general with a device arranged between engine and
gearbox for recovering and storing the energy which is
normally wasted during braking.
Nothing short of an engineering gem, the two-cylinder
implements the revolutionary Multiair technology
developed and patented by FPT – Fiat Powertrain
Technologies, which was introduced on FIRE engines last
year for the first time. The heart of Multiair is a new
electro-hydraulic valve management system that reduces
fuel consumption by controlling air directly via the
inlet valves (without using the throttle). Multiair
reduces polluting emissions (thanks to improved
combustion control) and also considerably improves
performance by boosting driveability with respect to a
traditional petrol engine of equal displacement.
Furthermore, the new TWIN-AIR engine takes the concept
of downsizing to the extreme: combining a small
displacement engine with a next-generation turbocharger
provides performance comparable to - or even better than
- that of a larger engine but with less fuel consumption
and lower emissions. And more: the turbo significantly
increases the maximum torque, making it available at a
very low rpm, with the result of offering greater
flexibility and an unrivalled promptness of response
compared to conventional aspirated engines. All this
comes with a simple build that benefits strength and
reliability.
Last but not least, the new engine was painstakingly
optimised and tuned. For instance, the basic
two-cylinder architecture - combined with the low
friction of internal parts - ranks this engine best in
the "friction" class in the world. Furthermore, computer
simulations have been used to identify the best possible
standard displacement in terms of thermo-dynamic
efficiency, and the best fluid dynamic configuration to
optimise and get the best out of the MultiAir system.
Finally, special attention has been placed on the NVH
(Noise, vibration, and harshness) aspect to ensure
vibration performance at least equivalent to that of a
four-cylinder, with equal performance but with a
characteristic sound. For this purpose, a balancing
countershaft was used to maintain optimal vibration
levels in all operating conditions of the engine, from
the idling speed to top power.
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