VALVETRONIC - Experience from 7 Years of Series Production and a Look into the Future

Authors

Dr. H. Unger, Dr. J. Schneider, Dr. C. Schwarz, Dr. K.-F. Koch, BMW Group, München

Year

2008

Print Info

Fortschritt-Berichte VDI, Reihe 12, Nr. 672

Summary

In 2001, BMW launched with the new 4-cylinder engine, the first car petrol engine to use a fully variable valve train, BMW VALVETRONIC, to control engine load. This achieved a reduction in fuel consumption of 12 % over its predecessor and developed the base technology for all future BMW petrol engines. Since its launch, VALVETRONIC has been continually developed and will in the future meet all requirements and realise further potential.


Therefore, the design must, with a continuing optimization of the concept and the individual components, provide a basis for further functional improvement. Further development will lead to increased integration of the electrical and electronic systems to significantly reduce complexity. The improved thermodynamics due to the VALVETRONIC system already play a large part in reducing fuel consumption, and in combination with other new technologies such as homogeneous direct injection and turbo-charging, offers lots of potential for the future.


The manufacture of a system such as VALVETRONIC in series production was, and remains, at least as big a challenge as the initial design and development. BMW is the only engine manufacturer to set themselves this task, and have already produced and sold over 2.5 million engines with the VALVETRONIC system.

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