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Development and Optimization of the Ford 3.5L V6 EcoBoost Combustion System
Abstract:
Recently, Ford Motor Company announced the introduction of EcoBoost engines in its Ford, Lincoln and Mercury vehicles as an affordable fuel-saving option to millions of its customers. The EcoBoost engine is planned to start production in June of 2009 in the Lincoln MKS. The EcoBoost engine integrates direct fuel injection with turbocharging to significantly improve fuel economy via engine downsizing. An application of this technology bundle into a 3.5L V6 engine delivers up to 12% better drive cycle fuel economy and 15% lower emissions with comparable torque and power as a 5.4L V8 PFI engine.
Combustion system performance is key to the success of the EcoBoost engine. A systematic methodology has been employed to develop the EcoBoost engine combustion system. Instead of a trial-and-error approach, the EcoBoost combustion system development was focused on the fundamental physics with emphasis on the optimization including injector spray pattern, piston geometry, and intake port design, and innovation of operating strategies. The development methodology was led by 3-dimensional CFD modeling together with experiments that used optical, single cylinder, and multi-cylinder engines. As a result, a higher quality design has been achieved through only a few hardware iterations.