Due to the introduction of new, more stringent exhaust gas emission regulations for diesel engines, expected to be enforced in Europe and the USA in 1999 and 2004, respectively, new emission-reducing technologies are becoming the focus of attention. One such technology is the cooled exhaust gas recirculation method (cooled EGR) which permits a reduction in emissions with only a small increase in fuel consumption.
The heat exchanger used in such a system must be capable of meeting high demands in terms of compact design, performance, resistance to high temperatures, corrosion and fouling.
The paper describes the development of an EGR cooler designed by Behr which meets these demands and, in particular, has a high performance density. This was achieved by using a new kind of heat exchanger core.