Continental Supplies World's First Turbocharger with Aluminum Turbine Housing in Cars

AUBURN HILLS, Mich., July 15, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- Smaller cubic capacity and lower fuel consumption while offering the same, if not better, performance – that is the recipe for success when it comes to downsizing. A modern turbocharged system is necessary to achieve this. The global development trend toward turbocharging for gasoline engines is in full swing. International automotive supplier Continental is supporting this trend and setting milestones with its pioneering and innovative turbocharger technology. The first Continental turbocharger went into series production in a highly efficient, multi-award-winning 1.0l engine in 2011. The company is now adding another chapter to this success story with a technological world premiere: Continental's powertrain developers have launched series production of the first car turbocharger with an aluminum turbine housing. Integration of the unit in the three-cylinder gasoline engine for the MINI Hatch has already begun.

"Aluminum in a turbocharger designed for cars is a real milestone," said Wolfgang Breuer, Head of the Engine Systems Business Unit of the Powertrain Division. "With this lightweight material, we are saving nearly 30% of weight compared to a conventional turbocharger while simultaneously reducing costs and achieving system benefits."

Continental's innovative turbocharger with aluminum turbine housing is making its debut in a demanding downsized application: a turbocharged three-cylinder engine with 1.5l of cubic capacity and 100kW of power.

"It's not just the aluminum that makes the turbocharger special; it was also developed from being a typical add-on component to an integral part of the engine," said Udo Schwerdel, Head of the Turbocharger Product Line, Engine Systems, Powertrain Division. "In order to meet the requirements placed on the unit and its integration in the cylinder head, we worked closely with the BMW Group starting from the simulation phase – an indication of trust that we greatly appreciate."

Aluminum in the turbocharger: less weight, less fuel consumption
Full-load operation can be enough to make common turbochargers with steel housings glow red all over; however, the aluminum turbine housing keeps a cool head.

"The double-walled aluminum housing surrounds the hottest area with a cooling water jacket," said Schwerdel. The coolant flowing through this jacket ensures that the external housing surface does not get hotter than 248 degrees F and that the internal temperature does not exceed 662 degrees F. At the same time, the dynamic response of the electric actuator at the wastegate ensures that the catalytic converter heats up quickly.

Schwerdel explains that this design has not one, but two benefits: "First, significantly less effort is required to protect neighboring components from the heat. Second, cooling of the exhaust flow reduces the thermal load on the catalytic converter, meaning it hardly ages at all."

In keeping with the modular principle specified by the customer, the turbocharger is tightly integrated in the engine - it is a fixed component of the exhaust manifold. Continental turbochargers with a steel housing can also be attached to the same base engine using the interface on the cylinder head. The car manufacturer uses this option for high-performance engines as well as vehicles for export to high-temperature countries. The bearing housing is cooled from inside the turbocharger for steel variants, while cooling from the outside is sufficient for aluminum turbochargers.

In the MINI, 2.65 pounds of weight are saved per aluminum turbocharger. Since reduced weight also means reduced fuel consumption, the lightweight material supports the fuel consumption and emission targets of the automotive industry. Despite the additional cost for the water cooling, aluminum turbochargers are more affordable for automotive manufacturers.

"High-temperature-resistant materials such as nickel-base alloys drive up prices for turbochargers with steel housings, while our aluminum alloy is a cost-effective material," said Schwerdel.

With sales of around €33.3 billion in 2013, Continental is among the leading automotive suppliers worldwide. As a supplier of brake systems, systems and components for powertrains and chassis, instrumentation, infotainment solutions, vehicle electronics, tires, and technical elastomers, Continental contributes to enhanced driving safety and global climate protection. Continental is also an expert partner in networked automobile communication. Continental currently employs around 182,000 people in 49 countries.

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SOURCE Continental