The new generation starter motors developed by Bosch for commercial vehicles has a high power-to-weight ratio and higher cold cranking capacity. Also on display were the new compact generators of higher efficiency and durability for HCVs and LCVs. The other products showcased included body control module and immobiliser system and ECUProg, an EOL solution from Bosch.
Buses in India will have to meet the emission requirements of Bharat Stage III and IV norms from April 2010. Bosch has its Common Rail injection system for high-end vehicles and advanced CNG technology solutions for the Special Vehicle industry. The advanced Bosch CNG injection system is precise and micro-processor controlled.
Developed by the Automotive Electronic Division, the Body Controlled Module (BCM), when used in vehicles, electronically controls critical factors like central door lock, remote keyless entry, cabin tilts, external/internal lighting – all through an electronically controlled unit (ECU). The solution is a great error management diagnostic tool as it detects any errors present in the auto components in use. ECUs are customized to individual vehicle variant needs and for the fine tuning of chassis, body and fleet requirements.
Also displayed at the expo were the robust range of cable-free, power tools charged with never dying lithium ion batteries, and a complete Do-It-Yourself range of woodworking for flooring and bus body building applications.
Bosch car multimedia has reliable integrated navigation devices to guide drivers to their destinations with city maps and flexible solutions for the entertainment requirements of buses.
Addressing stall visitors, Mr. NGK Menon, Vice President, OE Sales, said: “Bosch has state-of-art solutions and systems for the commercial vehicle segment. Though currently we are going through sluggishness in the HCV and LCV market, recovery is expected sooner, and we expect our products to sell more among the manufacturers”.
Start stop system
Rising fuel prices, ever-stricter exhaust-gas limits and the need for further reduction in the carbon footprint necessitate innovative solutions acceptable to both vehicle manufacturers and drivers. The Start/Stop system for Bosch is a convenient and economical solution to realize these targets and savings.
When a vehicle comes to a stand, this system automatically switches the engine off, also restarting automatically as soon as the driver wishes to drive off again. On the principle of “no movement – no fuel consumption”, a vehicle at a standstill thus neither consumes fuel nor emits CO2. Noise pollution also drops to the zero level.
In the ECE15, the urban section of the New European Driving Cycle (NEDC), reductions in fuel consumption and emissions of up to eight per cent can be achieved. In practice, the time spent standing still is often longer, hence the actual savings potential is correspondingly greater. Preliminary tests in Bangalore, Delhi, Mumbai and Chennai also show promising results: savings potential of up 12 per cent in city traffic.
Basically, the function of the system is achieved by adapting and intelligently controlling components already installed in the vehicle. The heart of the system is the specially developed Start/Stop Starter Motor, which is matched to individual demands and networked with the engine control unit. Input parameters for control are provided by sensors attached to the battery, pedals, transmission, ABS and the crankshaft.
Unlike the earlier start/stop concepts, operation is identical to that of a vehicle without start/stop system. This decisive advantage is the basis for confidence in the function, leading to a high degree of acceptance and rapid spread of the system.
The successful implementation of the development plan is demonstrated by the series introduction of the system by BMW. For this customer, Bosch developed its start/stop starter motor to series maturity. Since March 2007, all BMW Series 1 vehicles with 4-cylinder engines and manual transmission have been equipped with this starter motor as series. Since September 2007, all models of the series 3 as well as the 4-cylinder mini with manual transmission have this equipment.
Common-rail system
The common-rail system is key to developing low-consumption, high-performance diesel engines featuring high-pressure direct-injection system. Modern direct-injection diesel engines with common-rail systems consume a good 30 per cent less fuel and emit around 25 per cent less carbon dioxide (CO2) than comparable gasoline engines with port injection. Bosch plans to further reduce consumption and CO2 emissions by optimizing the common-rail system and its components.
Bosch is also developing both piezo and solenoid-valve injectors, thereby extending the ten-year success story of the common-rail system. The new, highly dynamic solenoid-valve injectors are similar in terms of performance to piezo injectors and are designed for injection pressures of more than 2,000 bar. A medium-term goal for the piezo line is to use injection pressures greater than 2,200 bar to improve both the performance and exhaust characteristics of the diesel engine.
The Bosch CP4 common-rail pump with a pressure potential of more than 2,000 bar makes a major contribution in this context. This pump is designed for the very highest hydraulic efficiency and supports combustion processes with extremely high injection pressures even at low engine speeds and medium to high loads. The variability of the injection systems is also a crucial factor. Advanced injections reduce NOx emissions and noise, and post injections cut soot emissions.
