Auto-Innovations.com explains Bosch Motronic Flex Fuel injectors:
Bosch injection systems for gasoline and alcohol
February 18, 2004
In Brazil, two types of alcohol containing fuels are very popular:
gasoline with a 22% share of alcohol
and alcohol with a 7 percent water content. The highly concentrated alcohol is lower in
price than the
gasoline mix, however, it is not available everywhere in the country.
The new Bosch Flex Fuel engine management makes it possible to power
vehicles with the one or the
other as well as any mixing ratio of both types of fuel", explains Dr. Rolf
Leonhard, Vice President
Development, Gasoline Systems Division at Bosch.
The lambda sensor measures the oxygen content in the exhaust fumes to determine the
alcohol content
in the fuel. The engine management adjusts ignition and injection to the respective fuel
mix in the tank.
The ignition properties of alcohol are inferior to gasoline when the engine is cold. To
ensure proper
starting even at low temperatures, Flex-Fuel system uses a small separate gasoline tank on
board.
In Brazil, probably the world's largest quantity of ethyl alcohol for fuel is produced. In
2001 alone,
some 12,000 million liters of ethyl alcohol were made from cane sugar, which corresponds
to about
40% of the total fuel consumption. On the other hand, diesel engines are outlawed for
passenger
car powering in Brazil.
The first car with the new Bosch engine management as standard equipment was the VW Fox
Total Flex,
which was launched in Brazil in 2003.
The Brazilian units of rivals Bosch and Magneti Marelli
are sparring over the next generation
of flex-fuel cars in Brazil. Recent introductions are equipped with a natural
gas injector,
allowing customers to power their vehicles with either gas, ethanol or natural gas.
To download Bosch's Global Reposibility Environmental Report for 2003-04
[48-pages],
click here.