[RM Motorsports]

Hyundai Motor Group recently announced that it has developed Continuously Variable Valve Duration (CVVD) technology -- a world-first technology that will make its way in to Hyundai and Kia cars in the future. The South Korean company showcased the technology at Hyundai Motorstudio Goyang alongside the Smartstream G1.6 T-GDi -- which will be the first engine to benefit from the CVVD technology.

Here's a little bit of background: So far, an internal combustion engine’s (ICE) efficiency as well as performance have been regulated by variable valve control technology that adapts the timing of valve opening and closing along with the depth of the valve’s opening, while the engine power is developed via the fuel intake-compression-expansion-exhaustion cycle. Quintessential variable valve control technologies either deal with the timing of the valve’s opening and closing (Continuously Variable Valve Timing) or modulate the volume of air intake by adapting the depth of the opening (Continuously Variable Valve Lift).

Older variable valve control technologies were not capable of controlling valve duration, as the valve’s closing timing was controlled by the opening timing and was incapable of reacting to different driving situations. This is where CVVD technology comes in, regulating how long a valve remains open.

When the car is moving at a consistent speed and needs low engine output, the CVVD technology opens the intake valve from the middle to end of the compression stroke. This leads to better fuel efficiency by cutting down the resistance arising from compression. And when the engine output is high, the intake valve is closed at the beginning of the compression stroke so as to optimize the amount of air used for the explosion, thus improving torque so as to enhance the vehicle's acceleration.

Hyundai noted that CVVD maximizes not only engine performance but fuel efficiency as well. In addition to that, the technology is also claimed to be eco-friendly. Since CVVD regulates the duration of valve opening and closing in accordance to driving conditions, it is able to deliver a 4 per cent increase in performance along with a 5 per cent boost in fuel efficiency. Besides that, the company said, CVVD technology helps reduce emissions by 12 per cent.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_c...&v=5atYksEpAm8

[vsathyap]

Interesting to see R&D being done (and delivered) in the IC Engine Sector while the world is heading towards an Electric Future. I wonder what exactly those numbers like 5% better fuel economy, decrease in emissions, etc. mean to an entire industry that is on the brink of transformation.

The Mind says that automobile companies should be doing more research on developing better and more efficient electric engines and long lasting batteries rather than trying to reinvent the wheel for ICEs. This would mean that Electric vehicles become more 'available' and 'affordable' to the masses, which is when large scale adoption of the technology can take place.

I agree that the ICE still has a few more years left in its life, but I guess its "too little, too late" in this case. Being a petrol-head, I also strongly feel that there is nothing that replaces the thrum of an engine and that exhaust note of super-cars that strike a cord deep within most of us here in this community. Electric cars somehow lack that 'feel' that the Heart yearns for.

However, sometimes, its prudent to listen to the mind and let go of what the heart wants... :sigh:

[sandeepmohan]

Originally Posted by vsathyap

Interesting to see R&D being done (and delivered) in the IC Engine Sector while the world is heading towards an Electric Future.

An all electric future is still a good 20+ years away and that number in my view is conservative.

It is not easy for everything to just switch to electric. Forget India, the developed world is struggling with it right now. There are probably a dozen or so all electric car models on the road. Leaving aside a high end Tesla, the Nissan Leaf or the VW E Golf do not offer the kind of range we need from a car.

Till such time electric cars are designed to offer more real world range, Governments of the world prepare better and decide on a policy around fossil fuel cars, it still makes sense to extract everything possible out of a IC engine.

[tarik.arora]

I think i am not able to understand what has Hyundai done differently. If my memory serves me right, the current I-VTEC / VVT-i / VVTL-i technologies are able to manage timing, duration and depth of valve operation. How is CVVD different then?

[sgiitk]

Mostly sales talk. Honda with its iVTEC was there ages ago. Simple VTEC had two valve settings, for low and high rpm. Then it got modified into iVTEC. So the switch was based on load etc, and not just rpm. Even today Honda has some of best engines.

[drpullockaran]

Originally Posted by tarik.arora

I think i am not able to understand what has Hyundai done differently. If my memory serves me right, the current I-VTEC / VVT-i / VVTL-i technologies are able to manage timing, duration and depth of valve operation. How is CVVD different then?

I-VTEC / VVT-i / VVTL-i have two ratios something like a two speed gearbox where one is for low engine rpm and another ratio for high engine rpm.

CVVD is akin to a CVT gearbox where there are zillion ratios.