Troy-based Mahle Behra USA announced Wednesday that it is developing components for exhaust gas recirculation systems that will lower combustion temperatures in gasoline engines and ultimately improve the average fuel economy by 5 percent.
By developing exhaust gas heat exchangers for gasoline engines, the company can help automakers meet upcoming national fuel-economy and emission standards, says Martin Bauer, a development director at Mahle Behr. By 2025, automakers selling vehicles in the U.S. are expected to reach an average fuel economy of 54.5 miles per gallon.
“Exhaust gas recirculation systems now in use on diesel engines are an ideal way for car companies to meet stricter standards by improving fuel economy for gasoline-powered vehicles,” Bauer says. He adds that automakers won’t be able to meet increasingly tighter fuel and emissions requirements with engine adjustments alone.
EGR systems remove air from the vehicle’s main exhaust flow, cooling it in a special heat exchanger and mixing it back into the exhaust system, Bauer says. The cooler exhaust gas lowers combustion temperatures in the engine and helps to improve fuel economy, meet emission legislation, and limit engine knock.
