Abstract
Honda has developed a 2.3 L 4-cylinder gasoline turbo engine that conforms to U.S. ULEV2 emission regulations.
This engine adds a newly developed turbocharger to Honda´s proprietary i-VTEC engine to achieve a balance between high power, and fuel economy and low emissions. As a turbo engine that conforms to ULEV2 standards, it achieves top level power for its class. The newly developed variable-capacity turbocharger ensures a highly reliable gasoline engine under exhaust gas temperature environment conditions, and enhances low-speed torque and response.
The turbocharger, with optimization of the automatic transmission, have achieved smooth, highly responsive acceleration and top-in-class fuel economy, as well as dynamic performance equal to or better than that of SUVs fitted with 3.0-3.5 L normal aspirated engines.
To accelerate catalytic converter warm-up immediately after starting, which greatly affects tailpipe emissions, the exhaust manifold was formed from an aluminum alloy. This reduced exhaust system heat mass, which had increased due to the installation of the turbocharger. By positioning the exhaust catalyst directly underneath the turbocharger and optimizing its capacity, rapid activation of the exhaust catalyst was achieved. These methods enabled the new engine to meet US ULEV2 emission standards.
Keywords: gasoline engine, spark ignition engine, turbocharger, exhaust system, engine performance