Abstract
Vigourous efforts are underway to create a wide range of new engines for accomplishing three objectives: reduced exhaust emission, improved fuel economy, superior driving performances.
Concerning the Direct injection Diesel engines (common rail high pressure), the main concern is to find the way to decrease the nitrogen oxides emission rate without increasing a lot the fuel consumption and particles. The system EGR cooling complies very well to this requirement. Before launching in 1999 such a system using the engine cooling circuit, it was necessary to investigate experimentally in several fields: thermal performances, behaviour of the EGR cooler submitted to important gas and coolant temperature changes, internal corrosion gas side, fouling by soot. This paper presents the methodology and the means used , and part of these experimental results as well.