MARSHALL, Mich.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Power management company Eaton announced today its newest Supercharger – TVS2 – which improves vehicle manufacturers’ ability to deliver an optimal single boosted application, or to pair this device with other boosting technologies in order to deliver compound boosting solutions for improved engine performance. The announcement came at the 20th Supercharging Conference in Dresden, Germany.
“This latest innovation within our boosting portfolio delivers on the key areas that our customers have the most interest in, including efficiency, weight reduction, improved engine performance and the ability to better package supercharger devices within existing and future architectures,” said Brian Contat, product director, Boosting, Eaton’s Vehicle Group. “With the demand for greater engine efficiency and power density, products such as TVS2 are needed to satisfy the requirements of these future powertrains.”
TVS2 technology builds on the heritage of Eaton’s supercharger portfolio by delivering significant improvements in efficiency and increased capability that have not previously been possible. The efficiency improvements have been achieved through a rotor design that improves the internal aerodynamics. Key elements of this new design include:
- Rotor profile changes to reduce the clearance between the rotors reducing internal leakage
- Modifying the twist of the rotors to shift the peak efficiency to a location that improves overall fuel economy
- Adding new porting features that eliminate unnecessary compression of air.
Combined, these items deliver 10 to 16 percent improvement in isentropic efficiency in the targeted operating zones compared to the TVS® R410 product. The efficiency improvement also reduces the power required to drive the supercharger resulting in improved fuel economy.
The low speed airflow has been improved by more than 30 percent and enables increased torque at low engine speed. This improved flow, along with the supercharger’s benchmark transient response, will deliver smooth and effortless acceleration. Combining TVS2 with a turbocharger on gasoline engines can yield specific torque output greater than 240 Nm/L (177 lb-ft/L) with power output in excess of 190 hp/L (142 kW/L) while maintaining the driving response of larger displacement engines. As an example, a 2.0 liter engine equipped with a compound boost system including a TVS2 supercharger could deliver greater than 480 Nm (350 lb-ft) of torque and 380 hp (283 kW). Such an engine could be utilized in larger vehicles because of the excellent transient response and airflow capability of TVS2.
TVS2 is more than 25 percent lighter compared to the previous generation of product, incorporating many lightweight components and new interface locations resulting in an overall smaller package. With increasing boosting system complexities, mass reduction targets were a key goal of TVS2 development.
A key application target of the TVS2 product is a Turbo-Super system that requires the supercharger to operate in a high pressure environment located after the turbocharger. TVS2 incorporates high pressure seals that can withstand pressurized environments, along with an increased airflow range that provides system level benefits and efficiency optimization. To achieve the higher airflow range, TVS2 incorporates a full ball bearing system that enables temporary speeds up to 30,000 rpm, which is a 25 percent increase over current offerings.
The higher speeds and increased boost pressures created noise, vibration and harshness (NVH) challenges, so the TVS2 design includes a new backflow port that reduces noise without impacting airflow or efficiency. A micro-perforated panel technology enables targeted noise treatment, resulting in a decibel level improvement of up to 8 dB at low speeds.
TVS2 is part of the Vehicle Group’s total engine air management portfolio, which includes several Supercharger offerings, engine valves (including standard, exotic materials, and hollow technologies) and advanced valve actuation technologies (cylinder deactivation, variable valve lift, dynamic cylinder deactivation, and decompression engine brake). Eaton’s hollow valves are used in boosted and/or downsized applications due to their ability to withstand higher temperatures, improve valvetrain dynamics, and reduce system weight by as much 10-15 percent per valve. Eaton is the world’s leading supplier of engine valves for automotive and commercial vehicle applications.
With regulations throughout the world calling for improved fuel economy and emission reductions, vehicle manufacturers are rapidly moving to smaller displacement engines in order to meet these global requirements. The challenge is to deliver smaller powertrains without a reduction in overall vehicle performance. Suppliers of powertrain components – such as Eaton – are working with customers to help them meet these challenges through new products and systems that incorporate new designs, new materials, advanced engineering and overall integration with the engine.
Eaton supplies Superchargers to leading vehicle manufacturers throughout the world, including Audi, General Motors, Jaguar Land Rover and Volvo.
Eaton is a power management company with 2014 sales of $22.6 billion. Eaton provides energy-efficient solutions that help our customers effectively manage electrical, hydraulic and mechanical power more efficiently, safely and sustainably. Eaton has approximately 102,000 employees and sells products to customers in more than 175 countries. For more information, visit www.eaton.com.
