KSPG Group bags large contracts for compact emission-reduction valve

Pierburg GmbH, a member of the KSPG Group, has been awarded contracts worth a total €250 million/Rs 2,124 crore (lifetime) for a newly developed compact exhaust-gas recirculation (EGR) valve.

Ordered by notable European and North American automakers, the valve will be installed in engines designed to comply with the strict Euro 6 emission norm. Since recently the valve has been a standard feature from a German premium carmaker.

The other valves ordered will be installed in 2014 and 2015 when certain new engines go into production at the European and US plants of further manufacturers. With its comparatively compact footprint, the valve takes into account the continuous shrinkage of engine space on present car ranges.

The compact EGR valve is operated by a geared DC motor and has a contactless Hall sensor for detecting valve position. Depending on the customer, it may feature electromagnetic protection and integrated water cooling. It is available in standalone, plug-in as well as fully integrated cooler module versions.

Regarding production materials, the tough thermal, mechanical and chemical environment requires the use of highly heat- and corrosion-resistant steels. Other critical component criteria include low flow resistance and good controllability of the recirculated waste gases especially of very small amounts. A high-strength actuator allows waste-gas backpressures of up to 5 bar to be coped with.

Since the start of the 1980s, EGR valves have chiefly been employed for the reduction of diesel engine emissions, nowadays are increasingly being fitted to petrol engines given the incremental fuel-saving potential of such valves.

Pierburg's annual production volume of EGR valves and modules is around six million units. The valves are made not only at the German plants but also in plants located in the Czech Republic, Spain, USA, India and China.

The effect of exhaust-gas recirculation is based on a lowering of combustion temperatures in diesel and petrol engines. Lower temperatures mean a reduction in nitrogen oxides. On petrol units, this is accompanied by less fuel consumption because of engine de-throttling under partial load — one reason, in particular, why EGR modules are catching the eye of carmakers nowadays.

Photograph: The compact EGR valve.