DEP launches in-cylinder volume production combustion sensor

Detroit Engineered Products (DEP), a US-based company with specialised engine design and development capabilities, has launched an advanced IC sensor that is claimed to help improve the efficiency and reduce emissions of internal combustion (IC) engines.

These IC sensors, according to DEP, can be used in real-time for applications, functioning as a timing sensor, combustion sensor, performance sensor, emissions sensor and pressure sensor, delivering accurate and reliable results on a cylinder-to-cylinder, and a cycle-by-cycle basis.

The company claims these sensors are suitable for on-board engine diagnostics, can predict combustion, performance and engine-out emissions, and are superior to pressure transducers. They can also easily be retrofitted in existing electronically controlled petrol and diesel engines, by adapting the fuel injector or spark plug or glow plug as the sensor, without the need to drill another hole in the cylinder head.

The product folio consists of both hardware and software – the multi-sensor, a black box controller which processes the signal from the sensor, and a diagnostics kit which visualises the data and performs diagnostics.

Announcing the new product, Radha Krishnan, president, DEP said, “There is a lot of pressure on vehicle manufacturers as combustion engines are required to meet stringent emissions standards in addition to targets for fuel economy and performance. The IC sensor is the next-generation of sensors for the next generation of smarter vehicles. This technology can help conventional as well as advanced engines.”

The in-cylinder combustion sensor enables performing of multiple sensing tasks and real-time engine management by providing feedback to the electronic control of engine. The volume production system results in low initial and maintenance cost compared to pressure transducers. Remote monitoring and diagnostics are also possible which help reduce the cost of inspection and repair over the lifetime of the engine. 

Set up in Troy, Michigan, in 1998, Detroit Engineered Products now has a presence in USA, Germany, Spain, Italy, France, China, Korea, Japan and India.