Benchmarking

New product development cycles are becoming continuously shorter. As a consequence, the engine industry must find new, innovative ways to reduce the amount of time that it takes to develop new best-in-class products. As new technologies become more complex, more detailed analysis of competitor engines is necessary. This involves a systematic assessment and characterization of competitive products. FEV not only characterizes the performance and design characteristics of an engine, but also conducts in-class comparisons which allow the performance of an engine to be shown graphically, relative to other engines in its class with FEV scatter bands.

FEV's benchmarking involves a systematic assessment and characterization of engines and vehicles that allows direct comparisons between similar products.

This process includes engineering analysis as well as data in maps and traces. Results are compared to scatterbands for similar engines or vehicles.

• Vehicle investigations are designed to document how engine hardware is utilized and the Engine Management System (EMS) calibrated.
• Engine investigations use standardized test conditions and generate full engine maps with EMS control.
• Cylinder pressure measurement with water-cooled in-cylinder pressure transducers are used for Thermodynamic analysis.
• Air-Flow lab investigations are used to document flow coefficients and charge motion such as swirl and tumble.
• Design analysis investigations include geometric documentation of components and packaging.