SAN RAMON, Calif. -- Just as fuel injection replaced carburetors beginning in the 1970s, a new generational shift is underway in auto engines, one that will place new demands on fuel quality. After growing slowly since the late 1990s, Direct Injection Spark Ignition (DISI) engines are expected to surge into the market in 2009, according to Chevron Corp.
Unlike traditional port fuel injection engines, DISI combines higher engine compression ratios with the direct injection of fuel into the cylinder's combustion chamber. The new direct injection technology results in increased [image-nocss] engine efficiency that can deliver more engine power and responsiveness, greater fuel economy, or a combination of both.
In 2009, the industry expects more than one million DISI engine vehicles to be sold in the U.S. market, which would represent approximately 20% of all passenger cars sold. Market penetration for DISI vehicles beyond 2009 is expected to continue to grow exponentially, said the company.
Combustion chamber deposits in DISI engines can have an even more detrimental effect on performance than in conventional engines, it added. These new DISI engines perform better with a gasoline that is specifically designed to keep the combustion chamber clean.
Chevron's recent performance testing suggests that the chemistry of Techron, Chevron's patented additive technology, will be particularly powerful in DISI engines, the company said. At its core, Techron contains polyether amine (PEA) chemistry, which was invented by Chevron and has been incorporated in Techron technology for several years. Designed to deliver superior performance in an engine's combustion chamber, while at the same time cleaning the intake system and keeping it clean, PEA minimizes the formation of harmful combustion chamber deposits in all engines.
"Chevron has been working with DISI technology for years-we are ready," said Kevin Foley, OEM relations manager at Chevron. "We know that Techron's unique PEA chemistry performs better in the combustion chamber than other additive types. Based on this, we expect that these other gasolines may not perform as well as Chevron/Texaco in DISI engines. Because DISI engines perform best with a clean combustion chamber, Techron is expected to be ideal for maximizing DISI engine performance."
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