Bosch celebrated the 75th anniversary of the first mass production of diesel injection pumps and injectors in 2002. “That was a very special anniversary,” said Wolfgang Chur, member of the board of management of Robert Rosch GmbH. “It was only with our invention of a diesel injection system that the diesel engine could be used successfully for road transport. We have added many other world-firsts in commercial vehicle equipment to the one we claimed 75 years ago for diesel injection.
“But what will the future bring? In our opinion, fuel economy will continue to be a major theme — -for both economic and ecological reasons. Commercial vehicle traffic consumes more than half of all the diesel fuel produced in the world. There is potential for savings here, which can and should be exploited, not least in the commercial interests of road transport companies.
“In the USA, too, the realization that the new diesel systems can reduce significantly fuel consumption is having its effect. Our Common Rail system, which we have been producing since 2001 in our factory in Charleston SC, is being fitted now to North American light trucks.
“In Europe, we have begun supplying the second generation of the Common Rail system for heavy trucks. In this second generation, the injection pressure has been raised from 1400 bar (20,000 psi) to 1600 bar (23,000 psi). This leads to lower consumption and further reduced emissions.
“The Euro 4 norms that go into effect in 2005 require a 30% reduction in nitrogen oxide and 80% reduction in particle emissions from commercial vehicles. This requires exhaust gas after-treatment, mainly through the urea catalytic converter. Bosch has developed a metering system that will be marketed in time to meet the Euro 4 rules. Used in connection with the catalytic converter, it reduces nitrogen oxide levels by up to 85% and particles by 40%. This allows a 5% reduction in fuel consumption,” Chur said. Robert Bosch GmbH, Postfach 10 60 50, D-70049 Stuttgart, Germany