Aprilia Launches Green Motorcycle
3 December 1998
Aprilia Launches Green Motorcycle PERTH, Western Australia, Dec. 3 -- Today at the Bologna
Motor Show, Aprilia, Europe's fastest growing motorcycle manufacturer,
announced their intent to have motorcycles and scooters using Orbital
direct fuel injection technology in production and for sale within
one year. This announcement follows the signing of agreements between
Orbital, Synerject and Aprilia regarding Orbital technology, longer term fuel
system supply and commercial terms.
Aprilia intends to apply Orbital technology to their complete range of
two-stroke engines during the agreement period. This decision by Aprilia
follows extensive evaluations of Orbital technology and competitive analysis
by Aprilia.
Aprilia's President Mr. Ivano Beggio said "Aprilia has been working with
Orbital on this new environmentally friendly technology for our range of
motorcycles for about three years, and this technology now reduces petrol
consumption by more than 40% whilst maintaining the same characteristic
performance of a two-stroke engine." These engines have also demonstrated the
ability to meet the most recent stringent European standards for reducing
polluting emissions from the exhaust without the use of a catalyst. Aprilia
displayed 50cc and 250cc models incorporating Orbital's direct fuel injection
technology at the Bologna Motor Show.
Aprilia is Europe's second largest and fastest growing motorcycle
manufacturer, and following their recent win in the 125cc and 250cc world
motorcycle championships, are seen as the industry leader in technical
innovation. Aprilia currently produces more than 300,000 motorcycles per
year, and this has grown at more than 25% per year over the last five years.
Orbital is a leading international developer of engine technologies using
direct in-cylinder fuel injection and lean burn systems for enhanced fuel
economy and lower emissions. The company serves the worldwide automobile,
marine recreational people in four facilities throughout the world. Orbital
stock is traded on the Australian (OEC), New York (OE), Berlin (ORE) and
Frankfurt (OREA) Stock Exchanges.
Following is a copy of Aprilia's press announcement.
Aprilia Future City
Advanced Green Technology and High Performance
Technology, research, performance and enthusiasm to ensure an environment-
friendly future for urban mobility
Aprilia has always worked to improve quality of life. Since the company's
foundation, great attention has been devoted to the preservation and respect
of our habitat. Innovative technologies and novel solutions have been sought,
to ensure these values and feelings remain unchanged.
Solutions that have become part of Aprilia's acquired technology and
culture, confirm its hard earned status as a leader in the motorcycle field.
This status has been achieved by anticipating the times and proposing new
ideas in step with the present day needs of urban movers. Aprilia provides
innovative solutions that never lose sight of low environmental impact
performance, safety or the thrill of riding motor-cycles and scooters.
As long ago as 1992, Aprilia was the first motor-cycle company to launch a
catalyst equipped two-stroke scooter on the market: the Amico 50. Our ideas
and technologies often went against the trend, as in 1993, when the company
began to develop its most prestigious scooter, the Leonardo 125, choosing a
high-performance water cooled, four valve four-stroke engine. This technical
solution has been widely imitated and is still acknowledged as the best medium
capacity engine. It combines performance and riding pleasure with a reduction
in fuel consumption and low atmospheric pollution. Both the 125cc and 150cc
versions anticipated the EURO 1 atmospheric pollution limits coming into force
for all manufacturers next year.
The ability to produce high performance, environmentally friendly
technologies ahead of the market is one of Aprilia's fundamental product
strategy objectives. The company has always been full of ideas, acting as a
point of reference with regards to both design and technical decisions. In
the challenging area of pollution reduction, Aprilia is preparing new
technology that will re-write the rules of the game in the years ahead.
Aprilia is firmly convinced that the small capacity two-stroke engine is
still the best technical solution, able to combine low production costs,
reliability, performance and riding pleasure.
Research and experience have enabled Aprilia to introduce a completely new
and revolutionary technology for two-stroke engines: Aprilia DITECH (Direct
Injection Technology).
Thanks to the innovative DITECH system (electronically controlled direct
fuel injection), Aprilia will be able to:
* Reduce fuel consumption of a traditional two-stroke carburetor engine
by as much as 40%
* Reduce polluting exhaust emission by 80%
* Guarantee high performance
DITECH is a technical solution so advanced that it makes the use of small
capacity four-stroke engines outdated and decidedly less competitive.
The technological revolution in two-stroke engines
APRILIA DIRECT ELECTRONIC INJECTION - DITECH
Carburetor two-stroke engines have high specific horsepower. They have
reduced weight and dimensions, simple construction, with decidedly lower
production costs when compared to a four-stroke engine of similar power
output.
For this reason two-stroke engines are the ideal solution for powering
scooters. Urban mobility, however, is only one of the specific applications
of these engines; just think of the most prestigious world competitions, where
"two-stroke" is also synonymous with absolute high performance. With the
strength of this experience, Aprilia also proposes the RS 250, a two-stroke
engine with really exciting performance; plenty of horsepower and contained
weight.
However, the two-stroke engine does have its disadvantages. There is
still room for improvement: the fuel consumption of these power units is quite
high and they produce more atmospheric pollution of certain types than
optimized four-stroke engines. These disadvantages are mainly due to the
scavenging phase in which the fresh induction charge of fuel and oil "short
circuits" the exhaust port. This phenomenon of fuel lost directly to the
exhaust also causes misfiring and irregular combustion.
The application of electronic direct injection to two-stroke engines
maintains their inherent advantages, overcoming all of their disadvantages, in
carburetor configuration.
APRILIA DITECH: drastic reduction in fuel consumption and atmospheric
pollution
Based on years of research, experimentation and competitive analysis,
Aprilia presents DITECH (Direct Injection Technology), the new direct
electronic injection system.
Exceptional technical characteristics allow it to transfer the two-stroke
engine into an environment-friendly and fully functional power plant.
* DITECH virtually eliminates the escape of uncombusted fuel and oil from
the exhaust. Unlike the carburetor engine (where the chamber is scavenged
with a fuel and air mixture, allowing a lot of fuel to be taken directly into
the exhaust and therefore released into the atmosphere), the Aprilia DITECH
allows the chamber to be scavenged with fresh air, ensuring that the fuel
spray commences only when the exhaust port is closed.
* Regular ignition and combustion are ensured, optimized at all engine
speeds. This minimizes the escape of uncombusted fuel from the exhaust. In
carburetor engines, the fuel and air mixture is not always ignited with each
piston stroke, consequently the irregular ignition allows an amount of fuel
and oil to be released directly into the exhaust. This problem is solved
thanks to the electronically controlled direct injection of fuel into the
combustion chamber.
* Optimized combustion is possible thanks to the use of a direct charge
injector which provides a "stratified charge." In a traditional engine the
combustion mixture normally consists of 1 part fuel to 14 parts air. With
DITECH we can use an enriched mixture only in the part of the combustion
chamber near the plug. This permits firing even in areas where the mixture is
so weak that normal combustion is impossible. Thanks to this technology,
DITECH uses a leaner mixture, consisting of 1 part fuel to 30/50 parts air
(50 with the engine at idle speed). These values are similar to those found
in a typical diesel engine.
* Thanks to the use of an electronically controlled oil pump, oil
consumption is notably reduced. For instance, at idle, consumption is so low
that the engine requires just one drop of oil every five minutes. With the
electronic oil pump we have achieved a 30% reduction in oil consumption.
With DITECH direct injection, we are able to cut fuel consumption by an
average of 40%, while maintaining the same characteristic performance of the
traditional two-stroke engine.
Having illustrated the fuel and oil consumption reductions achieved with
the DITECH system, we would also like to emphasize the consequent exceptional
results in terms of polluting emissions from the engine.
The ability to meet the most recent and stringent European exhaust
emissions standards, without the use of a catalyst, is testimony to the low
environmental impact of this system. It is important to note that system
efficiency does not deteriorate over time and there is no need for maintenance
or replacement of fuel system parts.
The DITECH system makes it possible to cut the combined emissions of
hydrocarbons and nitrogen oxides (HC+NOx) by 80% in comparison to a
conventional two-stroke engine with carburetor. Carbon dioxide (CO) emissions
are practically eliminated, being reduced 10 times in absolute value. CO
output results obtained are far better than for a four-stroke engine tuned for
high power output. In order to guarantee comparable DITECH two-stroke
performance a similar size four-stroke will require extremely sophisticated
and costly emissions solutions.
APRILIA DITECH: longer engine life
All two-stroke engines equipped with the DITECH system will have a longer
life than a normal two-stroke engine. In the traditional two-stroke engine,
fuel, air and oil enter the crankcase together. The oil is diluted by the
fuel and washed away, thus losing a percentage of its lubricating effect, so
more oil is needed. In a DITECH engine, only air and oil enter the crankcase,
with the fuel being injected directly into the combustion chamber. The oil is
better retained on the internal engine components and on the walls of the
cylinder, ensuring optimized lubrication. This in turn guarantees longer
engine life and lower running costs due to reduced consumption.
APRILIA DITECH: improved user comfort
Use of the Aprilia DITECH system also guarantees a considerable
improvement of user comfort. Optimized control of the lubricant taken into
the engine not only allows a considerable reduction of consumption, but also
guarantees the absence of excessive exhaust smoke due to burnt oil. The
unpleasant characteristic smell of two-stroke engines and the emission of
fastidious, uncombusted oil particles are considerably reduced. Thanks to its
electronic control, DITECH also makes it easier to start the vehicle when
cold. We have also achieved a considerable vibration improvement, especially
at engine idle, where irregular combustion causes particularly annoying
vibrations when the vehicle is at rest.
APRILIA DITECH: high performance
In keeping with Aprilia tradition, DITECH technology ensures high
performance. Unlike other environment-friendly systems or solutions, Aprilia
has succeeded in transferring the great experience acquired in racing,
optimizing this technology in terms of performance, whilst ensuring very low
emissions and consumption.
Vehicles equipped with DITECH will not only maintain the quality standards
typical of every Aprilia motor-cycle or scooter, but will perform even better,
maintaining the pleasure and excitement of efficient, safe and satisfying
riding in all conditions.
APRILIA DITECH SYSTEM PARTS AND OPERATION
1. FUEL PUMP
Conveys the fuel from the tank to the fuel rail. It is not a conventional
fuel pump but an innovative pump which operates at high pressure by typical
automotive standards, approximately 6 Bar. Despite the high performance, the
electrical power requirements of the pump are extremely low in comparison with
a conventional pump.
2. FUEL RAIL
This consists of three different main components:
* Fuel Injector
This measures the fuel charge per engine stroke, injecting a precise
amount of fuel into the Direct Injector (described below). This injector,
vital for the DITECH system's accuracy, is highly reliable since it is of the
type used in the automobile field. Already produced by the million and tested
in every condition, it ensures maximum reliability and operating precision.
* Direct Injector (charge injector, mix injector)
The fundamental part of the system, this fully electronically controlled
injector has the task of mixing the fuel from the Fuel Injector with
compressed air and introducing it directly into the combustion chamber. The
compressed air provides the force behind the fuel injection and more
importantly, the atomization of the injected fuel charge. The fuel/air
mixture is highly nebulized, radically improving the quality (density, force
and form) of the spray inside the combustion, thus the performance of the
system.
To give an idea of the precision required of this component, a typical car
injector atomizes the fuel particle to 50 microns in size (Sauter mean
diameter measurement). A typical direct injection diesel engine sizes are
25-30 microns. The DITECH system produces a droplet size of 8 microns (SMD).
This spray can evaporate in less than one millisecond, less that the time
needed for and engine operating at 12 000 rpm
* Pressure Regulator
The Fuel Injector works due to a difference in pressure between the fuel
and compressed air circuits. The regulator ensures precise operation of the
fuel injector.
3. COMPRESSOR
The compressor, operating at 5 bar, delivers compressed air to the Direct
Injector. Please note that the air compressor's role is to atomize the
injected fuel charge, not that of a "Super charger" compressor of an
automobile engine. The compressor is driven by a cam integrated into the
crank web of the engine crankshaft. This technical solution has made it
possible to avoid using an external compressor, that would be far more complex
with connecting tubes, autonomous lubrication circuit, aspiration of filtered
air and above all more expensive. Lubrication of the pump, which is essential
for correct function and reliability, is ensured by drawing its air from
inside the crank chamber where the oil is already present.
4. OIL PUMP
The oil pump is an electronically actuated solenoid pump, that provides
maximum operating precision. Utilizing inputs to the electronic control unit,
the DITECH system ensures that just the correct amount of oil required to
lubricate the engine is always used. This provides improved engine protection
and oil consumption reductions of 30 percent and more.
5. IGNITION
The system requires powerful, precise and reliable ignition. Only in this
way can we ensure complete combustion and therefore engine efficiency and
reduction in toxic exhaust gases.
6. ELECTRONIC CONTROL UNIT (ECU)
The brain of the system, a super compact electronic control unit,
completely controls and manages the engine. The control unit controls:
* Injection quantities and timing
* Ignition time
* Oil pump operation
* Anti-theft system options
* Continuous self-diagnosis of all electronic components of the system,
indicating any malfunctions.
The control unit manages all functions by gathering information in real
time on engine revolutions, engine temperature and angle of the throttle
valve.
7. THROTTLE VALVE
The throttle valve controls engine airflow like that of a normal
carburetor, but is much simpler and smaller. The valve has an electronic
sensor known as the TPS (Throttle Position Sensor) which senses throttle
position and transmits the information to the electronic control unit.
TECHNOLOGICAL PARTNERS OF THE APRILIA DITECH SYSTEM
Experience, intuition, innovation and research also mean finding the ideal
partners with whom to seek new ways, to experiment solutions that will become
leaders.
The fundamental component in the network structure of a company such as
Aprilia is collaboration with the best suppliers and the most highly qualified
technology partners. Once again this has enabled Aprilia to choose the most
capable and innovative partners, focusing on the real objectives that will
mark a fundamental chapter in the history of two wheeled urban mobility: the
DITECH direct fuel injection system. Our partners in this exciting venture
are:
ORBITAL ENGINE COMPANY is the technological partner who developed OCP
technology (Orbital Combustion Process) on which the DITECH system is based.
SIEMENS AUTOMOTIVE is Orbital's industrial partner, the world's leading
manufacturer of injection systems.
SYNERJECT LLC is the company, formed by the partnership between these two
great names, which will industrialize and supply the system. SYNERJECT
guarantees the large-scale production of this technology.
