Overview

 Introduction
 Mechanism Of Camless Engine
 Types Of Camless Mechanisms
 Current application of camless engine
 Advantages
 Limitations Of Camless Engines
 Conclusion
 Reference
Introduction
Working Of Conventional Four Stroke IC Engine
 Has four strokes.
 Movement of inlet and exhaust
valves with the help of cam.
 The crankshaft turns camshaft
which operates valves.
 Timing of engine valves
depends on shape of cams.
 The valvetrain consists of
valves, rocker arms, pushrod,
lifters, and camshafts.
 It involves many moving parts.
Working Of Camless Engines

• Camless engine may debut on 2009

fiat 500.
• Could provide infinite variation of
valve parameters
• Sensors sense parameters & send
signals to ECU
• ECU contains microprocessors with
associated software
• This ECU controls the actuators to
work according to requirements
• Valeo estimates that the efficiency
of a camless engine would be
20% greater than a comparable
camshaft-operated engine.
 Mechanism Of Camless Engine

Mainly five sensors are present, which senses:

1. speed of the engine.
2. load on the engine.
3. exhaust position sensor.
4. valve position sensor.
5. current sensor.
microprocessors are present in ECU to issue signal and control
the actuators.
Types Of Camless Mechanisms
 Electromechanical Poppet Valves
 Electromechanical Ball Valves
 Electro-hydraulic Poppet Valves
 Electromechanical Poppet Valves
 Early systems employed solenoid
and magnetic attraction/repulsion
was used on an iron or
ferromagnetic armature
 Varying air gaps which lead to
high seating velocities which made
varying of the lift difficult.
 It is replaced with a current-
carrying armature coil.
 A magnetic field is generated by a
magnetic field generator and
directed across the fixed air gap.
 The force generated on the armature coil drives the armature coil linearly in
the gap in a direction parallel with the valve stem.
 Depending on the direction of the current supplied to the armature coil. The
valve will be driven toward an open or closed position.
 Siemens report that a special software algorithm is used to control the
actuator coil currents such that the valves are decelerated to a speed near
zero they land.
 In conjunction with a switching time of barely three milliseconds.
 The 16-valve four cylinder engines that is currently undergoing tests in
Germany, by Siemens, is equipped with 16 valve actuator and
corresponding armature-position sensors.
Different views of poppet valves
Electromechanical Ball Valves
 It consists of a ball through which
there is a passage passes.
 If the ball is rotated such that passage
lines up with other openings in the
valve assembly, gas can pass through
it.
 The disc is permanently attached and
indexed to the ball valve and contains
permanent magnets around its
perimeter.
 A crank trigger sensor on the
crankshaft provides information about
the position of the piston relative to
top dead center.
 Electromechanical Ball Valves

 Electromechanical valve train

implementation would not be
possible with a normal 12v
electrical system.
 The automotive industry has
chosen a 42v electrical system as
the next automotive standard.
 The valve housing arrangement in
a four stroke reciprocation piston
engine eliminates all the
independent moving parts in the
valve train.
Electro-hydraulic Poppet Valves
 A source of pressurized hydraulic
fluid and a hydraulic actuator
coupled to the poppet valve.
 The use of engine oil as the
hydraulic fluid simplifies and lowers
the cost of the design.
 In one design, the provision is made
for a three-way electrically operated
valve to control the flow of the
pressurized fluid to the actuator.
 The valve springs that are used to
reset the poppet valve.

Ricardo electro-hydraulic valve train system

 Electro-hydraulic Poppet Valves

 The valve actuation and control

system need a manifold pressure
sensor, a temperature sensor, a
mass flow sensor, a coolant
temperature sensor, a throttle
position sensor, an exhaust gas
sensor.
 A valve developed by Struma
industries is said to be about six
times faster than conventional
hydraulic valves.
Current application of camless engine
• Camless valve trains
using solenoids or
magnetic system are
being investigated by
BMW and fiat.
• They are being
prototyped by Valeo and
Ricardo.
• Used in the new fiat 500.
 Advantages
 Offers continuously variable & independent control of all
aspects of valve motion - lift, operation duration, event of
opening
 ECV system can control valve velocity, valve acceleration and
deceleration
 Better fuel economy- 7 to 10 % increase
 Higher torque & power- 10 to 15 % increase
 Lower exhaust emissions- EGR system is eliminated since
EGR effect occurs on its own & thus reduces NOx emissions
 Reduction in size & weight
Limitations Of Camless Engines
 Relatively high cost.
 Packaging.
 Power consumption.
 Noise and vibration.
CONCLUSION
 1. An electro hydraulic camless valve train was developed for a
camless engine. Initial development confirmed its functional ability
to control the valve timing, lift, velocity, and event duration, as well
as to perform selectively variable deactivation in a four-valve
multicylinder engine.

 2. Review of the benefits expected from a camless engine points to

substantial improvements in performance, fuel economy, and
emissions over and above what is achievable in engines with
camshaft-based valve trains.

 3. The development of a camless engine with an electro hydraulic

valve train described in this report is only a first step towards a
complete engine optimization. Further research and development are
needed to take full advantage of this system exceptional flexibility.
 REFERENCE
 Michael M.Schechter and Michael B.Levin “Camless Engine”, SAE
paper [960581]
 John B. Heywood, “Internal combustion engine fundamentals”
 www.machinedesign.com
 www.halfbakery.com
 www.deiselnet.com
 www.greendieseltechnology.com
 www.autospeed.com
 P. Kreuter, P. Heuser, and M. Schebitz, "Strategies to Impove SI-
Engine Performance
 by Means of Variable Intake Lift, Timing and Duration", SAE paper
[920449].