I remember when the C6 design specifics were unknown there was a fairly strong rumor that the C6 would be using valves that were magnetically actuated... obviously that didn't come true. But now in the last few years I've heard the term almost never mentioned anymore. Is it not even being considered for the C7 in any variation? Any other vehicles? Did something happen between then and now that made this technology less possible or less appealing?

 

IIRC the trouble was with the electrical system being able to handling the load that is required to operate those valves!!!! I think it needed a 32 volt sytem or something like that....As far why we haven't heard anything in a while, it's anyone's guess!!! Maybe someone closer to the general has an aswer for that question? I'm curious myself, and have wondered about too!!!

 

Yeah from what I can recall, they overloaded the wiring, and basically all the electrical components in the vehicles, which is an incredible fire hazard!!!! I could see the press now, they'd be in thier glory, going after the General....lol!!!!

 

its not voltage that hurts its amps


the ford hybrids i work on have just over 300 volts

and ford diesel trucks have 110 volts in the injector harness

with higher voltage you push less amps and therefore can use a smaller wire, think about how many wires are in a car today, with ever rising gas prices manufacturers are looking for anything they can get there hands on to increase mpg, such as weight reduction from thinner lighter wires

12v systems will be a thing of the past very soon

 

I don't think so. There are still problems with a 42 VDC system (it's 42, not 32 ... think 3 X 14) that haven't been overcome, such as arcing, faster corrosion of electrical components, and shortened lightbulb life. There's also the added cost, since the car would likely be a hybrid 14 VDC and 42 VDC system.

 

how thick is the shielding on the wires supplying that voltage?

like in comparison to a normal 12v wire found in any other vehicle or even elsewhere on the same vehicle.

 

on the diesel truck the only way you can tell is the yellow tape wrapped around the harness

the main supply line on a hybrid is large but the sheilding is roughly the same a 12v sytem

dont forget the higher the volts the lower the current


you should tell the millitary that, being that they already are implimenting this technology

maybe you should tell ford that too, cause when they sent me to school for electronics and electrical systems the ford engineer that taught the class spoke of this technology as if it would be the norm within 2 to 3 years

and as for added cost the reduction in the size of the wires alone will cover that

 

Mercedes is slogging on with this technology, well thats the last time I heard of an autonotive manufacturer publicly commenting on an electronic valvetrain.

 

a french parts supplier showed this tech in the 2005 frankfurt auto show...

http://www.valeo.com/automotive-supplier/Jahia/pid/1317

 

Bump for Tesla power. Who needs wires?

 

About 5-7 years ago, everyone thought it was an inevitability that 42V systems were coming... but there were so many issues that it hasn't happened yet and it's no longer clear exactly when it's going to happen.

 

At 42 Volts and reduced current, saving weight with wire size is not significant. You're talking a couple pounds at most. Cost savings is substantial, but not a lot either. Maybe $.02 a foot, but a DOUBT it. But then you're talking how many hundreds of feet of wire in a car? heck, lets say theres 2 thousand feet of wire in a car. Congrats - you just saved $40. The engineering costs to change over all the components to 42 volts is going to be huge. And lets say you spread that total savings of $40 across 200,000 cars. You might just break even.

Onto the topic of the thread, there are several problems with the 'magnetic valvetrain'. Those Valeo components look like simple solenoids - which arent going to have the precision of high speed linear actuators. You need to gain a lot of precision (read: improved efficiency) to really be effective vs the current mechanical technology.

Next problem is what happens when they go wrong? What is the likelyhood of failure and will it trash the engine? Can you get a failure rate that is acceptable?

Then you get to the power aspect. These suckers will draw a lot of power from the electrical system, which means a bigger alternator. The problem with that is converting energy from mechanical to electrical isnt 100% efficient. You need to have enough precision/control/improved performance so that you offset the additional power requirements and losses from the belt side of the engine. Thats going to be the hard part - espicially with VVT systems as good as they are today.

More power = more heat. Heat kills electrical components. Thats a problem too.

They are a great idea - but still a ways off.

 

Kiss

 

true, but the e-***** crowd is probably chomping at the bit, day dreaming about downlading an infinite number or "cam" files so that at the stroke of a key they will have everything from farm tractor to formula one to prius destroyer all in one engine.

 

are you saying you would not like this, i think the idea of changing cam profiles at the flip of a switch would be a great idea, not to mention that the cam profiles would be variable across the rpm range increasing power from top to bottom