Interview with Günter Karl

Günter Karl is the head of SI Engines Research/Advanced Development at the Vehicle, Engine/Powertrain unit of Daimler Group Research and Advanced Development. Karl, who holds a PhD in Mechanical Engineering, has been with Daimler since 1992 and is one of the “fathers” of the DIESOTTO concept.

 

The DIESOTTO engine was presented in the F 700, which is a large touring sedan. Could the concept behind it also be used in a smaller vehicle like the A-Class?

The DIESOTTO concept is modular, which means it can be used with different engine types. All you have to do is adapt the technology combination to the vehicle in question.

The engine’s fuel economy alone would seem to warrant broad-scale introduction to the market. When will the DIESOTTO go into series production?

 The modular concept calls for the components that are ready for series production to be incorporated into the product earlier on. Further development is still required before the full combination of all the elements presented in the F 700 can go into series production.

Does the self-igniting gasoline engine herald the end of the diesel engine, which requires more complex exhaust treatment?

Both gasoline and diesel engines continue to have a right to exist side by side. For one thing, the petroleum refining process results in both gasoline and diesel fuel, as well as other materials. We must continue to use both fuels intelligently if we are to conserve resources and safeguard mobility. At the same time, my colleagues in Diesel Development are working very hard to improve the combustion process in diesel engines, whereby their goal is to further reduce raw emissions so as to lessen the need for those complex exhaust treatment systems.

The DIESOTTO already meets future emission standards such as EU 6. Can it meet even more stringent limits?

Up until now, we’ve succeeded in complying with all the legislative requirements pertaining to gasoline engines — and that will be the case with the DIESOTTO concept as well. Our goal is to continue to employ the proven three-way catalytic converter for exhaust treatment purposes.

How important are the electronics?

The engine management and control concept plays a major role, along with hardware solutions. After all, without precise management of the sub-systems, the engine wouldn’t function. Creating better physical depictions of individual components — and therefore the possibility and necessity of model-based management and control — is one of the most important aspects of the further optimization of the overall system.