Audi R18TDI: Engine Marvel

  • Apr 29, 2011
  • Views : 3621
  • 3 min read

  • bookmark

Audi is targeting their tenth win at the Le Mans 24 hour race this year with an all new TDI powered car. Audi did pave the way for diesel engines at to this level of motorsport and are now looking at showcasing 'tomorrow's technology' with the new car for 2011.

The Le Mans race is set to take place in June and with just weeks left to go to the final 24 hour race, Audi has just announced their engine for the Audi R18TDI. Again, Audi has chosen to stick with TDI power for its racer albeit this time, due to stipulated rules of the governing body, the engine is much smaller than what was fit in the R15TDI. The new engine is a 3.7 litre, 6 cylinder, V configuration TDI unit, which is incidentally 25 per cent lighter than the outgoing engine employed in the R15TDI.

The new engine boasts of some serious innovation. Audi engineers have placed the cylinders at a 120 degree angle in order to house the exhaust manifold between the two cylinder banks to allow for better packaging as well as lowering the center of gravity of the car. This concept, known as “Hot Side Inside” by specialists, has never been employed on an LMP1 sports car; however it was used in F1 during the 1980s. Moreover, the engine employs a single turbocharger as opposed to two turbochargers used on the earlier car. The single turbo feeds off the air directly from the air scoop mounted on the roof to allow for minimal losses in power, while being able to get maximum air. The turbo itself employs a variable turbine geometry (VTG), which is the prime reason to do away with the second turbocharger, as this single unit, developed in cooperation with Garrett, allows the engine to capitalize on the turbo at variable rpms. Again, the use of a single turbocharger allows for more weight reduction on the car overall. At the rear, there is only a single exhaust pipe below a new fin, which is stipulated by the regulations, however this also fits in with Audi’s concept of weight saving.

The finished engine is an engineering marvel and is capable of churning out 540 horse power. The task of building this engine began in 2009, when Audi Sport set out to achieve major innovations on the TDI engine platform. Numerous routes were explored as controlling the enormous ignition pressures and loads which were now going to be distributed over six cylinders as opposed to ten on the earlier car, required innovative answers. A unique cylinder cooling system has been employed as well.

The R18TDI gains a lot in terms of aerodynamic efficiencies thanks to the uncluttered flanks due to the compact engine design. This allows for air to flow from the coolers practically unobstructed and exit at the rear end. Other benefits of the smaller engine include over a efficiencies, which are very important to a 24 hour endurance race.

Incidentally the R18 TDI is possibly the quietest racing car Audi Sport has ever built. According to those who have heard the engine, it is a unique sound that is a whispering murmur and overall a rather fantastic sound. Regardless, the new engine is quite the engineering marvel and is technologically efficient, after all the Le Mans race requires engines that are high powered, low on fuel consumption and have low emissions and Audi Sport has been able to achieve all this with their TDI diesels.

See what our community has to say! NEW

India's largest automotive community

Explore Now
comminity image
×
Recently Visited
Select Category