INNOVATION

ENERGY TCE 115

The Energy TCe family marks a fresh development in Renault's petrol engine strategy and is expected to account for 85 per cent of the brand's petrol engine sales in Europe by 2015. The Energy TCe 115 is a 1.2-litre engine with unprecedented performance and a model of fuel efficiency.

How this engine works

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The best power/fuel efficiency ratio 

The Energy TCe 115 engine is equipped with a low-friction timing chain.

This brand new engine is poised to appear in the first half of 2012, initially in the Mégane and Scénic range where it will gradually replace the 1.6 16V 110hp (type K4M). Compared with the latter, it will represent an uprated performance package despite its 25 percent smaller cubic capacity:

 

  • a turbocharged four-cylinder 1.2-litre engine (1,198cc) with direct injection.
  • maximum power of 115hp (plus 5hp).
  • peak torque of 190Nm (plus 40Nm) between 2,000 and 4,000 rpm;
  • reduction in fuel consumption by 25 per cent. That works out as a saving of more than 1.5 litres/100km compared to the engine it replaces* and will give the car a range close to that of a diesel.
  • running costs will also take a significant plunge thanks to the combination of its timing chain and low fuel consumption and CO2 taxes.
  • new-generation downsizing: on an all-aluminium block, an unprecedented specific power of 100hp/litre for a 1.2 petrol engine. A three-cylinder, 900cc 90hp TCe engine will soon be marketed showing it is a modular family.

Performance-improving, efficiency-enhancing technologies 

Renault's first turbocharged, direct-injection petrol engine – the Energy TCe 115 – is particularly responsive. Thanks to peak torque of 190Nm, a figure worthy of a two-litre powertrain and available from as low as 1,750rpm, the Energy TCe 115 delivers the acceleration and mid-range response expected of a 1.6-litre engine.

 

This has been made possible thanks to a range of new technologies, some of which come from the world of F1:

 

  • 'Square' engine architecture: takes up less space yet delivers the same performance
    1. Reduced friction: friction-related energy losses have been  reduced, meaning that less fuel is required to deliver the same quantity of energy. Other benefits are longer engine life and enhanced robustness.

    2. Variable-rate oil pump: oil pressure is electronically monitored and adjusted as a function of how the engine is being used. The benefit to the customer is lower fuel consumption and CO2 emissions.

    3. Low-friction timing chain: this optimised timing chain is equipped with a hydraulic tensioner which keeps it permanently taut to minimise friction.

    4. Graphite-coated piston skirts     DLC (Diamond Like Carbon) coated cam followers, a technique that has been employed in F1 for some years. Benefits are significantly reduced friction and enhanced energy efficiency for uprated performance and improved fuel consumption.

  • Direct fuel injection: fuel is injected directly into the combustion chamber to optimise efficiency by carefully adapting the strategy as a function of how the engine is being used. The result is improved combustion and, consequently, lower fuel consumption and CO2 emissions. Double cam-phasing
  • Variable Valve Timing (VVT). Combined with an integrated turbo manifold, VVT ensures that maximum torque is available at low engine speeds and across a broad rev-band.
  • Stop & Start with ultra fast start-up: at a standstill, the system automatically detects the position of each piston and injects fuel into the most favourably-placed cylinder, in the same way as a cyclist presses on the uppermost pedal when pulling away. Re-starting is instantaneous. The energy required for frequent re-starting is recovered during deceleration and braking.

The expertise of Renault Sport F1 channelled for the Energy TCe 115 

Renault has sought to dial Renault Sport F1's technological excellence into the design of its Energy engines. The Powertrain Engineering Department has accordingly called on talent from the world of Formula 1 to work on its new engines. Following the example set by Philippe Coblence, who worked on the Energy dCi 130 (type R9M), Jean-Philippe Mercier was tasked with engineering the Energy TCe 115.

 

Jean-Philippe Mercier (Powertrain Engineering Manager, Energy TCe 115 family):

 

"As early as the 1980s, we stood out as pioneers of downsizing in F1. Even in those days, we were getting some 850hp out of our 1,500cc turbocharged V6. The experience we have accumulated has brought us a thorough understanding of powerful engines for their size. My input has focused on the Energy TCe 115's specific power, and the result is 100hp/litre, a first for a 1.2-litre engine. And Renault has no intention of stopping its work there!"

 

* Fuel consumption and CO² emission figures certified under applicable regulations.

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