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Stringent emission regulations are forcing combustion efficiency improvement. Therefore Diesel fuel injection pressures have regularly increased in the recent years to meet emission levels. This has made the Fuel Injection Equipments (FIE) more sensitive to fuel contaminants. The control and maintaining of the Diesel fuel cleanliness is therefore a key parameter of its performance and durability. Previously, FIE protection was specified only by the filter efficiency, as defined by the ISO 19438 lab test method. But new specifications have been developed and recommended by, defining only fuel cleanliness level at FIE entrance, no matter the operating conditions or any other considerations. It was therefore needed to investigate fuel contamination sources and dynamic phenomena like vibration and viscosity impact on fuel cleanliness, and link it to acceptable filter efficiency.

Cold weather is a challenge for compression ignition engines. As Diesel fuel creates wax crystals when temperature goes down enough, it comes to plug the fuel filter and the fuel injection system, leading to undesirable effects like loss of power, engine stall after start or even the engine not starting at all. Moreover, it has been shown that FAME Biodiesel has additional negative impacts on vehicle cold flow operability. Despite fuel additives which can support cold conditions, the whole fuel injection system has to be designed to support engine operability in variable environments, meaning also in very cold conditions, with variable fuel qualities. The Diesel Fuel Filter is a key element of the fuel injection system, as it could become to get plugged by wax and deposit formed at cold temperatures. This can generate fuel shortage on the common rail and high pressure fuel injectors. Addressing this filter plugging effect, can be crucial for vehicle operability.

Since many years now, environmental regulations got stricter and stricter, leading modern engines (both Gasoline and Diesel) to integrate more depollution devices, to fit new emissions limits. Moreover, the CO2 emissions regulations led also major powertrain improvements in various fields like friction reduction, weight saving, but also engine specific power implying often higher turbocharging rate, with higher temperatures and higher flow rates. As a direct consequence, modern engines have increased the core value of the exhaust line with more complexes and fragile after treatment devices, while working conditions have ran tougher. Therefore to guaranty long term reliability for exhaust line and even making it smaller and lighter is a new objective. This is confirmed by Environmental Regulations which now requires durability threshold for depollution devices.

PSA Group, SOLVAY and SOGEFI have teamed-up to produce the first Plastic Diesel Fuel Filter fully made of recycled polyamide 66, ready for mass-production. This has been achieved by using the brand new plastic compound developed by SOLVAY Engineering Plastics. This material is 100% recycled from airbag wastes, providing a premium material able to stand demanding applications requirements supplied through circular economy, which is quite unusual in automotive industry yet. SOGEFI has used this material through its existing plastic injection process, and tested the parts on extensive bench validation tests. It confirmed that this material is fully compatible with standard injection process, and that all the tests have been passed successfully. Finally, PSA Group has driven the choice of the tested parts: DV engine 1.6l Euro6b application, homologated the material grade and evaluated the whole validation process. A Life Cycle Analysis has been conducted also, demonstrating the benefits.

Noise is one of the key nuisances from which the car is the source. One of those noise sources, the air induction line of the Internal Combustion Engine (ICE), can use some noise attenuation systems as damping isolated volumes (called resonators), or porous ducts, before the air filter. Those solutions can attenuate designated frequencies or range of frequencies. The issue is that those solutions can be bulky, especially for resonators, expensive or even generate some drawbacks on performances. Elements like hot air ingestion, pressure drops or even generation of new noises are some significant areas where performances can be deteriorated through the implementation of such acoustic device on the air induction line. It has then invented and developed a brand new type of acoustic device, designed to ensure optimal performances for a very low packaging. This solution preserves performances and cost, and tend to cope with most of the drawbacks of usual technologies.

Oil Filter change interval is widely defined as a mileage, expressed in Kilometres/Miles of the Vehicle driven. On the other hand, for convenience, repeatability and differentiation reasons, the Filter life time is evaluated in the laboratory test bench according to standard test methods. The Life Time is expressed in grams of calibrated dust injected into the filter inlet so as to clog it. The most commonly used test standard is ISO 4548-12 [7]. So far, there is no widely known and recognized relation between the service time in kilometres and the dust holding capacity according to ISO standard. The purpose of the following study was to establish a relationship between ISO standard dust capacity and the ability of the filter to successfully achieve the service interval in 90% of cases. A large number of used filters were collected and analysed in order to conduct a statistical analysis. Impacts of fuel type, engine displacement and road conditions were identified.