Variable Valve Timing
Unit-1
Introduction:
• The internal combustion engine really works well only at one particular
range of speed, any higher or lower there is a reduction in fuel
efficiency, reliability and power.
• To overcome this issue, and to try to make engines more useable
throughout their ranges, manufacturers invented various different
types of variable valve timing.
Principle behind VVT:
• The idea is simple - alter the timing and/or size of the intake and
exhaust ports at different engine RPMs to ensure that the engine is as
efficient as possible throughout it's range of operating speeds.
• Some of the range of variable valve timing methodologies and their
working principles are as follows:
• 1.Honda VTEC
• 2. Toyota VVT-i
Normal valve train & VTEC
1.Honda VTEC
• VTEC stands for Variable Valve Timing
and Electronic Lift Control.
• The basic functionality of VTEC is
surprisingly simple VTEC allows the
valves to remain open for two different
durations.
• A short opening time for low-speed
operation to give good torque and
acceleration, and
• A larger opening time for higher speeds
to give more power.
Working:
• To do this, the camshaft has two sets of cam lobes for each valve and a sliding
locking pin on the cam follower that determines which lobe is operating the
valve.
• The locking pin is moved by a hydraulic control valve based on the engine
speed and power delivery requirements.
• The two lobe shapes are referred to as fuel economy cams and high power
cams, meaning that Honda engines with this technology are really two engines
in one - a performance engine and an economical engine.
Honda VTEC
Fuel Economy Mode:
• The diagram shows fuel
economy mode - the blue
locking pin is not engaged so
the two followers run on
their respective cam lobes
independently.
• The yellow one is the main
cam follower which pushes
on the valve.
Honda V-Tec
Power Mode:
• In the power mode, the blue
locking pin is engaged so now
the red cam follower is locked to
the yellow one which, now being
driven by the red one, no longer
contacts the lower profile cam
lobe.
• Because the red follower is
running on a higher profile cam
lobe, it now forces the valve to
stay open longer.
2. Toyota VVT-i
• VVT-i stands for Variable Valve Timing - Intelligent, VVT-i is
the second approach to variable valve timing.
• The problem with Honda's idea is that you really only have
two modes - economy and power.
• The VVT-i system goes a step further and allows a
continuously variable engine operating profile, so rather
than simply having economy and power modes, there's an
infinite number of positions in between that can be selected
on-the-fly in fractions of a second. This means that the engine
can be kept in it's sweet spot for a far broader range of
operating conditions and demands.
Toyota VVT-i
Toyota VVT-i Working:
• VVT-i doesn't have two sets of cam lobes, rather it can dynamically
adjust the timing of the entire camshaft instead.
• This means that whilst the actual duration that the valves are open
never changes, their timing in relation to all the other engine
operations can be adjusted.
• In a simple engine, the timing belt or chain from the crankshaft
loops up and around a camshaft pulley that turns the camshaft.
• With VVT-i, the timing belt loops around a pulley that contains
hydraulic fluid or oil. The camshaft itself has vanes on the end of it
that sit inside the fluid, so in this system, the camshaft is not
directly linked to the timing belt pulley. By altering the oil pressure
through a series of valves, the position of the camshaft vanes can
be altered inside the pulley housing.
VVT-i:
• The pulley housing is rendered in yellow(white) - that's the pulley which
is driven by the toothed timing belt looped around the outside of it.
• Inside you can see the red(black) vanes of the camshaft (also in red) which
are free to rotate a certain amount back and forth. When rotated all the
way in one direction, the engine is in economy mode. When rotated all
the way in the other direction it's in power mode.
