Engine Management
The Engine Management System (EMS) plays a key role for improving the energy efficiency of cars and other automotive vehicles. The main task of an EMS is to control the engine's combustion in a way where the fuel's chemical energy is transformed into mechanical energy most efficiently. To do this a powerfull microcontroller continuously analyzes the engine status, environmental conditions and the driver's torque demand to cycle-by-cycle recalculate and set the ideal fuel injection and spark timing parameters.
The increasing performance of microcontrollers provides the basis for adding more and more sensors, actuators and complex control algorithms. For example, today's state-of-the-art EMS control multiple fuel injections per cycle, the pressure development within the combustion chamber and the exhaust gas temperature and mixture. Infineon's current 32-bit microcontroller line-up have a benchmark system performance. The performance requirements are expected to double every 3-4 years.
Sensors
Our sensors for example are able to measure engine and transmission control system parameters such as camshaft and crankshaft position and rotational speed, track current atmospheric pressure values for optimizing the engine’s air-fuel mix, monitor the intake manifold pressure both for standard and turbocharged engines and check the exact position of the throttle valve.
Tire Pressure Monitoring Systems (TPMS) have been the strongest growing market segment within the automotive segment over the last years. Their contribution to energy efficiency is based on the fact that an optimal tire pressure at anytime can reduce significantly reduce fuel consumption.
Hybrid electric Vehicles
The Hybrid Electric Vehicle (HEV) is an application which significantly reduces fossil fuel consumption. Estimations range from anywhere between 4 percent and 10 percent of new cars made by 2015 that will be HEVs. Considering that about a €100 to €300 of additional power semiconductors are used in this application, the growth in the power semiconductor market is anticipated well beyond 2010.