Thought Piece on Research Paper

     In my research paper, I expound on the performance and maintenance issues associated with Direct Fuel Injection. This is a very popular type of fuel delivery system into the combustion chamber of modern-day internal combustion engines. This topic is very important to me as I am always interested in new mechanical designs that improve a system or make a process easier to complete. In this case, direct fuel injection allows engines to be more efficient and to be able to produce more power with the same amount of fuel as older fuel injection systems. In addition, this topic is important to me because I have a profound interest in automobiles and the fact that this revolutionary fuel injection system is becoming popular in production vehicles is intriguing to me. Lastly, it is this fascination with cars that makes my research paper even more important to me, as I am looking for methods of addressing the formation of carbon deposits on the necks of the valves in GDI (gasoline direct injection) motors. I want to find a solution to a problem that the world has not yet been able to solve. This is why my research paper is also important to world, as a solution to the carbon buildup within a GDI engine will save consumers millions of dollars in engine repairs and expensive maintenance that would be required with extended use of a GDI engine. This research topic is also important to the world, since the efficiency and  the performance benefits of direct fuel injection may backfire in the form of expensive, wasteful engine replacements if a solution to the carbon buildup on the valve necks is not found.

     I have just begun writing my research paper, but I’ve realized that it is difficult finding resources directly related to automakers announcing the problems with Direct Fuel Injection. There's no doubt that automakers don’t want to describe problems with their vehicles, but it would be more professional if they admitted the issues direct fuel injection and at least described ways that they are addressing carbon buildup on the valve necks in GDI engines. I plan to write my research paper with a nonspecific approach on how automakers could tell consumers about the problems related to direct fuel injection. I am planning to use the previous actions of automakers as evidence for how car companies can explain and address the problems with direct fuel injection, such as through the issuance of recall notices or technical service bulletins. However, I was hoping to find evidence directly related an auto manufacturer explaining GDI problems with consumers, and without that evidence, I will not be able to describe the communication related to direct fuel injection as specifically as I had planned.

Proposal for Research Paper

     In the automotive industry, the attainment of greater fuel efficiency and power is paramount to creating more competitive vehicles for consumers to purchase. One of the methods that automakers have employed is Direct-Fuel Injection (GDI) technology, a type of fuel injection that has been common to diesel engines for decades, but is only now becoming popular in internal gasoline combustion engines. Direct-fuel injection sprays fuel directly into the cylinder for a more controlled combustion process, as well as for a leaner air/fuel mixture when compared to traditional port-fuel injection. This more precise fuel-delivery method amounts to better fuel-efficiency under all conditions, including light load and full load on the engine. In short, direct-fuel injection maximizes an engine’s efficiency by reducing the amount of wasted fuel in the combustion process.

     Despite the benefits of this fuel injection technology, major issues have begun to surface in recent years with regards to the cylinder valves in GDI engines. With GDI engines, fuel does not wash over the valves during the combustion process like it does in port-fuel injection motors. Since fuel does not contact the valves, the harsh and sooty exhaust gases that exit a cylinder in a 4-cycle combustion engine gradually build up a layer of carbon on the necks of valves. In a port-fuel injection motor, these carbon deposits are continually removed by the flow of gasoline over the valves in normal driving. However, this build up of carbon on the necks of valves in a GDI engine cannot be removed in normal driving. In addition, very few automakers have maintenance schedules that call for valve cleaning, which furthers the problem, because a driver would be unaware of the growing issue within the engine of his/her vehicle. Lastly, these carbon deposits could eventually lead to engine misfires and trouble starting the vehicle, as well as reduced fuel efficiency and a noticeably rougher idle. This issue is becoming more and more of a concern given that many automakers are touting the benefits of direct-fuel injection, especially when it’s combined with turbocharging.

     This inherent problem with Direct Fuel injection is made worse by the fact that automakers have not issued recalls or service bulletins to consumers that their vehicles need regular servicing to diminish excessive carbon buildup on the engine’s intake valves. This lack of communication could eventually cause companies like Ford, with their many “EcoBoost” direct-injection turbocharged engines, to be the source of many complaints and owner lawsuits, as was the case with Toyota when cases of sudden, unintended acceleration occurred on a number of vehicles up through 2011.

     In order to alleviate this growing problem with carbon deposits on the necks of the valves in GDI engines, I propose that automakers install additional valves within the engine that transport fuel from the direct injector into the cylinder. This will effectively eliminate carbon build up by allowing fuel to wash over the valves that transport fuel from the direct injector into the cylinder. This method injecting fuel into the combustion chamber will be less efficient that one hundred percent direct-fuel injection technology, but it will be more efficient that port-fuel injection. Furthermore, this proposal will eliminate any expensive valve cleaning that direct-fuel injection engines need on a regular basis.

     In addition to implementing both port and direct-fuel injection within an engine, automakers should not only promote the benefits of direct-fuel injection, but also communicate to consumers what the long-term maintenance program looks like for GDI engines. This could cost an automaker customers in the short-term, but in the long run, the automaker will save money by having less lawsuits and less damage to image of the brand. Automakers can start notifying consumers of the maintenance required with GDI engines by issuing a service bulletin for existing customers, as well as including an intake valve cleaning as part of the maintenance schedule in the owner’s manual that comes with every new vehicle sold in the United States.

     This proposal has already begun to take affect within the automotive industry, with Toyota, Lexus, Volkswagen, and Audi implementing this fuel injection design into their vehicle engines. This implementation will become more of a possibility as automakers redesign their vehicle engines to meet the EPA fuel economy standards in 2016, thus reducing expensive design changes to existing engines that already have the problematic direct-fuel injection technology.

     Many other methods of dealing with carbon deposits on the valves in GDI engines have been proposed and implemented, but they have not been permanent solutions. These proposals include extended amounts of time revving an engine over 3,000 rpm to burn off carbon deposits, walnut shell blasting the engine valves, and adjusting the timing of the intake and exhaust valves to reduce exposure to dirty exhaust gases within the combustion chamber.

     In the case of revving an engine over 3,000 rpm to burn of carbon deposits, the amount of time needed to do this is at least 20 minutes, an impractical amount of time for the average driver. In addition, this process needs to be completed on a regular basis, which adds up to larger fuel bills and the possibility of excessive wear on the seals and pistons of the engine as it revs at a higher rpm. Walnut shell blasting the engine valves is a more effective method of ridding the engine of carbon deposits, but it is expensive, and it must be performed every 20,000 to 30,000 miles, which is about once every two years for the average driver. Lastly, a few automakers have adjusted the timing of the intake and exhaust valves so that they are exposed to dirty exhaust gases for a shorter amount of time compared to other GDI engines. However, this only slows down the formation of carbon deposits on the engine valves, and so vehicle owners will still need to bring their vehicle to a repair shop to have the valves cleaned, albeit not as often as other vehicles with GDI technology.

     My proposal for adding extra valves within the engine and communicating the downsides of GDI technology to car buyers will not only get rid of carbon deposits, but it will also maintain the efficiency of direct-fuel injection and the reliability of port-fuel injection engines. This proposal is also the best method of resolving this growing issue involving carbon deposits on the engine valves, and as automakers strive to improve the fuel efficiency and power of their vehicle engines by adding direct-fuel injection, the need to implement my proposal continues to grow.

Annotated Bibliography

Research Paper

2013 Scion FR-S D-4S Technology Explained. Prod. Scion. 2013 Scion FR-S D-4S Technology Explained. YouTube, 18 June 2012. Web. 12 Mar. 2014. This is a video that explains the inner workings behind the combination direct/port fuel injection in the engine of the Scion FR-S. The video describes the benefit of having both types of fuel injection and how each port and direct fuel injector works in synch to increase engine efficiency and reduce engine emissions. The author’s intended audience is Scion enthusiasts and potential buyers who are curious about the engine technology implemented in the vehicle. The video makes no assumption about the viewer, but their does seem to be a slight bias toward supporting the technology, because no downsides were listed as far as having both port and direct fuel injection within the engine.

ADPTraining. "GDI Injection Failures." YouTube. YouTube, 17 July 2012. Web. 03 Mar.

2014.  In this video, ADP Training describes the benefits of direct injection and how newly designed GDI engines suffer very little from carbon build up around the neck region of the intake valves. The video describes how carbon forms on the intake valves in a GDI engine and a possible solution to the problem, as well as the major automakers that have alleviated this issue. The author is targeting technicians and people who fix vehicles, and the video emphasizes the importance of finding a solution to the carbon build-up. The video assumes that the viewer is already aware of GDI technology and how a GDI engine works, and there doesn’t seem to be any bias in the video.

“Continued Growth Expected for Direct Fuel Injection Systems.” Internet Wire 19 July 2010.

            Business Insights: Essentials. Web. 12 Mar. 2014. The articles explains how direct fuel injection will be growing more popular in future vehicles, as well as how a GDI engine works. The author describes how heightened emissions standards have required automakers to implement GDI in their engine designs. The author wrote this article to inform potential buyers of what to expect from vehicles in the next few years and the reasons behind new vehicle technologies, such as GDI. The author of the article doesn’t make any assumptions and he/she emphasizes the cleaner emissions provided by GDI technology. There does seem to be a slight bias toward supporting direct fuel injection, as the author only mentions the benefits of GDI technology, and not the downsides. However, the main points made by the author are justified through the use of data that the author readily presents in the article.

"Edmunds.com Updates on Issues in Car Recall Process." Entertainment Close-up16 May 2012. Biography in Context. Web. 12 Mar. 2014. The article discusses how many used vehicles are still under recall and have not been repaired, despite numerous letters to owners of the affected vehicles. The article goes on to say that a new VIN tracking system would allow potential buyers to find out whether a certain used car has had recall work done to it. The author wrote the article to make used car buyers aware that many used vehicles are still under recall and the author emphasizes that used car buyers bring their vehicles into a dealer to find out whether they need recall work done. The author assumes that the reader knows how to register his/her used car with an automaker and the author uses sufficient evidence to back up his/her main points in the article.

Evarts, Eric. "EPA Finds Hyundai Exaggerated Fuel Economy Claims, Refunds Coming to

Customers." EPA Finds Hyundai Exaggerated Fuel Economy Claims, Refunds Coming

to Customers. Consumer Reports, 2 Nov. 2012. Web. 12 Mar. 2014. The article describes

how an error in the lab-test procedure led to unrealistic fuel economy estimates for a

number of Hyundai vehicles. As a result, Hyundai is refunding owners of these vehicles

for gas, plus 15 percent based on the number of miles driven by each individual owner.

The purpose of this article is to inform owners of Hyundai vehicles that they will be

 refunded for additional fuel costs associated with not achieving the promised fuel

economy estimates made by the company. The article emphasizes the error in the lab-test

 procedure and the author uses data from a nonprofit testing center to verify the lower

fuel economy estimates than what Hyundai initially promised to its customers.

Gaylord, Samuel. "Direct Fuel Injection Carbon Buildup." YouTube. YouTube, 11 Aug.

2013. Web. 03 Mar. 2014. In this video, I describe a possible method of cleaning the intake/exhaust valves by revving a GDI engine over 3,000 rpm for the course of 20 minutes. I also describe how I came about this possible solution through various forms of research. Lastly, I demonstrate the solution by driving a 2008 Volkswagen Passat 3.6 4motion, a vehicle that has direct-fuel injection and that suffers from carbon build-up, on the highway at 4,500 rpm. This helps demonstrate to viewers what the process is like in order to burn off carbon deposits on the necks of the valves in a GDI engine. This video is intended for viewers who already know about the problems associated with direct-fuel injection or who have GDI vehicles. The video emphasizes the method of revving an engine over 3,000 rpm to burn off carbon deposits on the intake valves and the author assumes that viewers have a general knowledge about the process of internal combustion. Lastly, the video seems to mention more problems with European vehicles, but this does not elicit bias toward finding a solution to the carbon build-up in a GDI engine. The video also backs up the proposed method of removing carbon deposits with numerous examples and pieces of evidence.

Howlett, Bob. "Direct-Injection Issues & Carbon Deposits." Underhood Service. Business Insights: Essentials, Dec. 2013. Web. 03 Mar. 2014. In this article, Howlett describes his experience with removing carbon from an engine using a walnut shell blaster. He has been using the device ever since carbon began plaguing Saabs in the 1980s and he finds it to be a relatively inexpensive, effective way of cleaning an engine of deposits. He also explains the methods of diagnosing engine problems related to camshaft followers and the high-pressure fuel pump in Audi and VW 2.0L turbocharged FSI engines. The intended audience of the article are people who desire to learn more about engine design and who are not complete experts in the field of automotive technology. The article emphasizes the use of a walnut blaster to remove carbon deposits on intake valves and how direct injection is major problem in new vehicles. The author makes no assumptions about the article’s topic or the audience, and there seems to be a slight bias in that the author discusses how complicated and problematic the engines have been with Volkswagen and Audi vehicles without mentioning other vehicle manufacturers. Lastly, the article’s evidence clearly supports the author’s main points.

Huffman, John Pearley. "Double Take: Fun-Loving Twins Separated at Birth." New York

            Times 18 Nov. 2012: 1(L). Biography in Context. Web. 12 Mar. 2014. The article

describes a first drive involving the Subaru BRZ and Scion FR-S sports coupes, which feature both direct and port fuel injection in their engine designs. During the initial drive Huffman talks about how the car handles, it’s fuel economy, and the power of the vehicle’s engine, to name just a few of his points of discussion. The purpose of this article is to inform potential buyers of how a highly anticipated car drives and if it is worth your money. The article focuses on how the car handles and how much fun it is to drive and the author makes no assumptions about the topic or audience. There doesn’t seem to be any bias in the article and there’s plenty of technical data to support the author’s main points about the two cars he’s driving.

Progress Report for the Spark Ignition Direct Injection R&D Program. Rep. Washington, DC:

            U.S. Department of Energy - Office of Transportation Technologies, 2002. Progress

            Report for the Spark Ignition Direct Injection R&D Program. U.S. Department of Energy

 - Office of Transportation Technologies, Mar. 2002. Web. 12 Mar. 2014. This progress

 report discusses the current state of the development of direct fuel injection, the

problems it’s posing, and the expected benefits and downsides to implementing the

technology. The purpose of this report is to inform officials who don’t extensive car

knowledge about the new technology, how it works, and why it could have a             significant impact on the automotive industry. The report makes no assumptions

about direct fuel injection or about the reader of the report, there doesn’t seem to be

any bias in the report, and there’s plenty of evidence to support the main points

about GDI technology that are made.

Spiegel, Leo, Günter Sōhlke, and Gerrit Suck. "Patent US6866031 - Direct Injection Internal Combustion Engine - Google Patents." Google Books. N.p., 15 Mar. 2005. Web. 03 Mar. 2014. This is a patent filed by three engineers at Volkswagen Auto Group who invented a catalytic surface for a direct-fuel injection engine. The surface is designed so that carbon deposits would not be able to form on the valves and injectors in a direct-fuel injection engine. In addition, the patent describes the negative effects of carbon deposits on engine valves and the other methods of reducing or eliminating carbon from a gasoline direct-fuel injection motor. This patent is directed towards vehicle manufacturers and automotive product companies seeking to find new solutions to reducing carbon deposits in GDI engines. The patent emphasizes the negative effects of carbon build-up on the intake valves of GDI engines and how a new catalytic surface would reduce carbon deposits on the intake valves and the direct injectors. The patent makes the assumption that the audience doesn’t have extensive knowledge on direct-fuel injection technology and there doesn’t appear to be any bias portrayed within the patent or patent description. Lastly, the patent lists many pieces of evidence that support the inventors’ main points stated within the patent description.

United States. Cong. House. Committee on Oversight and Government Reform. By Ron

            Stroman, Michael McCarthy, Carla Hultberg, and Larry Brady. 111th Cong., 2nd sess. H.

            Rept. N.p.: n.p., n.d. Gale Biography in Context. Web. 12 Mar. 2014. This Congress

            hearing is lengthy, but the important takeaway is that Toyota was found to be minimizing

the complaints pertaining to sudden acceleration, while purposely avoiding expensive NHTSA investigations into the reason behind the incidents. The purpose of this congress hearing was to bring light to the fact that many automakers to do not openly communicate to consumers about design problems in vehicles, especially when it could cause the automaker to lose a large amount of money. The intended audience for the congress hearing is lawmakers and government/automotive officials, and the hearing often emphasizes the fact that Toyota attempted to cover up sudden, unintended acceleration incidents in order to save money and not initiate a recall. There is some bias in the hearing, since it is a written record of all of the words said by the people who attended, but there is plenty of evidence to support each person’s claims and main points that were made throughout the hearing.

“Why ‘Modern Family’ still drives Toyota; Product-placement deal struck well before automaker’s massive recall.” Advertising Age 8 Mar. 2010: 1. Business Insights: Essentials. Web. 12 Mar. 2014. This article describes how despite the large number of recalls on Toyota vehicles, the automotive company continues to be a sponsor on a hit television series. The main purpose of this article to inform viewers of the TV series and potential new car owners that Toyota vehicles are safe and that the company is taking care of all recall repairs as quickly as possible. The article emphasizes that Toyota is trying to build its image back up by using the series to promote its vehicles and the author also assumes that the reader knows about the extensive Toyota recalls that tarnished the brand. There’s a little bias in the article, in that the author has a distasteful view of Toyota following all of the recalls, but the evidence presented does support the author’s main points in the article.