Intermotor’s AdBlue Injectors: from concept to car
The development behind Intermotor’s new AdBlue Injectors
Leading engine management brand, Intermotor, from the engineering experts SMP Europe, discusses the journey the latest range took, from concept to car.
The engineering team at SMP Europe conducted extensive research and concluded that there is a small, but growing, number of injectors entering the UK aftermarket and failing instantly, resulting in vehicle shutdown.
From this, the team launched a product that successfully completed thorough laboratory and on vehicle testing to ensure it meets the company’s stringent quality standards.
Nick Tideswell, Engineering Manager at SMP Europe, comments: “One of the most common AdBlue injector failures occurs due to blockages caused by crystallised urea. Over time and with extended vehicle use, AdBlue can crystallise, clogging the injector and housing, which prevents the AdBlue fluid from entering the exhaust, resulting in stopping the vehicle from meeting emission standards.
“Sensors detect the issue and prevent the vehicle from starting, necessitating the replacement of the injector and housing. Plus, extreme temperatures in the exhaust area can lead to injector failure, making it crucial to manage heat effectively in this zone.”
From their research, the engineering team focused on designing a highly efficient heat sink to prevent an injector overheating to help minimise these issues. The team developed multiple design concepts, initially sketched and modelled in 3D CAD. This was followed by design reviews and testing with 3D-printed prototypes, to refine the final design to ensure optimal performance.
Tideswell continues: “Once the design idea was approved, we moved on to make developments through prototype testing. The first test was going to be determining which design worked best on a vehicle in real life conditions. This required live on vehicle testing to identify the efficiency of different heat sink designs.”
SMP Europe’s successful on-vehicle testing showed that the prototype aluminium heat sink designs dissipated heat far better than the OE equivalent. The team also developed an in-house NOx datalogger to assess the effectiveness of its AdBlue injectors on test vehicles. The team’s data confirmed that the injectors effectively reduced NOx levels.
Most diesel vehicles built after 2015 will be using AdBlue, in order to comply with the Euro 6 emissions regulations. Manufacturers include Audi, BMW, Citroen, DS, Jaguar, Land Rover, Peugeot, Mercedes-Benz, Renault and VW. More than 16 million vehicles in the UK currently require AdBlue.
AdBlue is an essential component in modern diesel engines, used to reduce harmful gases in the exhaust system. The AdBlue injector plays a critical role by supplying a small quantity of atomised AdBlue into the exhaust system just before the Selective Catalytic Reduction (SCR) system.