The CONTI® GREEN RUNNER can be used in place of timing chains in the engine, where it effects a reduction in CO2 emissions of up to three grams per kilometer driven. It is used for the synchronization of camshaft and crankshaft, displaying 30 percent less frictional loss than a chain drive. This cuts fuel consumption by as much as 0.2 liters per 100 kilometers, which, in turn, lowers CO2 emissions by 3 grams per kilometer. “With the EU’s current statutory limit of 120 grams, this represents a substantial contribution to emissions reduction,” explains Hermann Schulte, head of belt system development at the ContiTech Power Transmission Group. “European carmakers are increasingly cashing in on this advantage. In the next engine generation, they will again find themselves more frequently resorting to belts in place of chains.”
Another advantage of the CONTI® GREEN RUNNER is that it creates less of a noise buildup than chain drives do. Belts bring rubber instead of steel into contact with metal, generating less noise. Combined with innovative oval pulley technology, these timing belts allow for design widths that are 30 percent narrower than for conventional timing belt drives. The original advantage of chains – narrower design width – is thus eliminated. What’s more, for less complicated drives, belts render superfluous the tensioning rail required to date for chain drives.
The CONTI® GREEN RUNNER has already clocked more than 240,000 kilometers in various vehicle tests and thus demonstrated that it can last for an entire engine life. “Overall, chains forfeit the advantage they previously had over belts. Much to the contrary, the case for belts is now all the more compelling,” notes Schulte. A special version of the belt with an oil-resistant impregnation can also be used in oil environments, making it a wise alternative to existing chain drives.
Aug 26
