Exhaust Gas Recirculation

Exhaust gas recirculation (EGR) systems divert some of the engine-out exhaust gas and mixes it back into the fresh intake air stream. Mixing exhaust with the intake air lowers combustion temperatures and rates.

This improves emissions by reducing the formation of NOx. It also reduces the knock limit, providing better fuel economy through higher compression ratios and/or spark advance (in a spark-ignition engine).Cooling the exhaust before mixing it into the intake stream in a special heat exchanger further improves emissions and the knock limit. Cooled dual-loop EGR systems have been developed to cover the entire engine map. In a turbocharged engine, the low-pressure loop EGR system, located downstream of the turbo, mitigates knock at low speeds and high load, while the high-pressure loop upstream of the turbo improves fuel economy at high speed and high load. Cooled EGR could improve a vehicle’s average fuel economy from 2% to 5%, as measured on current vehicle test cycles used for regulatory compliance