24 September 2002: Fiat has just been awarded the prestigious Economist Innovation Award, (Energy and Environment category), for its ground-breaking work in developing the Common Rail diesel technology that is now used by every major European car maker, and which has revolutionised diesel engines, enabling them to set new standards for economy, performance and low emissions.

The common rail diesel system is available here under the JTD badge throughout Fiat Auto’s range.

The Economist award, which was presented in San Francisco, recognized Rinaldo Rinolfi, executive vice-president of the Fiat Research Centre, for the work he has done to develop Common Rail diesel engine technology.

Work on the Common Rail or Unijet system started at the Fiat Research Centre in the 1980s, but it was not until the 1990s that the technical obstacles were overcome. During 1992 and 1993, all preliminary reliability and consistency tests, both on engines and vehicles, were satisfactorily passed, and at the end of 1993 the Common Rail system was in a well-proven pre-industrialized stage. The first car to use the new system was the Alfa Romeo 156 JTD, and this has been followed by a host of models in Fiat Auto’s vehicle ranges.

Meanwhile, Fiat Research Centre was already developing the second generation of Common Rail (Multijet). The Multijet system uses electronic injector control to carry out more injections than the current number, (two), during each engine cycle. In this way, the same amount of diesel is burnt inside the cylinder but in a finer spray to achieve smoother combustion.

The secret of the Multijet system lies in the design of the control unit, and injectors which are designed to deliver a series of very closely spaced injections. Fiat Auto researchers developed this injection process to ensure more accurate control of pressures and temperatures inside the combustion chamber, and more efficient use of air taken into the cylinders. The improved product represents a breakthrough since it allows higher power densities and lower combustion noise, particularly in the start-up phase, and of course to fulfil stringent Euro 4 emissions standards.

The first engine of this new Common Rail type is a 140 bhp 1.9 JTD 16v Multijet unit which will be shown at the Paris Motor Show on the Alfa Romeo stand this week. In 2003 it will be the turn of the small 1.3 JTD 16v Multijet unit; a product with extremely compact dimensions that will enable it to be installed in small Fiat Group cars.