Flex fuel systems

Versatile. Economical. Resource-friendly.

clean &
economical

Flex fuel systems for

resource-friendly mobility

Bosch flex fuel technology for two-wheelers,

passenger cars, and light commercial vehicles

Flex fuel systems

Flex fuel vehicles come with an injection system that can be operated

Bosch started developing and manufacturing flex fuel technology back in

with gasoline, a mixture with various ratios of gasoline and ethanol, or

1986. We comprehensively integrate our expertise and wealth of expe-

pure ethanol.

rience into the product portfolio for two-wheelers, passenger cars, and
commercial vehicles.

End customers thus have a flexible choice of fuel, are less dependent

on having access to one fuel in particular, and can respond directly to

In flex fuel systems, we partner with automakers to continuously develop

price developments.

the technology.

Tapping into market potential

Flex fuel system

This improves the ethanol's vaporization

For many end customers the choice of fuel is the

Our flex fuel system is designed to oper-

and reduces the amount of fuel required

decisive purchase argument for vehicles with

ate reliably even from a cold start with a

for injection.

flex fuel technology. In Brazil for instance, these

tank full of pure ethanol. Since ethanol

vehicles already account for more than 80 per-

combustion is problematic at tempera-

Compared with conventional cold-start

cent of the market, while other markets still offer

tures below 13 , vehicles with the Bosch

systems, Flexstart reduces CO emissions

a great deal of potential for establishing these

flex fuel system are fitted with a small ad-

by around two percent and HC emissions

systems. And from a macroeconomic perspec-

ditional gasoline tank. On the basis of

by up to 30 percent.

tive, the use of flex fuel systems means less de-

sensor data, the control unit can auto-

pendence on crude oil.

matically switch to gasoline mode to en-

Flex fuel gasoline direct injection

sure a reliable, comfortable start. Follow-

Direct injection offers additional benefits

Alternative fuel ethanol

ing a brief warm-up phase, the system

over gasoline port fuel injection. Air and

Alternative fuels contribute to more economical

switches back to ethanol mode.

fuel are precisely metered, prepared, and

distributed for each combustion cycle.

and resource-friendlier mobility. Ethanol has

Bosch flex fuel systems

provide automakers
with the potential to tap
into new sectors of the
economy.

Flexstart system

established itself as a fuel particularly with flex

Flexstart system

The result is lower fuel consumption and

fuel systems; it can be mixed with conventional

Our innovative Flexstart system, which

reduced emissions, coupled with in-

gasoline in proportions of between five and

dispenses with the additional gasoline

creased engine power output. Thanks to

100 percent. Countries such as China are also

tank, provides even more starting com-

consistent further development, our flex

using methanol as a fuel.

fort at cold temperatures. During a cold

fuel systems can also be used in combi-

start, electrically controlled heating ele-

nation with gasoline direct injection.

Until now, ethanol has tended to be distilled

ments in the fuel rail warm the ethanol to

from sugar cane or cereals containing starch.

the required temperature.

New technologies are based on the use as

biomass of cellulosic raw materials such as
miscanthus. The use of algae is also being
looked into. So as not to use up arable land,
such algae could be cultivated in offshore parks,
for example.

Flex fuel injector

Automotive competence from a single source:

Bosch your partner for flex fuel systems

Further
Furtherinformation
information:
can be found at
www.bosch-pfi.com
www.bosch-flexfuel.com

Comprehensive portfolio and extensive expertise

Our portfolio includes flex fuel systems for two-wheelers, passenger cars, and
light commercial vehicles, as well as for a range of vehicle functions including
fuel supply, fuel injection, air management, ignition, engine management, turbocharging, thermal management, exhaust-gas treatment, transmission technology,
and start-stop. Components for the Flexstart system and gasoline direct injection
supplement the product range.
System and network competence
Bosch boasts a holistic understanding of drive systems including knowledge of
the many technical influencing factors, interrelationships, and dependencies of a
flex fuel system. System networking using intelligent software ensures optimum
functionality even with changing fuel-mixture ratios.
Innovation driver and technology leader
We develop flex fuel technology to high-quality, reliable large-scale series production standards. The Brazilian Ministry of Science and Technology presented
us with the Technological Innovation Finep Award in recognition of this work.
Ensuring quality and reliability
Our portfolio for flex fuel vehicles meets the most stringent technical performance
requirements and offers a high degree of functional safety and reliability even
when used with poor-quality fuels.
Global presence
Bosch has production and development experts on hand around the globe near to
automakers. We are familiar with specific local requirements and help our customers tap into new markets.
Long-term partnership
Bosch provides automakers with end-to-end support for their flex fuel activities:
from designing new vehicle concepts, their development and application, through
series production, to vehicle servicing.

Gasoline Systems
Fuel injectors for flex fuel systems

Fuel injectors for flex fuel systems

Vehicles with a flex fuel system run on a mixture of

gasoline and bioethanol. The proportion of ethanol
can vary from 5% (E5) to 100% (E100). The Bosch
portfolio encompasses flex fuel systems for port fuel
injection and for direct injection.
Port fuel injection systems prepare the air-fuel mixture
in the intake manifold. The fuel rail distributes the fuel
to the fuel injectors which atomize the fuel into the
intake air flow.

EV6, HDEV5, EV14

Direct injection systems employ high-pressure injectors. These inject the fuel directly into the combustion

Customer benefits
Reduced emissions
Improved spray preparation
Flexible installation and spray characteristics
for every engine
Savings potential in engine compartment
insulation
Ethanol resistance facilitates worldwide use
Meets requirements for engine downsizing
(advanced spray point)
Additional fuel efficiency and emissions
reduction potential with direct injection

chamber.
Task
With port fuel injection, the fuel injector is responsible
for injecting the fuel into the intake manifold so that
it forms a homogeneous mixture with the intake air;
this mixture is fed into the most favorable area of the
combustion chamber to provide optimum combustion.
The aim is to prevent excessive fuel condensation on
the wall from the intake manifold or intake valve.
The high-pressure injector meters and atomizes the
fuel so that fuel and air are specifically mixed in a
certain region of the combustion chamber in order to
obtain the best possible combustion of the mixture.
Function
The fuel injector is a solenoid valve which is used to
control the injection start and duration. The shape
of the fuel spray is determined for each engine by
the position of the injector and the configuration and
number of orifices.

Gasoline Systems | Fuel injectors for flex fuel systems

Technical features

EV6

Linearity

DFR 12

Droplet size
50130 m (rSMD, reduced

Sauter Mean Diameter)
available
Variants

Length, spray pattern

Noise

5153 dB

Fuels

Gasoline, ethanol ( E100),

methanol ( M15)

Variant: fuel injector EV6

The low-noise fuel injector EV6 is available in a large
variety of variants with different lengths and spray
patterns. Linearity is very good with a large Dynamic
Flow Range (DFR) up to 12.
Variant: fuel injector EV14
Low leakage below 1.8 mm3/min is a specific characteristic of the slim and lightweight EV14 injector.
It has been developed as a global injector which is
manufactured locally in all markets worldwide and
it is also suitable for use with flex fuel. The linearity

Technical features

EV14

range is even higher than that of the EV6. The large

Linearity

DFR 13

variant frame comprises various geometries and

Leakage

1.8 mm3/min

spray patterns.

Droplet size
50130 m (rSMD, reduced

Sauter Mean Diameter)
available
Variants

Geometry, spray pattern

Weight

~25 g

Fuels

Gasoline, ethanol ( E100),

methanol ( M15)

Variant: high-pressure fuel injector HDEV5

The HDEV5 high-pressure fuel injector meters and
atomizes the fuel with high pressure directly into the
combustion chamber. The inward-opening multihole
injector features high variability concerning spray
angle and spray shape. Variable lengths are available
as options for different installation requirements.

Technical features

HDEV5

System pressure

20 MPa

Flow rate

25 cm3/s at 10 MPa

Leakage

< 2,5 mm3/min at 10 MPa

Fuels

Gasoline, ethanol:
all fuel qualities worldwide

Droplet size SMD

(Sauter Mean Diameter)

15 m

Spray form

Variable number and position

of spray holes

Injector installation

Central or lateral

Robert Bosch GmbH

Gasoline Systems
Postfach 300240
70442 Stuttgart
Germany
www.bosch-automotivetechnology.com
Printed in Germany
292000P14G-C/CCA-201309-En

Robert Bosch GmbH 2013. All rights reserved, also regarding any disposal, exploitation, reproduction,
editing, distribution, as well as in the event of applications for industrial property rights

Gasoline Systems
Fuel rail for flex fuel systems

Fuel rail for flex fuel systems

Task
The fuel rail receives the fuel from the fuel supply module and distributes it to the fuel injectors. It is important that the fuel has the required pressure at the start
of the injection and that there are no pressure fluctuations between individual injections.
Function
The fuel injectors are mounted on the fuel rail. This
self-damping fuel rail is made out of plastic tailored for

Plastic variant

use with ethanol, or out of stainless steel. It features a

highly versatile design and configurations:

Feed line with customer specific connections
Available with our without return line

Customer benefits
Simplified logistics, assembly, and handling
Ethanol resistance facilitates worldwide use
Flexible installation/design

Vehicles with a flex fuel system run on a mixture of

gasoline and bioethanol. The proportion of ethanol
can vary from 5% (E5) to 100% (E100). The Bosch
portfolio encompasses flex fuel systems for port fuel
injection and for direct injection.
Port fuel injection systems prepare the air-fuel mixture
in the intake manifold. The fuel rail distributes the fuel
to the fuel injectors which atomize the fuel into the
intake air flow.
Direct injection systems employ high-pressure injectors. These inject the fuel directly into the combustion
chamber.

Available with all variants of the EV14 or EV6/EV6P

in ethanol resistant versions

Gasoline Systems | Fuel rail for flex fuel systems

Fuel rail for the Flexstart system

Because ethanol is harder to ignite at temperatures

below 20C, Bosch has developed the Flexstart System
to warm the fuel during the starting phase. Flexstart
replaces systems which use gasoline to start the
engine and therefore require an additional tank.
Task
The fuel rail receives the fuel from the fuel-supply module and distributes it to the fuel injectors. It is important that the fuel has the required pressure at the start
of the injection and that there are no pressure fluctua-

Plastic variant

tions between individual injections.

The Flexstart system warms the fuel and ensures a

Customer benefits

smooth engine start at low temperatures even with

Reliable engine start with E85/E100 without

high-ethanol fuel. Depending on ethanol content and

an additional gasoline tank

Improved driveability during engine warm-up

ambient temperature Flexstart warms the ethanol

using heating elements in the fuel rail controlled by
the engine control unit via the heating control unit.
Function

Technical features

Fuel rail for the Flexstart system

Operation mode

4- or 3-cylinder operation

Temperature output
between the injectors

< 10C

Rate of heating

30C/s

Fuel temperature

70125C (depending on
system pressure)

Variants

Plastic or stainless steel

The fuel injectors are mounted on the fuel rail. This

self-damping fuel rail has been tailored for use with
ethanol. Its specific features are:

Resistant with E100 operation
Determination of the operating mode air or vapor (in

combination with heating element GLP2-FS GLP2-FK

and heating element HCU)

Robert Bosch GmbH

Gasoline Systems
Postfach 300240
70442 Stuttgart
Germany
www.bosch-automotivetechnology.com
Printed in Germany
292000P14J-C/CCA-201309-En

Robert Bosch GmbH 2013. All rights reserved, also regarding any disposal, exploitation, reproduction,
editing, distribution, as well as in the event of applications for industrial property rights.

Gasoline Systems
Electronic control unit
Motronic for flex fuel systems

Electronic control unit for flex fuel systems

Function

The electronic control unit for flex fuel systems processes input data from sensors located throughout
the drivetrain. It detects which fuel is being used
and adjusts the engine management accordingly. At
higher ethanol content, for instance, the air-fuel ratio
is reduced.
Additionally the control unit can control the Flexstart system which warms the fuel and ensures a smooth engine
start at low temperatures even with high-ethanol fuels.
Depending on ethanol content and ambient temperature the electronic control unit triggers the heating

Customer benefits
u One single, scalable ECU family for different

markets and vehicle segments

u Potential for extended functionality
u Flexible integration of customer software

elements in the fuel rail via the heating control unit.

The electronic control unit variants feature:
u A common platform for gasoline, flex fuel, CNG

and diesel control units

u Diagnostics functions, e.g. for compliance with

emissions legislation
u Infineon 32 bit microcontroller

Vehicles with a flex fuel system run on a mixture of

gasoline and bioethanol which enables up to 40%
lower CO2 output than gasoline operation. The proportion of ethanol can vary from 5% (E5) to 100% (E100).
The Bosch portfolio encompasses flex fuel systems for

u Standardized communication interfaces (CAN,

Flexray, SENT, LIN, K-LINE)

u Highly scalable software and hardware, 4-fold

computing power from basic segment to high end

u Standardized formats to support software sharing

port fuel injection and for direct injection.

and global development (AUTOSAR, MSR)

Task
The aim of the electronic control unit is to provide the
required engine torque with minimal fuel consumption
and emissions. It controls mixture formation (air mass,
injected fuel amount, injection timing), ignition and the
exhaust-gas treatment.

Robert Bosch GmbH

Gasoline Systems
Postfach 300240
70442 Stuttgart
Germany
www.bosch-automotivetechnology.com
Printed in Germany
292000P142-C/CCA-201309-En

Robert Bosch GmbH 2013. All rights reserved, also regarding any disposal, exploitation, reproduction,
editing, distribution, as well as in the event of applications for industrial property rights.

Gasoline Systems
Heating control unit for the
Flexstart system

Heating control unit for the Flexstart system

Function

The heating control unit monitors the heat energy delivered in four separate heat circuits. It measures the
supplied temperature and sends this data back to the
engine control unit together with diagnostics information.
The heating control unit is characterized by:
u Four individually controlled heating circuits

with 260 W at 12 V each

u Precise energy control
u Integrated current sensor
u Reverse polarity protection

Customer benefits
u Reliable engine start with E85/E100 even at

low ambient temperature

u Improved driveability during engine warm-up

u Full diagnostics: open/short circuit; switching

elements (FETs)
u Internal overtemperature cutoff
u Determination of the operating mode air or vapor

(in combination with heating element GLP2-FS)

Vehicles with a flex fuel system run on a mixture of

gasoline and bioethanol. The proportion of ethanol can
vary from 5% (E5) to 100% (E100). The Bosch portfolio encompasses flex fuel systems for port fuel injection and for direct injection.
Because ethanol is harder to ignite at temperatures
below 20C, Bosch has developed the Flexstart system
to warm the fuel during the starting phase. Flexstart
replaces systems which use gasoline to start the
engine and therefore require an additional tank.

Task
The heating control unit monitors the heating of the
fuel in order to ensure a fast, comfortable and clean
engine start. Flexstart replaces systems which use
gasoline to start the engine and therefore require an
additional tank.

Robert Bosch GmbH 2013. All rights reserved, also regarding any disposal, exploitation, reproduction,
editing, distribution, as well as in the event of applications for industrial property rights.

Robert Bosch GmbH

Gasoline Systems
Postfach 300240
70442 Stuttgart
Germany
www.bosch-automotivetechnology.com
Printed in Germany
292000P14N-C/CCA-201309-En

Gasoline Systems
Heating element for the
Flexstart system

Heating element for the Flexstart system

Function
The heating element dissipates heat to the fuel within
the fuel rail, so the fuel has the right temperature
when it is injected. The material of the heating element
has been specifically selected for operation with high
surface temperature, while it is immersed in the fuel.
Its rated output is 260 W at 12 V.
The heating element is characterized by:
u Resistance against E100
u Determination of the operating mode air or vapor

(in combination with the heating control unit HCU)

Customer benefits
u Reliable engine start with E85/E100

even at low ambient temperature

u Improved driveability during engine warm-up

Vehicles with a flex fuel system run on a mixture of

gasoline and bioethanol. The proportion of ethanol can
vary from 5% (E5) to 100% (E100). The Bosch portfolio encompasses flex fuel systems for port fuel injection and for direct injection.
Because ethanol is harder to ignite at temperatures
below 20C, Bosch has developed the Flexstart system
to warm the fuel during the starting phase. Flexstart
replaces systems which use gasoline to start the
engine and therefore require an additional tank.

Task
The heating element is there to ensure a comfortable
and clean engine start when using high-ethanol fuels at
temperatures below 20C. Flexstart replaces systems
which use gasoline to start the engine and therefore
require an additional tank.

Robert Bosch GmbH 2013. All rights reserved, also regarding any disposal, exploitation, reproduction,
editing, distribution, as well as in the event of applications for industrial property rights

Robert Bosch GmbH

Gasoline Systems
Postfach 300240
70442 Stuttgart
Germany
www.bosch-automotivetechnology.com
Printed in Germany
292000P14L-C/CCA-201309-En

Robert Bosch GmbH

Gasoline Systems
Postfach 30 02 40
70442 Stuttgart
Germany
www.bosch-flexfuel.com
Printed in Germany
2 920 00P 0ZU-C/CCA-201304-En