Discover the new role of glow plugs in modern vehicles

28. 9. 2021

Monitoring the pressure during the fuel combustion process in a diesel engine has always been a dream of automotive engineers. In this way, you get an insight into what is happening in the engine and you can optimize its operation.

There were many available solutions on the market but none was precise enough. Hidria´s engineers accepted the challenge and developed a one-of-a-kind solution.

Meet PSG Optymus, a glow plug with an integrated pressure sensor.

With this solution, Hidria has upgraded the pressure measurement. We built a piezoelectric sensor around the heater and made it much more accurate and responsive.

PSG is mounted in the combustion chamber and has two main functions:

• The glow plug heats the chamber during the cold start of the engine.
• The piezoelectric sensor with integrated electronics measures the pressure of the gasses during the combustion process.

The measured pressure signal is transferred to the engine control unit and used for closed-loop control of fuel injection.

Key benefits for vehicle owners:

• Optimized combustion parameters result in decreased fuel consumption and lower emissions.
• Fuel burns cleaner and more efficiently
• Soot reduction increases engine service life
• Reliable start in cold weather conditions

It´s obvious that glow plugs are an essential part of modern diesel engines. For example, each new Volkswagen 2.0 TDI diesel engine (EA 288 Evo) has one Hidria PSG and three ordinary glow plugs.

And yes, they are also available for the aftermarket under part number:

PSG Optymus – H70 001

Glow plugs – H1 339

Search for cross-references or vehicle applications in our online catalog.