Outlook

The emission limits for diesel engines in Europe will continue to drop in the future: the emissions standards Euro 5 will come into effect in the year 2009. To comply with these standards, diesel engines will have to get by with even lower nitrogen oxide and particle emissions. Presumably, the extensive use of particle filters in new cars will be inevitable. Glow plugs with good intermediate glow properties – such as the NHTC glow plug from NGK – will be necessary to prevent cooling of the filter in deceleration phases.

At the same time it can be assumed that the injection pressure will increase drastically. This enables finer atomization and more effective utilization of the fuel. Of course, this means that the glow plugs have to withstand high pressures and ensure efficient combustion. NGK researchers are therefore already working to develop production processes and materials that will comply with these requirements.