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Unveiling the Future: Advanced Internal Combustion Engine Technologies are Revolutionizing Automotive Efficiency

by  Nick Goodnight     Jan 17, 2024
man_working_on_engine

In the dynamic realm of automotive engineering, internal combustion engines (ICE) have been the driving force behind our vehicles. From the beginning of the Otto four stroke cycle to the Atkinson cycle engines, evolving the way we burn fuel in the combustion chamber helps to increase efficiency and increase power

Delving into the historical journey of ICE, we trace pivotal milestones and address contemporary challenges, setting the stage for the emergence of cutting-edge technologies. Conversion of chemical energy into mechanical energy has always been a continuous improvement process. From the first slide valve engine on an 1886 Benz Patent Motor Car No 1, to the 2023 GM LT6 flat plane V8, internal combustion engines are still alive and thriving. The technologies that are being developed by most manufacturers do signal the use of internal combustion engines in vehicles for the distant future. 

The electric vehicle push is slowing as demand is not currently where it needs to be to sustain it. This means the need for ICE powered vehicles will continue. With the development of new ICE powered hybrids and conventional vehicles, the need to diagnose their systems will need to continue to be taught to technicians and their skill sets will need to be constantly developed. Combining multiple systems to increase the efficiency of the ICE will require a more advanced training regimen for the technician. We will explore some of these technologies throughout this blog post.

Key Components of Advanced Internal Combustion Engines:

As I am sure you are aware, the transition to Gasoline Direct Injection (GDI) from Port Fuel Injection (PFI), was a major leap in engine efficiency and power creation.  The ability to increase compression inside the engine while still being able to operate on conventional 87 octane fuel, this increased power potential which allows smaller engines to be utilized in large vehicle configurations.  This is just another step in the path toward a Homogenous Charge Compression Ignition (HCCI) engine.

The first major OEM to field a version of the HCCI was the Mazda X SPCCI engine in 2021. This advance in combustion technology allows the more efficient use of gasoline to create engine power for proper propulsion. Combining the clean burning of gasoline with the combustion effects of a compression ignition engine, the output is more power with less emissions of a conventional ICE. This is just one of the ways the OEM’s are working to get more out of the same ICE. 

Variable Valve Timing (VVT) and Variable Compression Turbocharged (VCT) engines employ advanced computer control to adjust the engine to the specific needs of the situation no matter what the conditions. Before these types of technologies were present on the ICE, the designer would have to pick the type of camshaft and compression ratio when designing the engine. Once that was done the engine was built with just one option and that’s what it was until someone in the aftermarket changed it. With this infinite variability to match the output of the engine with the needs of the driver to maintain their power demands.

This increased complexity of the engine now requires, more than ever, the owner to maintain the vehicle with proper fluid changes in a timely fashion. Gone are the days when you could miss an oil change by a few thousand miles and be fine. At this point in the ICE development missing one oil change or using substandard fluids creates a domino effect on the internals of the engine.

The increased use of plastics and composites in timing components and other internal components decreases the ability of the engine to tolerate abuse. When a timing set on an engine entails five timing chains that must be installed in a particular sequence or the following chains will not be in time, the complexity requires attention to all the details of the engine, not just the mechanical. 

Along with internal component changes, adding forced induction to the engine is becoming more common place as the fuel mileage standards are raised. Single, dual and even a combination of turbochargers and superchargers increase the power output of the engine while minimizing the physical size of the engine. This increased load on the engine internals requires the use of better components and higher cost fluids so the engine can live a long life. 

Engines no longer need to be rebuilt at around 100,000 miles; according to Car and Driver, the average life expectancy of a vehicle is 200,000-300,000 miles.  Of course, with this increased life expectancy the OEM’s must raise the price of the vehicle so they can still maintain the profit margin of production.  We are now running into the obsolescence of components for vehicles that are 10 plus years old. If parts are not available, you will have to buy a new car, right?

The Fusion of Innovation and Tradition

All this efficiency and reliability comes at a cost. As this new era of technology driven vehicles rises, the fusion of innovation and tradition propels us towards a more efficient tomorrow. This is the driving force behind the upskilling of the technician to understand the technologies that are present now and those that are coming.

The Master Automotive Technician series of CDX provides the instructor pointed material to exceed the requirements of any ASE training currently on the market. Utilizing the Read-See-Do model throughout the series, the student has various learning modalities present throughout the products which allows them to pick the way they learn the best.

Related Content:

About the Author:

Nicholas Goodnight, PhD is an ASE Master Certified Automotive and Truck Technician and an Instructor at Ivy Tech Community College. With nearly 20 years of industry experience, he brings his passion and expertise to teaching college students the workplace skills they need on the job. For the last several years, Dr. Goodnight has taught in his local community of Fort Wayne and enjoys helping others succeed in their desire to become automotive technicians.

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Unveiling the Future: Advanced Internal Combustion Engine Technologies are Revolutionizing Automotive Efficiency

by  Nick Goodnight     Jan 17, 2024
man_working_on_engine

In the dynamic realm of automotive engineering, internal combustion engines (ICE) have been the driving force behind our vehicles. From the beginning of the Otto four stroke cycle to the Atkinson cycle engines, evolving the way we burn fuel in the combustion chamber helps to increase efficiency and increase power

Delving into the historical journey of ICE, we trace pivotal milestones and address contemporary challenges, setting the stage for the emergence of cutting-edge technologies. Conversion of chemical energy into mechanical energy has always been a continuous improvement process. From the first slide valve engine on an 1886 Benz Patent Motor Car No 1, to the 2023 GM LT6 flat plane V8, internal combustion engines are still alive and thriving. The technologies that are being developed by most manufacturers do signal the use of internal combustion engines in vehicles for the distant future. 

The electric vehicle push is slowing as demand is not currently where it needs to be to sustain it. This means the need for ICE powered vehicles will continue. With the development of new ICE powered hybrids and conventional vehicles, the need to diagnose their systems will need to continue to be taught to technicians and their skill sets will need to be constantly developed. Combining multiple systems to increase the efficiency of the ICE will require a more advanced training regimen for the technician. We will explore some of these technologies throughout this blog post.

Key Components of Advanced Internal Combustion Engines:

As I am sure you are aware, the transition to Gasoline Direct Injection (GDI) from Port Fuel Injection (PFI), was a major leap in engine efficiency and power creation.  The ability to increase compression inside the engine while still being able to operate on conventional 87 octane fuel, this increased power potential which allows smaller engines to be utilized in large vehicle configurations.  This is just another step in the path toward a Homogenous Charge Compression Ignition (HCCI) engine.

The first major OEM to field a version of the HCCI was the Mazda X SPCCI engine in 2021. This advance in combustion technology allows the more efficient use of gasoline to create engine power for proper propulsion. Combining the clean burning of gasoline with the combustion effects of a compression ignition engine, the output is more power with less emissions of a conventional ICE. This is just one of the ways the OEM’s are working to get more out of the same ICE. 

Variable Valve Timing (VVT) and Variable Compression Turbocharged (VCT) engines employ advanced computer control to adjust the engine to the specific needs of the situation no matter what the conditions. Before these types of technologies were present on the ICE, the designer would have to pick the type of camshaft and compression ratio when designing the engine. Once that was done the engine was built with just one option and that’s what it was until someone in the aftermarket changed it. With this infinite variability to match the output of the engine with the needs of the driver to maintain their power demands.

This increased complexity of the engine now requires, more than ever, the owner to maintain the vehicle with proper fluid changes in a timely fashion. Gone are the days when you could miss an oil change by a few thousand miles and be fine. At this point in the ICE development missing one oil change or using substandard fluids creates a domino effect on the internals of the engine.

The increased use of plastics and composites in timing components and other internal components decreases the ability of the engine to tolerate abuse. When a timing set on an engine entails five timing chains that must be installed in a particular sequence or the following chains will not be in time, the complexity requires attention to all the details of the engine, not just the mechanical. 

Along with internal component changes, adding forced induction to the engine is becoming more common place as the fuel mileage standards are raised. Single, dual and even a combination of turbochargers and superchargers increase the power output of the engine while minimizing the physical size of the engine. This increased load on the engine internals requires the use of better components and higher cost fluids so the engine can live a long life. 

Engines no longer need to be rebuilt at around 100,000 miles; according to Car and Driver, the average life expectancy of a vehicle is 200,000-300,000 miles.  Of course, with this increased life expectancy the OEM’s must raise the price of the vehicle so they can still maintain the profit margin of production.  We are now running into the obsolescence of components for vehicles that are 10 plus years old. If parts are not available, you will have to buy a new car, right?

The Fusion of Innovation and Tradition

All this efficiency and reliability comes at a cost. As this new era of technology driven vehicles rises, the fusion of innovation and tradition propels us towards a more efficient tomorrow. This is the driving force behind the upskilling of the technician to understand the technologies that are present now and those that are coming.

The Master Automotive Technician series of CDX provides the instructor pointed material to exceed the requirements of any ASE training currently on the market. Utilizing the Read-See-Do model throughout the series, the student has various learning modalities present throughout the products which allows them to pick the way they learn the best.

Related Content:

About the Author:

Nicholas Goodnight, PhD is an ASE Master Certified Automotive and Truck Technician and an Instructor at Ivy Tech Community College. With nearly 20 years of industry experience, he brings his passion and expertise to teaching college students the workplace skills they need on the job. For the last several years, Dr. Goodnight has taught in his local community of Fort Wayne and enjoys helping others succeed in their desire to become automotive technicians.

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