Sunday, August 05, 2007

New Engine Promises Greater Efficiency
From MIT's Technology Review:
The gas-saving technology, called homogeneous charge compression ignition, or HCCI, uses a form of combustion that is much more efficient than conventional spark ignition. Under some conditions, it can reduce fuel consumption by 25 percent, says William Green, a professor of chemical engineering at MIT who was coauthor of the new study. That's very similar to the efficiency of a diesel engine, which also achieves combustion by compression rather than a spark. But unlike diesel engines, HCCI results in a more uniform combustion and is thus much cleaner.


Source:
MIT Technology Review, Friday, August 03, 2007, A More Efficient Engine, A new type of engine could be relatively inexpensive., Kevin Bullis