New engine improves fuel economy by 25%

Researchers at MIT have been testing a prototype of a new internal combustion engine design that’s said to improve fuel-efficiency by up to 25% and runs on regular petrol. Labeled homogeneous charge compression ignition (HCCI), the new technology works by achieving combustion with only compression of the air-fuel mix rather than using a spark plug.

Last month Mercedes-Benz unveiled its DiesOtto concept engine, a new design that works in the same way as the HCCI system and was tested to achieve 39mpg in an S-class saloon.
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t_bone - 8/6/2007 9:27:36 AM

+1 Boost

LOL, sounds like a diesel to me.

They should be developing LiPoly batteries, this ICE stuff is a waste of time for five years down-the-road R&D.

Milton - 8/6/2007 9:45:25 AM

+1 Boost

Damn!!! I'm impressed...

xj13 - 8/6/2007 9:59:39 AM

0 Boost

GO BENZ, world leaders.

EnnNorak - 8/7/2007 1:34:07 AM

+1 Boost

You can ignite just about any combustible liquid fuel by compression alone as long as you first turn it into a gas or a fine mist. Assuming that the fuel/air mixture is in a proper ratio, compresion simply has to rasie the temperaure of the mixture to the ignition point.

Spectator - 8/8/2007 12:00:57 PM

+1 Boost

I don't think everyone grasps the point that gas powered engines in cars are starting their death march. Diesel will be around longer for one reason and one reason alone...shipping.

Don't anyone get me wrong...I like hybrid's. Any way you can decrease your fuel usage (while increasing torque) is a good thing to do...however it is mearly a stop gap measure for gas engines. This is just the way the automotive industry is getting the public ready for fully electric cars. Rather than dumping their current powertrain lines and switcing to the "Tesla" (a bad ass car)which they don't have the infrastructure or costing ready for yet.

Car's in the future will have to be run either purly on ethanol or on bio-diesel...save for those who live near or around large metropolitan cities and might use plug in electrics.