Mazda cooking up gas motor with better than hybrid mileage

Recently, Mazda Motors announced that the business is testing an engine that will get 70 miles per gallon. Ford Motors is working on a similar project with their 45 miles per gallon Focus. Neither engine is attached to a hybrid vehicle, but the engines do provide high efficiency within an internal combustion engine, though with improvements. The craft is sophisticated, however the principles behind it are pretty basic.

An engine form Mazda better than even hybrids

There has been buzz over a prototype engine Mazda is testing, as outlined by CNN. About 70 miles per gallon could be achieved with the prototype. Fuel consumption that low will certainly be attractive, so long as the car is reasonably priced. The motor will use two different technologies: direct fuel injection and variable valve timing. Direct injection is when fuel is injected directly to the piston chamber instead of via a fuel injector on top of the block, for more precise ignition. Normally, there would be mechanically set and unvarying vale operation when variable valve timing makes it so there is a more efficient rhythm within the automated computer. The technology is fairly cutting edge, but the idea is as basic at it gets.

Involving simple physics in it

The 45 mpg Focus is using a basic science. This is how the Mazda motor is made. It involves two principles, mechanical advantage and mechanical efficiency. The energy ratio needed to perform is what mechanical efficiency is. Mechanical advantage involves the force coming from a machine in energy. The unit of energy being produced is what it is. The fuel efficiency in an engine will be better the better the mechanical advantage, or the power extracted from a unit of fuel, is.

The real thing

If an engine can put gas in the right place at the right time, there could be more efficiency. This means more force can be created than traditional fuel injection creates. Other strategies, such as turbocharged smaller engines, boost efficiency as well. Hybrid technology is still just beginning out although it is a great technology. It will be interesting to see what happens with the traditional combustion technology as it will still continue to thrive.

Citations

CNN

money.cnn.com/2010/11/02/autos/gas_engine_improvements/index.htm

Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mechanical_advantage

Wikipedia

wikipedia.org/wiki/Mechanical_efficiency