Mexican Media Brands
Split-Cycle Cryo-Diesel Claims 60% Thermal Efficiency
Ricardo UK Ltd. says its cryogenic split-cycle diesel engine concept could significantly reduce emissions in heavy-duty applications.
Share
Ricardo UK Ltd. says its cryogenic split-cycle diesel engine concept could significantly reduce emissions in heavy-duty applications.
The British engineering company's new CryoPower engine design uses a recuperated split cycle with isothermal compression to achieve an estimated thermal efficiency of 60%. Conventional four-stroke diesels are roughly 40% efficient.
Ricardo's design divides the four strokes between two paired cylinders, one for intake/compression and one for power/exhaust. The system uses heat changers and a compressor and expander device to produce liquid nitrogen that is stored in a tank. The nitrogen is then injected into the combustion chamber to control combustion temperature and increase the mass of the cylinder's gaseous charge.
The Ricardo system borrows from technology the company developed in the 1990s and pursued in a feasibility project begun with the University of Brighton, U.K., two years ago. Its earliest design used water injection to boost the system's thermal efficiency above 60%.
RELATED CONTENT
-
Plastics: The Tortoise and the Hare
Plastic may not be in the news as much as some automotive materials these days, but its gram-by-gram assimilation could accelerate dramatically.
-
On Fuel Cells, Battery Enclosures, and Lucid Air
A skateboard for fuel cells, building a better battery enclosure, what ADAS does, a big engine for boats, the curious case of lean production, what drivers think, and why Lucid is remarkable
-
Cobots: 14 Things You Need to Know
What jobs do cobots do well? How is a cobot programmed? What’s the ROI? We asked these questions and more to four of the leading suppliers of cobots.
