The Future of the ICE · Innovations in automotive engineering will extend the life of the internal combustion engine for many year

The Future of the ICE Innovations in automotive engineering will extend the life of the internal combustion engine for many years to come. It is estimated that nearly 3 billion new internal combustion engines will be manufactured over the next 30 years. Manufacturers are currently working on the next generation of all-aluminum engines, evaluating surface modification techniques for the Al-Si cylinder system to further reduce friction and wear that result in increased emissions. As parasitic losses in the cylinder/piston/ring system make up for 4-7% of total losses,64 the use of lower tension piston rings under negative crankcase pressure coupled with lower viscosity 0w8, 0w12, and 0w16 oils will further improve fuel economy and reduce tailpipe emissions. The application of low friction coatings such as DLC (diamond like carbon) on piston rings further reduce the friction between the piston ring and cylinder surfaces. Similar application of specialized coatings to cylinder bores can provide added benefits to all-aluminum engines over current technologies. Ford Motor Company is an innovator in this area with its patented plasma transferred wire arc (PTWA) process which has been used on several models including the Ford Mustang Shelby GT350 and was licensed to Nissan for their GT-R. Ford demonstrated that their PTWA cylinder wall coatings resulted in a wear reduction of 50% in their 300 hour endurance test, an increase in fuel economy of 5%, and a reduction in friction of 6.8% over an aluminum engine block fitted iron liners.65 Oerlikon’s SUMEbore plasma vaporization (thermal spray) iron- ceramic composite coating was first used by Porsche in the 918 Spyder. SUMEbore provides a mirror-like cylinder finish, resulting in 20% less friction over a cast iron bore and 35% reduction in oil consumption as well.66 But as with PTWA, the process is still cost-prohibitive and typically reserved for low volume applications such as high-end sports cars. Significant gains in efficiency have also been afforded by gasoline direct injection (GDI), however direct injection with increased compression ratios and lean burn have introduced new complexities to overcome, like soot. Oils with lower concentrations of ZDDP are now required to protect emissions system components, like the gasoline particulate filters (GPF) that capture the soot created by GDI engines. New technologies will require similar advancements in lubrication. One example of this pioneering work is currently being carried out jointly by Oak Ridge National Labs, the U.S. Department of Energy, General Motors, TARDEC, 64 The effect of cylinder liner operating temperature on frictional loss and engine emissions in piston ring conjunction. R. Rhamani, et al. Wolfson School of Mechanical and Manufacturing Engineering, Loughborough University, Loughborough, Leicestershire, UK. 65 Replacing the Cast Iron Liners for Aluminum Engine Cylinder Blocks: A Comparative Assessment of Potential Candidates. John Lenny Jr. 66 Optimizing the Cylinder Running Surface / Piston System of Internal Combustion Engines Towards Lower Emissions. Ernst, Peter et al. SAE International. 2012-32-0092 LN Engineering Technical Library. Copyright ©2019 LN Engineering LLC