Mazda Motors cooking up gas motor with better than hybrid mileage

Mazda is working on a motor that will get 70 miles per gallon. Ford has a 45 miles per gallon Focus in the works, too. The goal is an impossibly efficient internal combustion motor that will not be used in a hybrid. The design uses advanced technology but some pretty basic principles.

Hybrids aren't as good as the Mazda engine

There has been buzz over a prototype engine Mazda is testing, as outlined by CNN. About 70 miles per gallon can be achieved with the prototype. Having a low fuel consumption than that is something everyone wants. It needs to be decently priced though. Direct fuel injection and variable valve timing are the two technologies that the motor could be using. Ignition is much better with direct injection. This is because rather than injecting fuel on top of the bloc, it is injected to the piston chamber directly. Normally, there would be mechanically set and unvarying vale operation when variable valve timing makes it so there is a more efficient rhythm in the automated computer. The technology is fairly cutting edge, but the idea is as basic at it gets.

Involving simple physics in it

The science behind the Mazda motor and the 45 mpg Focus is pretty basic. Mechanical advantage and mechanical efficiency are two essential principles involved. The energy ratio needed to perform is what mechanical efficiency is. Mechanical advantage is how much force a machine can produce from a unit of energy. If an engine can extract more power from a unit of fuel, it could be have fuel efficiency. That is why you will need to have mechanical advantage.

Having it happen in reality

If an engine can put gas within the right place at the right time, there will be more efficiency. This means more force could be created than traditional fuel injection creates. Turbocharged smaller engines are an answer also. Efficiency is increased there as well. Hybrid cars are an engineering marvel, though the technology is still in its relative infancy. The traditional combustion engine is not a dead or dying technology, and it can be interesting to view what can still be done with it.

Details from

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