Ricardo, Inc. is a leading independent provider of engineering technology for several industries including military, automotive and power generation. Presenting at the U.S. Department of Energy's 2009 Directions in Engine-Efficiency and Emissions Research (DEER) conference, Ricardo, Inc., Vice President John Pinson told participants that by 2015, advanced spark-ignited engines have the potential to become a major force for reducing fuel consumption in several categories, including the diesel-dominated medium-duty commercial truck and off-road segments.
So why does this matter to you?
While Ricardo's announcement focused on trucks, the technology in its prototype engine points toward the future of gasoline-fired passenger car and light-truck engines. Going forward, new technologies and improved uses of existing technologies will enable smaller engines to make much more power while achieving better overall fuel economy compared to today's gasoline and diesel engines.
"The technology now exists to build spark-ignited engines that can deliver performance, economy and durability that are competitive with diesel for a broad cross-section of applications. What will convince manufacturers and customers to switch are the lower cost and straightforward design of these powertrains," Pinson told the DEER attendees during the New Directions in Engines and Fuels panel discussion. "Adopters of the technology will be able to meet emissions regulations at a lower cost and offer their customers a compelling value proposition."
Introducing EBDI
Ricardo showcased its 3.2-liter V-6 Ethanol-Boosted Direct Injection (EBDI) prototype, which is capable of operating on gasoline or up to 100 percent ethanol. The goal of the new engine was to match the performance of a 6.6-liter turbo-diesel in power, while bettering it in fuel economy.
"The EBDI engine is focused on delivering optimal performance from any gasoline blend based on octane and/or ethanol content. The engine has overachieved its low speed torque performance goals on both ethanol and gasoline," said Rod Beazley, Vice President of Spark Ignited Engines at Ricardo. "This represents an archetypal change when considering the low speed torque output of the gasoline engine compared to the diesel engine - in actual fact the gasoline engine far outperforms the diesel in terms of specific torque performance."
The V-6 is turbocharged, and is based on the General Motors high-feature V-6, an engine that GM currently offers in 3.6- and 3.0-liter versions in vehicles as varied at the 2010 Cadillac CTS, 2010 Chevrolet Malibu, and 2010 Buick Enclave. Said Ricardo's Rod Harris, "There's little left of the original engine as we've replaced or modified nearly every component to deal with our engine's higher specific output." Harris is a Chief Engineer at Ricardo. A feature that was retained but modified includes the variable intake and exhaust valve timing, but Ricardo added variable valve lift.