2010-03-09 16:12:42.844511+00 by meuon 2 comments
"Supercritical state"? of fuel injection system from Transonic Combustion offers 50% milage increase? I smell Steorn droppings. But dang, I am an optimist and hope it's not. Again, time will tell.
comments in ascending chronological order (reverse):
#Comment Re: made: 2010-03-09 17:28:53.301379+00 by: dexev
Going solely from the technologyreview article, it's a diesel engine:
Which, if they can make that work with gasoline as a fuel, would be pretty neat, but it really only puts them into VW TDI territory if you take the aerodynamics into account.
They're also spewing a lot of bullshit that screams 'scam', and Vinod Khosla has more enthusiasm than sense when it comes to green technologies. Meh...we'll see.
#Comment Re: made: 2010-03-09 17:54:35.089715+00 by: m
"Most steel engines have a thermodynamic limit of 37%. Even when aided with turbochargers and stock efficiency aids, most engines retain an average efficiency of about 18%-20%.[12][13] Rocket engine efficiencies are better still, up to 70%, because they combust at very high temperatures and pressures and are able to have very high expansion ratios." http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/I...bustion_engine#Energy_efficiency
I assume the thermodynamic limit is a result of maximal Carnot cycle efficiency. So a 50% increase is at least theoretically possible, but I too would smell a scam or very specialized circumstances.