Getting the most from gasoline engines has become a priority for engineers around the world as vehicle manufacturers look for short-term solutions while they await significant investment in green car infrastructure. Now Australia based company Revetec has designed what it calls the Controlled Combustion Engine.
The engine is a cam drive, spark-ignited internal combustion engine that is smaller, lighter, less expensive and cleaner to manufacture – it also produces higher torque thanks to higher mechanical transfer than equivalent conventional engines.
So far the company has prototyped six different versions of the engine, with the latest version – the X4V2 – designed as a development engine for the aviation industry.
According to Revetec, the engine has been modified to increase fuel efficiency with a focus around the 2,000rpm range where most driving occurs. It has been tested under the standard air/fuel ratio of 14.5:1 as well as at the desired ratio of 15.2:1 in an effort to maximise efficiency of the current configuration.
The company announced that the X4V2 engine achieved a repeatable Brake Specific Fuel Consumption figure of 212g/kWh (38.6 per cent engine efficiency) with a best figure of 207g/kWh (39.5 per cent).
Revetec has signed agreements with a German university and a Chinese group that is funding the testing and development programme. According to Revetec, the Chinese group has given assurances that on the satisfactory conclusion of the test and development programme, two of China’s top 10 car companies will jointly develop an automotive production engine.
