Most cars on the road today contain an internal combustion engine that powers their movement. Without an effective internal combustion engine, the vehicle will not move. Therefore, an internal combustion engine is one of the most, if not the most important components of the car engine.

So if you drive a car, it is critical to understand how an internal combustion engine works and the concept of internal combustion engine efficiency, which is how effective these engines are at turning fuel into energy that moves these vehicles.

Keep reading to see how internal combustion engines work, how to determine their efficiency and how to go about improving them.

How does an engine work?

The engine in most cars is known as an internal combustion engine. Cars with internal combustion engines are referred to as “ICE” (Internal Combustion Engine) vehicles. In ICE vehicles, fuel is provided to power internal combustion reactions that provide energy to run the vehicle.

Internal Combustion Engines

Internal combustion engines use a cyclical four-step process to generate energy to move a vehicle. This process takes place inside of cylinders that are found inside of the engine. Most cars typically feature between two to 12 cylinders in their engines. The four steps of energy generation are: 

1. Intake – Inside the engine cylinders, a valve opens, allowing air and fuel inside.
2. Compression – As the combustion chamber in the cylinder is filled, a piston rises and compresses the fuel and air mixture as the valves close.
3. Power – Then, a spark plug ignites the compressed gas mixture, forcing the piston back down.
4. Exhaust – An exhaust valve then opens in the cylinder, forcing the piston back up and pushing out the gasses left over from the combustion reaction.

There are a few other types of internal combustion engines that vary a bit in one of these steps, but the fundamental concept of a combustion reaction powering an engine still applies. After understanding how an internal combustion engine works, one can properly measure internal combustion engine efficiency.

How efficient are engines?

When judging internal combustion engine efficiency, the key is to measure how much of the engine's energy is used for the movement of the vehicle. This means that the more energy an engine can draw from the gasoline it uses, the more efficient it is.

While ICE vehicles are the most prevalent type of automobiles on the road today, the engine itself still is not as optimized as one might think. AAA (the American Automobile Association, Inc.) claims that the engines on the road today are only around 30% to 35% efficient. This means that 65% or more of the energy generated by the internal combustion engine from gasoline does not help move the ICE vehicle.

The technology for internal combustion engines can still be improved to increase the amount of energy available to power vehicles. Not only will increasing the efficiency of internal combustion engines mean that less gas will be needed to power ICE vehicles, which equates to spending less on fuel, but it also means that fewer pollutants will be produced.

Can we improve internal combustion engine efficiency?

Improving internal combustion engine efficiency is a worthy cause to help make vehicles more cost-efficient for consumers and less harmful to the environment. There are many ways car manufacturers can go about improving ICE vehicle efficiency. 

Improving Thermal Efficiency

Another way to reference the efficiency of a car’s engine is the idea of thermal efficiency. Like internal combustion engine efficiency, thermal efficiency concerns how much work is accomplished by the engine. It refers more directly to how much energy is transformed from gasoline after a combustion reaction. With most vehicles having around 30% to 35% thermal efficiency, about 65% to 70% of the energy generated by those engines is released as waste heat.

By improving thermal efficiency in engines, one can improve how much energy an engine can pull out of gasoline and put into the operation of a vehicle. Many different companies are undertaking this task, with Nissan making an effort to achieve 50% thermal efficiency in a newly developed engine. Outside of the consumer vehicle space, Mercedes Benz has achieved over 50% thermal efficiency in one of their F1 vehicles. 

As of now, the Mercedes-AMG 1.6-liter Formula 1 V-6 is the only ICE engine known to have over 50% thermal efficiency. However, the technology used in this engine is too expensive for commercial use. Technology not only has to evolve to create more ICE efficiency but to make the engines affordable. 

Should ICE vehicles be the focus?

When asking how to improve internal combustion engine efficiency, the question also arises if ICE vehicle efficiency should be a priority. With the rise of EVs (Electric Vehicles) as a more sustainable possibility for the future of automobiles, some wonder if ICE vehicles will still be necessary.

Pure EVs, not hybrid vehicles, do not rely on gasoline and combustion reactions to power their vehicles. Instead, charging the vehicle with electricity from the power grid (which can come from sustainable sources) is how EVs obtain energy to move the vehicle.

When speaking of the efficiency of EVs, it should also be noted that they are incredibly more efficient with the work they generate from the power they receive. Compared to the 30% to 35% efficiency in ICE vehicles, EVs can generate upwards of 77% efficiency while emitting no pollutants through the exhaust. 

However, ICE vehicles accounted for 90% of car sales in 2019. As ICE vehicles are still much more heavily utilized, improving ICE vehicle efficiency can still have a positive impact on the environment. 

Conclusion

The internal combustion engine is the dominant power source for moving vehicles in the world, despite low thermal efficiency. So to improve overall internal combustion engine efficiency, advancements need to be made that can improve their thermal efficiency.

However, developing these models may not be sustainable economically. That said, in the meantime, it is still crucial for manufacturers to find small, sustainable methods to improve internal combustion engine efficiency.

Internal combustion engines work hand-in-hand with catalytic converters, so it is a major component, if not the most important component, of a car's engine. Therefore, understanding how to measure its efficiency is crucial for monitoring your ICE vehicle's health. Majestic Corporation has been a leading precious metals recyclers, non-ferrous metals and Catalytic converter provider for around three decades. With a presence in the United States, United Kingdom, Malaysia, Italy, Mexico, Australia, Hong Kong and more, as well as a network of precious metals refineries around the world, we work with major customers and partners in a transparent and discrete manner and only offer the highest quality services at competitive prices. 

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