Electronic Valves For Diesel Engines

Anonymous Coward writes: "EETimes describes how electronic valves will replace camshafts in diesel engines starting in 2007. Lower emissions, better performance should follow." This wouldn't be a bad idea in gas engines, either. There's potential here for low emissions, better gas mileage, and greater performance, all at the same time.

Comments

Renault/Nissan will do that (Unleaded 98) in 2003

[Chep]

Subject says all ; their prototype "camless" engine is already running. Basically, they use electric actuators instead of the usual cams. And since the engine's electronic already handles fuel injection and air intake... it's just one more parameter.

Camless engines are routinely used in economy races such as the Shell marathon (run as long as you can, with a single litre of gasoline)...

What's going to really rock is HDi (or GDi) + Camless + alternatmotor (basically, you replace the smaller alternator + starter combination by a bigger dual-use electric engine/alternator, which allows to give the thermic motor a boost when accelerating, allows stop-and-go when you're stuck on the Périph's monster traffic jams (zero emission, then, and zero noise). Unfortunately, that means switching the car's electric circuit to 48V at least).

And that's going to be much sooner than 2007 !

(Besides, Diesel in HDi + Anti-Particle Filter is much more efficient than classic unleaded ; Diesel is easier to refine, and gives a little more energy per mass unit. And direct injection gives the level of control necessary. See whan Peugeot does with Bosch injectors, it's just really amazing).

While interesting, what I'm really looking for is:

[trims]

...major improvements in electric engines.

One of the big bitches of electric cars is (besides battery life) the poor power/weight ratio of the electric engine against the gas (petrol) engine. Also, even more damning, is the relative reliability of the gas engine. What we really need are people putting alot more effort into making a better, lightweight electric engine.

We already have the parts to build a really good hybrid gas/electric car (which, face it folks, is the only kind of low-emissions vehicle you will see for years). We have the following parts:

• Electric engine - provides the power to move the car. Also acts as a generator when braking/coasting, thus providing extra power!
• High-efficiency gas engine - stick in a 300-400 cc motorcycle engine. They generate several kW of power, and can run at optimal efficiency (about 4500RPM) all the time, since you're not using them to directly drive the car. And the parts are readily available, and easy to maintain (and there is a repair infrastructure already in place - your local Kawasaki dealer...) Of course, I'd really like to see us use miniature gas-turbine engines, but I don't expect to see this anytime soon...
• Zinc-oxide batteries - the so-called "air battery" provides excellent continuous voltage and storage. You may still need a couple of lead-acid around for instantaneous bursts, but probably no more than 2 standard ones.
• High-speed Flywheels - easily the most efficient and compact way to store energy, a flywheel made of composites can be spun at up to 100,000RPM or more to store energy. And they don't lose energy much (you could leave one spinning overnight and probably only lose a couple hundred RPM, if that). Far more efficient than batteries, these are tre-cool, too.

The Honda Inspire and the coming competition from Nissan and Toyota are OK, but face it, we need something about the size of a Honda Accord, not a Honda Civic CRX. I can't see any reason (technically) right now why someone doesn't mass-produce a converted Accord. I mean, you can use the exact same design (maybe cheat and use alluminium body panels), just with a new powertrain (with an electric engine, you should probably have a continuously variable transmission, rather than an "automatic", and definately not a "standard") and still get at least 70+ miles/gallon (that is, 30km/l).

Hell, with the $4k US tax credit for buying a low-emission vehicle, and gas here at $1.85 in the Bay Area, I'd spend $5k more for a converted Accord over a normal one, and still make out like a bandit. So who're the morons in the Marketing Depts at the car manufacturers?

-Erik