Environment & Energy
Related: About this forumPinnacle Engines Develops Efficient, Low-Emission Gasoline Engine Using Supercomputing
Last edited Fri Feb 15, 2019, 09:01 PM - Edit history (1)
https://science.energy.gov/ascr/highlights/2019/ascr-2019-02-a/Pinnacle Engines Develops Efficient, Low-Emission Gasoline Engine Using Supercomputing
Researchers modeled design concepts for innovative, opposed-piston engine on Titan supercomputer.
The Science
A more efficient car engine? Thats the goal. An opposed-piston engine is more efficient than a traditional internal combustion engine. Pinnacle Engines is developing a multi-cylinder gasoline engine for automotive use. The team enhanced the engines reciprocating sleeve-valve system, thanks to a Department of Energy supercomputer. The result? An engine with better combustion and reduced pollutant emissions.
The Impact
In an opposed-piston engine, the mechanics and thermodynamics involved are complex. Changing the design offers unique challenges. Through access to the Titan supercomputer at the Oak Ridge Leadership Computing Facility, Pinnacle Engines discovered a design concept that met its technical goals. Now, Pinnacle Engines is building a prototype engine for testing.
Summary
For over a decade, California-based small business Pinnacle Engines has developed opposed-piston engines for a range of small, single-cylinder applications such as motorcycle and industrial generator engines. To overcome some of the mechanical and thermodynamic challenges of developing an opposed-piston engine for passenger cars that meets efficiency and emissions goals, Pinnacle Engines researchers used the Titan supercomputer and Eos cluster at the Oak Ridge Leadership Computing Facility to optimize the companys engine model. To prepare its code for Titans large-scale architecture and improve analysis of scientific results, the team also worked with researchers at the Oak Ridge National Laboratory National Transportation Research Center.
On Titan, the team completed computational fluid dynamics simulations for a multi-cylinder engine eight times faster than was possible on Pinnacle Engines in-house computing resources. The detailed Titan simulations revealed the importance of combining a swirling and tumbling motion of gas during combustion, known as a swumble mode. Ultimately, Pinnacle Engines discovered a design concept that met its technical goals: a four-stroke, opposed-piston, sleeve-valve engine with variable valve timing and compression ratio and a swumble mode of combustion. The team modeled the combustion system over typical operating conditions and determined the design could successfully meet emissions and fuel-economy standards. Pinnacle Engines is now building a prototype engine for testing.
https://www.olcf.ornl.gov/2018/12/03/pinnacle-engines-develops-efficient-low-emission-gasoline-engine-using-supercomputing/
http://vimeo.com/304393904
https://dx.doi.org/10.1115/1.4039845
kysrsoze
(6,025 posts)Mazda has also engineered a gas engine which gets mileage comparable to a diesel. They've done some really cool stuff.
brush
(53,978 posts)could've gone to steam or electric engine development.
OKIsItJustMe
(19,938 posts)Are there large steam engines which don't involve burning stuff to make steam?
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Steam_engine#Heat_source
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Steam_engine#Efficiency
brush
(53,978 posts)gasoline competitors. I did mention the words development.
OKIsItJustMe
(19,938 posts)Gasoline burner for a Stanley steam car boiler
brush
(53,978 posts)OKIsItJustMe
(19,938 posts)There were a number of reasons why internal combustion engines beat out steam.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stanley_Motor_Carriage_Company#Obsolescence
brush
(53,978 posts)we need to help th environment. I'm not here to argue with you about steam v gasoline engines. Just as there are hybrids of gas and electric, there cold be a hybrid of electric and steam but neither of us are automotive engineers so I'll leave that to them.
But again, when alternative energy is of utmost importance, I'm not excited about a new gasoline engine contributing more emmsions to our air, which was my oint all along.
OKIsItJustMe
(19,938 posts)The primary advantage of a steam engine is that it is potentially more flexible in its use of fuel, since it is an external combustion engine.
If you prefer external combustion for some reason, rather than steam engines, I like Stirling engines. Stirling engines are also used as an efficient way to convert concentrated solar power (heat) mechanical energy to electrical energy. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Solar_thermal_energy#Dish_designs
However, for use in an automobile, I'm afraid an internal combustion engine is more practical.
I would love to be able to snap my fingers and change our entire energy infrastructure tomorrow, but we both know that's not going to happen. We will continue to use combustion engines to power our technology for a while at least. This is a potentially cleaner and more efficient way to do that.