FUEL ECONOMY OF ALTERNATIVE AUTOMOTIVE ENGINES -- LEARNING CURVES AND PROJECTIONS

This paper describes a distinct approach in making technological forecasts. From historical data, fuel economy learning curves have been constructed for alternatives such as the diesel, gas turbine, Stirling, stratified charge, and rotary engines. Assuming that evolutionary development will take place, projections of these learning curves are extended to the 1990 era. The investigation found that no engine is likely to exceed the fuel economy of the diesel in the next 10-15 years. However, serious questions are being raised regarding the feasibility of controlling nitrogen oxides and unregulated emissions in future diesel engines.

• Supplemental Notes:
  • From the Meeting held 26 February-2 March 1979.
• Corporate Authors:

  Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE)

  400 Commonwealth Drive
  Warrendale, PA  United States  15096
• Authors:
  • Renner, R
  • Siegel, H M
• Publication Date: 1979

Media Info

• Features: References;
• Pagination: 13 p.
• Serial:
  • Society of Automotive Engineers Preprint
  • Publisher: Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE)

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Air engines; Air quality management; Alternate fuels; Diesel engines; Engine displacement; Exhaust gases; Fuel conservation; Fuel consumption; Gas turbines; Internal combustion engines; Nitric oxide; Nitrogen oxides; Rotary engines; Stirling engines; Stratified charge engines; Turbine engines; Vehicle power plants; Wankel engines
• Old TRIS Terms: Automobile engines; Automotive application; Combined cycle engines; Variable displacement engines
• Subject Areas: Energy; Highways; Vehicles and Equipment;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 00197219
• Record Type: Publication
• Source Agency: Engineering Index
• Report/Paper Numbers: SAE 790022 Conf Paper
• Files: TRIS
• Created Date: Sep 15 1979 12:00AM