In a free public seminar at 3:30 PM on March 11, in room 1115 of the Wisconsin Energy Institute, Engine Research Center Honorary Fellow Todd Fansler will speak about the future of internal combustion engines.
Abstract: Over 99.7% of cars and trucks on the road today use an internal combustion (IC) engine, even though media attention often focuses on the imminence of an all-electric-vehicle future. Is the century-old IC engine headed to the junk yard of history? To help understand directions for innovation in vehicle propulsion systems, this talk will first briefly review the overall transportation energy situation, the ever-tightening requirements to reduce fuel consumption and exhaust emissions, and the challenges and opportunities presented by increasing vehicle electrification. A general strategy to increase IC engine efficiency will be illustrated by some examples of near- and long-term trends for advanced IC engines.