Engines for growth

Is this the beginning of the end for IC engines?

For more than 100 years, the internal-combustion (IC) engine has maintained total domination of the car market. Despite the retention of its basic concept of reciprocating pistons and poppet valves, it has been improved and refined to an extraordinary degree. But now there is a new and real possibility of change with the slowly growing credibility of the fuel cell. Is this the beginning of the end for the IC engine, or does it still have major potential for growth?

Neville Jackson, Technology Director of Ricardo Consulting Engineers, is in no doubt. “Yes,” he said, “the IC engine is still capable of improvement in terms of emissions, fuel consumption, and specific power. Technical routes toward meeting most known or speculated future legislative requirements have been identified, although some of these are very expensive or have an unacceptable impact on fuel economy. In the long term, IC engines can use the same renewable energy sources as alternatives such as fuel cells (hydrogen) while remaining the lowest-risk option in terms of manufacturing cost and servicing infrastructure.”