A Review of Ideas for Improving Transient Response in Vehicle Diesel Engines

Turbochargers are rightly blamed for disimproving the transient response of vehicle Diesel engines, but the serious effect of engine rotating inertia is often forgotten. Ultimately, a “no coolant” engine with lightweight ceramic parts may give substantial improvements by increasing exhaust gas temperature and at the same time reducing the inertia of engine and turbocharger components. The response of a turbocharger system can also be improved by adding energy to it, but so far such additions have required complex and costly sub-systems. A novel, cheap system is suggested.