Introducing engine innovations: an examination of future markets for Brayton and Stirling automotive engines
This paper takes a general and particular view of the process of engine innovation. The history of engine innovation in automobiles and railroads is briefly reviewed and related to the potential path of automotive engine innovation that may occur toward the turn of the century. It is shown that automotive engine innovation in the past has been costly, especially to lower income consumers, and that potential future adoption of Stirling and Brayton (gas turbine) engines is unlikely to be any different. The danger of negative economic side effects during the innovation process for the automobile industry and nation are noted. It is suggested that careful corporate and national preparation for automotive innovation is necessary. To that end, advanced (year 2000) engine and vehicle characteristics from the Technology Assessment of Productive Conservation in Urban Transport are used to estimate that the Stirling and Brayton engines are likely to have very specific and different markets. Driving cycle behavior of the engines in an urban and suburban setting is examined to show that the Stirling's most likely market will be as a specialized urban vehicle, while the Brayton's best market will be as a specialized suburban and inter-city vehicle. It is argued that neither engine has the properties necessary to become a universal replacement for all purpose vehicles using advanced Otto-cycle and diesel engines, but that proper use of these vehicles could ultimately help efficiently mitigate national problems of urban air pollution (the Stirling) and/or excessive fuel consumption. Finally, it is pointed out that recent EPA methods of evaluating vehicle fuel efficiency could incorrectly lead to a negative economic evaluation of advanced Stirling and Brayton engines, tending to unjustifiably retard their introduction into the market.
- Research Organization:
- Argonne National Lab., IL (USA)
- DOE Contract Number:
- W-31-109-ENG-38
- OSTI ID:
- 6142153
- Report Number(s):
- CONF-850115-1; ON: DE84016319
- Resource Relation:
- Conference: 64. annual Transportation Research Board meeting, Washington, DC, USA, 21 Jan 1985
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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Related Subjects
GAS TURBINE ENGINES
MARKETING RESEARCH
STIRLING ENGINES
AIR POLLUTION
AUTOMOBILES
BRAYTON CYCLE
MARKET
ENGINES
HEAT ENGINES
INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINES
POLLUTION
THERMODYNAMIC CYCLES
VEHICLES
330103* - Internal Combustion Engines- Turbine
330201 - External Combustion Engines- Stirling Cycle