History and future of spark ignition engines

Book · Mon Jan 01 04:00:00 EST 1973

OSTI ID:7348160

A report on the history and future of spark ignition engines for automobile propulsion is presented, with particular emphasis on their environmental impact. Topics covered include: factors affecting early decisions in favor of spark ignition engines and influencing continued reliance on spark ignition engines; the early history of automobile engines, including propulsion by steam, electricity, spark ignition, and diesel power; and contemporary alternative power sources such as the stratified charge engine and the Wankel rotary combustion engine. There appear to be no equivalents in knowledge, experience, or data with alternative engine designs to allow for the prediction that a change from spark ignition propulsion to one of the possible alternatives would be beneficial either in terms of emission reduction or performance and fuel economy. The stratified charge engine, however, appears to offer great promise for adequate emission control with good fuel economy and performance characteristics; moreover, it has the significant advantage of being an incremental change from the current spark ignition engine.

• OSTI ID: 7348160
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

33 ADVANCED PROPULSION SYSTEMS
330101* -- Internal Combustion Engines-- Spark-Ignition
AUTOMOBILES
COMPARATIVE EVALUATIONS
DOCUMENT TYPES
ENGINES
EXHAUST GASES
FORECASTING
FUEL ECONOMY
GASEOUS WASTES
INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINES
PERFORMANCE
REVIEWS
ROTARY ENGINES
SPARK IGNITION ENGINES
STRATIFIED CHARGE ENGINES
VEHICLES
WANKEL ENGINES
WASTES