A new patent application reveals that BMW is in no hurry to put the gasoline engine in the grave. On the contrary, a new type of cylinder deactivation is on the way.
Gasoline engines still play a role at BMW, even though many of its competitors are increasingly focusing on electric cars.
A new patent application reveals that the people from Munich are working on one or more gasoline engines with an unusual design.
BMW's solution should – at least in theory – both provide better fuel economy and reduce emissions. In short, keep the combustion engine relevant for more drivers for longer.
The engine's design differs from the regular internal combustion engine by having pistons of different sizes.
Carmoses writes.
This means that not all cylinders operate in the same way when the engine is running. By only activating selected cylinders at certain times, fuel consumption can be significantly reduced.
A bit like we know today from cylinder deactivation in the more common gasoline and diesel engines, where car brands want to save extra on the expensive drops.
In theory, BMW's technology is just an additional load on the active cylinder(s), but the German engineers believe they have found a solution.
The engine works by connecting a primary cylinder with a secondary cylinder through a two-way valve system.
The exhaust gases from the primary cylinder are utilized in the secondary cylinder. It also needs to get more energy out of the fuel itself.
Today, even the most energy-efficient internal combustion engines rarely utilize more than 40 to 42 percent of the energy. The rest turns into a little heat in the cabin, while the majority is lost.
The master cylinder does most of the work, while the other cylinder is less stressed. And while it sounds like something is just getting more wear than something else, BMW believes the exact opposite is the case.
The Germans even believe they have found the key to an even quieter engine.
By adjusting the torque on the crankshaft and optimizing the timing, the engine runs stably regardless of the number of cylinders.
The new technology can be used on small 3-cylinder, larger inline-six and V8 engines. However, BMW says that the system works best in engines with an 'odd number of cylinders'.
Additionally, BMW plans to place emission-limiting equipment such as catalytic converters close to the primary cylinder.
This ensures faster heating and more efficient combustion. The cleaner the combustion, the better the residual product. That means fewer harmful emissions.
While several manufacturers have completely stopped developing new combustion engines, BMW continues to see potential in refining the technology. But the Germans are not alone.
Last February, Toyota showed how they can already equip cars with filters that capture CO2. The idea is that the cars will pull the nitrogen out of the air. Read more about it here .
