Exploring Engine Efficiency | Part One

In 2018, the Trump administration proposed a policy of easing fuel economy rules for cars and light trucks. Their position sided on the stance that lower efficiency standards would make cars cheaper and drivers safer. But instead, the state of California chose to keep its standards on vehicle emissions; putting them in conflict with the federal government. With carmakers caught in the middle.
This fight over emissions standards is one of the multiple legal battles between the state of California and the White House. For the US auto industry, it adds further frustration, especially with the ongoing trade war. Couple this with a reduction in sales and a rapidly changing market, which makes it challenging to plan for the future.
Nonetheless, the political, economic, and environmental ramifications in this dispute are high - considering California is the largest market for light-duty vehicles. Approximately 20 percent of all US greenhouse gas emissions are attributed to this category of cars. Fourteen states, including the District of Columbia, follow California’s vehicles standard. As a possible consequence, the benchmark that California sets would ripple through the United States and can even disrupt global markets.
California has long set the rules governing air pollution standards, and the current presidential administration endeavors to change it. Since so many cars are sold in the California market, automakers either had to build cars to meet the standards of different states or effectively let California dictate pollution controls for the rest of the United States.
To understand the significance of these proposed changes, it helps to explain a bit of history. California has received waivers under the Clean Air Act since 1968 to set stricter air quality rules than the federal government. This was a derivative of the smog in the Los Angeles basin, which had a significant effect on densely populated cities in California. In 1975, Congress also established the Corporate Average Fuel Economy (CAFE) standards as a result of a shift in fuel economy policy. This was in response to the oil price shock of the early 1970s, specifically the 1973 oil embargo.
At the time, the average fuel consumption of cars within the US was around 15 mpg or 15.6 l/100Km. In 2019, most cars sold can achieve 30+mpg or 7.8 l/100Km, with some even approaching 40 mpg or 5.88l/100 km, and this is without factoring in hybrid technologies. These CAFE standards set the average new vehicle fuel economy, as weighted by sales that a manufacturer's fleet must achieve.
Subsequently, the alignment of the Clean Air Act and the CAFE standards set off political pressure to transition towards smaller vehicles with less powerful, emissions friendly engines. This trend was initially unappealing as consumers placed higher demand in thirstier vehicles.
Manufacturers took notice and started exploring technologies that would bring power and robustness back to their vehicles.
Our primary focus of this video will not be on the nuances of the regulations mentioned in the opening of this video but rather on how engines became more efficient from a mechanical perspective.
To better grasp how this was done, let's first examine how a gasoline engine operates. It's worth noting that the scope of this video is limited to gasoline engines only, though some of the principles do overlap with diesel engines. An engine generates energy by burning gasoline. This is accomplished by first introducing a mixture of fuel and air into a cylinder through the intake port. The total volume of all of the cylinders in an engine is known as displacement.
The rising piston compresses the mixture, and the spark plug is ignited. As the mixture burns, it expands, which pushes the piston downward, causing the crankshaft to rotate. The now spent gases are forced out through the exhaust port as the piston rises once again. The power generated is sent from the rotating crankshaft, through the drivetrain, then to the wheels.
With the fundamental mechanical operation of an engine established, we can explore how to improve efficiencies.
In order to increase a vehicle’s fuel efficiency, a reduction in the energy it consumes to move it around becomes key. The first strategy is a weight reduction of the car with the idea that less mass requires less energy to move. With less mass to move around, we can now reduce the size of the powertrain. An engine with lower displacement and fewer cylinders that employs a smaller drivetrain would weigh less. The return is less energy necessary to get power to the wheels. An engine and drivetrain that utilizes a dissimilar layout would suffer from an increase in parasitic loss. Parasitic loss is caused by the inherent mechanical inefficiencies of moving assemblies within the powertrain.

[@conrad_on_youtube]

Awesome explanations, I'm looking forward the next part. Cheers from France !

[@GearQuest]

Thanks for the support 🙏🏼

[@GearQuest]

Just released Part 2!

[@bobbysenterprises3220]

Thanks for video. I know this is old. But good explinations. I am worried about the crankshaft bearings in the animated demonstration engine. Might want to get them looked at and at this point replace the crank as well

[@marissadapolito4932]

Thx for my engine efficiency I’ve been looking for!! NEED PT 2! HURRY UP!

[@procactus9109]

I watched the 2nd one first. Yeah ill sub to this. Bit of waffling at the start but thats ok. Keep it real dude.

[@SkoinksX]

Good stuff. Can't wait for part 2.

[@GearQuest]

Thanks for the support 🙏🏼

[@GearQuest]

Just released Part 2!

[@nickgs3713]

Great video. Thanks!!!

[@bobbysenterprises3220]

Confused. This was supposed to be the part two including the use of turbos.

[@5150Famous]

Really like whatchya did there, spot on.

[@wallyhare8616]

Gear heads unite!!!

[@JamieBainbridge]

Are you the same guy as New Mind?

[@GearQuest]

One of them hehehe

[@TO-yq2qw]

👋 hi

[@GearQuest]

👋 hi

[@joshreynolds729]

Good video man. Yet car manufactures charge 20k for a roller skate 4 cylinder thats plastic because its cheaper to make than a well built big displacement engine on a strong full steel body made out of forged internals making better all around low end tq thus the reason mds was born shutting up the tree huggers and Democrats still getting 700 plus hp and 23 miles a gallon lol and still charge a gas guzzler tax but a regular truck getting the same gas mileage doesnt have to pay that. Lets be real here efficiancy gave the car manufactures a way to cheap us out on top of marking it up. They say safe but tell that to a smart car when an f150 hits it, no air bag in the world will save you. Personally i think instead of making rediculous laws that benefit them selves when you can start restricting population, 95 % of parents arent parents anyways and have no business raising a child as they are children them selves and un established and 60% of that the kids still mooch off daddy and mommy yet keep poping them out why, because our society nurchures the weak meaning if i have a kid i get a healthy tax return for the year so they rack debt up all year make less money then party at the end of the year some times the kids see none of it consuming air and later adding to the carbon foot print in way of vehicles and everything else 1 human can consume in a life time muliplyed by how ever many kids they have doing the same thing mom and dad live at home till 30 with kids with no real skill but fort night. How about stop building crap we have a million of and plant trees there so we acually have a beautiful place to live im sorry but concrete building dont really decorate well and dont purify air. Or maybe use some of that tech they spend milions on trying to make a efficiant cars in trying to make a massive air purifyer for our earths atmosphere in conjunction. Man its 2020 there are to many stupid people out there procreating with out repercusion or limit while letting more in from other countries so even if you take away fossile fuels all together it will only by time for more idoits to pack in where they can poluting having more generations then we will run out of every other resourse along with air simple facts so who cares about what we drive. I for 1 will never own a shit box roller skate even for efficiency or even a commute. Ever sit at a light look around and think wow who lets people make this shit up they all look like plastic bubbles light small slow and sound like shit made of plastic looking like every other person it doesnt matter if its an suv, sedan, hatch back, or compact. The only suv worth a crap is the track hawk and the only sedan is the hellcat charger ctsv are nice to but i think they are in the coup class and atleast have luxery.

[@csch21]

This reads like a copypasta

[@joshreynolds729]

@@csch21 From what?

[@aslanbayramuqlany6189]

There is a cool life hack called punctuation. Check it out

[@joshreynolds729]

@@aslanbayramuqlany6189 Are you the punctuation police? See you edited your typos good for you on your 10 words.