As the focus shifts towards creating fuel efficient vehicles and lessening our dependence on fossil fuels, much of the attention has been towards creating hybrid vehicles that use alternative fuels. While this is certainly producing vehicles with better gas mileage and longer ranges of efficacy, there are still some downsides to battery powered vehicles. This is particularly true when it comes to longer road trips and the difficulty of installing charging systems throughout our nation’s vast highway system.
However, there are numerous ways to increase efficiency in vehicles, simply by redesigning their engines. Instead of forcing consumers to choose battery powered vehicles that may not operate on the same level as regular vehicles, engineers are working on improving the combustion engine.
Professor Ken Naitoh of Waseda University’s Faculty of Science and Engineering (Department of Applied Mechanics and Aerospace Engineering, School of Fundamental Science and Engineering) and his team have produced a new engine that is twice as efficient than the standard combustion engine. Automakers are standing up to take notice of this new development and are expected to embrace it as part of their new outlook on creating more efficient vehicles.
This new engine was created using a new thermofluid dynamics theory and was perfected through the use of several different types of computer imaging run-throughs and high speed airflow simulators. These engines are being tested both for regular vehicles as well as aircraft.
Not only will these engines help consumers save money on fuel and reduce our use of petroleum products, they are also cheaper to manufacture for automakers than traditional battery powered engines. This in turn will help lower the cost of more efficient vehicles, which has been a stumbling block for consumers to date.
Another innovation that Naitoh has come up with is the ability to use these vehicles to create power within the home when they are not being used. While this is still a ways off, the potential to completely revolutionize the way we look at power usage and creation could be forever changed.
This is great news for engineering students that are involved in mechanical engineering. Government regulations and popular opinion are paving the way for a new type of vehicle and the future is definitely moving towards an era where efficiency is going to be the key. Engineers in this field of study will have numerous career opportunities as a result of these shifts and the potential to directly impact the world with their innovations.
Want to learn more about great engineering jobs in this incredible field? The experts at Solopoint Solutions are here to help!