No significant changes have been witnessed in the fuel efficiency of IC engines over the past 100 years despite immense efforts been made regarding the same. A modern IC engine, especially a commonly used four-stroke engine, has 25% to 45% fuel conversion efficiency. This means, only that percentage of the energy in the consumed fuel is converted into mechanical power while the rest of it, which amounts to a staggering 55% to 75%, is lost through friction and heat. One approach for improving the fuel efficiency of an IC engine would be to work out a better fuel and oxygen combination so as to increase Engine efficiency. This approach might also help alleviating air pollution caused by the hazardous exhaust gases that are usually discharged from the IC engines. Another approach would be to make use of the heat of the exhaust gases and thereby the heat attached thereto, which is otherwise wasted. Yet another approach would be to make effective structural changes around the IC engines. More particularly, the possibility of reduction of the number of piston movements per a power stroke couldn't be completely ruled out.
USPTO Backgrounds
USPTO Backgrounds