V-CR, water injection, new EGR methods top SAE engines symposium

Powertrain experts detailed the technologies they see as most promising to enable light-vehicle engines to meet global CO₂ regulations through 2025, at the 2016 SAE High-Efficiency IC Engines Symposium in Detroit. The list includes growing use of the Miller and Atkinson thermodynamic cycles, cooled EGR, and water injection, all of which are currently in production.

And progressing rapidly due to greater industry development focus and investment are a new range of high-octane fuels, various methods of waste heat recovery, variable compression ratio (V-CR) systems, divided exhaust boosting, and dedicated-EGR (d-EGR). The latter technology employs one or more of an engine's cylinders for mixing a high octane hydrogen-and-carbon-monoxide reformate for recirculation (at rates up to 25%) back into the combustion chambers.