Fuel As An Essential Engine Component - Its Influence On Power Output, Fuel Consumption. And Exhaust Emission

The extensive research and development efforts undertaken to improve the characteristics of the combustion engine have repeatedly identified fuel as being one of the hampering factors. Gasoline and Diesel fuel, both being crude oil derivatives, are responsible for the breaking up of the engine family as a whole into Otto and Diesel powerplants. The dream of a “multi-fuel-engine” tolerating any of the fuels available on the market cannot be realized due to the various severe demands modern passenger cars have to meet. One of the possibilities deals with a “flexible fuel” vehicle able of identifying various gasoline/alcohol mixtures and burning them with greatest possible efficiency while meeting the legal requirements.

Another approach under investigation is the “adaptable manufacture” of engine components: Depending on the types of fuel available on the market both Otto and Diesel engines will be produced on the same production equipment.