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I actually looked it up. A late 19th century engine had a 26% efficiency. 1960's engines had ~34% efficiency and in the 2010's it was ~43%. So the same fuel con
by Gauge_Irrahphe 5y ago
I actually looked it up.
A late 19th century engine had a 26% efficiency.
1960's engines had ~34% efficiency and in the 2010's it was ~43%.
So the same fuel consumption would give you 26HP in 1900, 34HP in 1960, and 43HP today.
- inetknght 5y agoFuel efficiency and horsepower are very different measures.
- BobbyJo 5y agoSource? Edit: Also, you're confusing theoretical and practical efficiency. For instance, a V8 engine can be 30% efficient in absolute terms, but if you can use an I4 for the same application because you now have a Turbo, your real world efficiency is way higher. This is exactly what we see happening in performance cars an large trucks: big displacement being replaced with turbos and hybrid systems.
- Gauge_Irrahphe 5y agoWärtsilä 31, which claims to be the most efficient engine ever built, claims 167.7g/kWh. Diesel's engine used 317g/kWh. So the amount of fuel used has not even halved in more than a century.