2 ms·
In my gearhead days I had a dead-tree copy of Yunick's Power Secrets, and read about his adiabatic modified car engine. My understanding at the time was that t
by pengaru 4y ago
In my gearhead days I had a dead-tree copy of Yunick's Power Secrets, and read about his adiabatic modified car engine.
My understanding at the time was that the main barrier to market was emissions related. Oxides of nitrogen in particular were far too high from the high temperatures. If you look at an emissions test summary NOx is one of the few things they actually measure.
> NOx gases are usually produced from the reaction between nitrogen and oxygen during combustion of fuels, such as hydrocarbons, in air; especially at high temperatures, such as in car engines. [0]
So I'm pretty sure the opening line "meets all emission standards without electronic equipment" from TFA is incorrect. Or maybe was only briefly correct in 1983...
[0] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/NOx https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/NOx
- vhodges 4y agoI read the PopSci article on this way back when and always wondered what became if it, thanks!
- qbrass 4y agoNOx can be reduced using non-electronic equipment. Well, you could do it in 1983, anyway.
- actionfromafar 4y agoHonda had a famously complicated mechanical contraption IIRC.
- dredmorbius 4y agoI'd recently learned of emissions-reduction kits fitted to diesel systems which use ammonia to reduce NOx emissions. I believe that's Selective catalytic reduction: <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Selective_catalytic_reduction https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Selective_catalytic_reduction> The process uses "diesel exhaust fluid" (not to be confused with blinker fluid), sold as "AdBlue" in Europe, possibly elsewhere: <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Diesel_exhaust_fluid https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Diesel_exhaust_fluid>