In this blog post, we will look at what role the internal combustion engine can still play in an age of advancing electric vehicles and eco-friendly technologies.
The heart of mechanical engineering – the internal combustion engine
Chul-soo, who lives in Seoul, has made plans to go to Gyeongpodae for summer vacation. He has bought food and nice swimsuits and recruited some cool friends to enjoy the summer together. On the day they were going to Gyeongpodae, the group of people who had booked train tickets headed to Cheongnyangni Station. However, on that day, the train service was canceled due to a train derailment, and Chul-soo thought. “Oh, it would have been more convenient if I had a car.” After a series of twists and turns, Cheol-su and his friends arrived at Gyeongpodae by bus and found a group of vacationers they liked and decided to join them. But at that moment, a car with a loud engine sound stopped next to them, and the person in the car suggested to the group of vacationers. “Would you like to go for a drive with us?” Eventually, the group of vacationers left Cheol-su and his friends and got into their car. Cheol-su thought again. ‘If I had a car, I wouldn’t have lost them.’ Eventually, Cheol-su and his friends returned to Seoul while spending time with other men.
Although this is an extreme example, cars play an important role in our lives. Just as the heart is essential to humans, a car has an engine that performs that function, which is called an internal combustion engine. The engine is composed of several parts, but the most important part is the internal combustion engine that generates power. Internal combustion engines are used in various mechanical devices such as cars, motorcycles, trucks, ships, and aircraft, and they are an important field of study in mechanical engineering.
The study of internal combustion engines is a field that brings together the core elements of mechanical engineering. Fluid mechanics deals with the flow of water and air, solid mechanics with the rigidity or bending of materials, thermodynamics with the movement and change of heat, and kinematics with the movement of objects. All of these disciplines are applied to internal combustion engines. The internal combustion engine is so complex that it can be said to be the “bibimbap” of mechanical engineering, with many different fields intertwined.
The internal combustion engine is largely divided into gasoline engines and diesel engines. Gasoline engines are mainly used in passenger cars, while diesel engines are mainly used in large vehicles such as trucks and buses. In the past, the focus was on the development of each technology, but recently, the development has been moving in the direction of combining the advantages of gasoline and diesel engines and compensating for their disadvantages. For example, a gasoline engine works by mixing fuel and air, compressing it, and igniting it. As the compression ratio increases, the output increases, but at the same time, the problem of “knocking” may occur. This is a phenomenon that can damage the engine if the pressure becomes too high. To solve this problem, a gasoline direct injection (GDI) engine was developed that incorporates the combustion method of a diesel engine. A diesel engine injects fuel after compressing air as much as possible and ignites it naturally, which is applied to a gasoline engine to prevent knocking and increase efficiency.
Internal combustion engine technology has been constantly evolving. In particular, in recent years, devices such as turbochargers and superchargers have contributed to maximizing the performance of engines. These devices increase the amount of air entering the engine, providing higher output and at the same time increasing fuel efficiency. Thanks to this, they are widely used not only in high-performance vehicles but also in large commercial vehicles that need to improve fuel efficiency.
Technological Advancements and Challenges of the Internal Combustion Engine
The internal combustion engine has been innovated and developed over a long period of time. In the early days, it relied on simple mechanical principles, but now the precision and efficiency of the internal combustion engine have been greatly improved with the introduction of electronic control devices. Improvements in fuel injection technology have increased fuel efficiency and reduced emissions. These technological advancements are leading the internal combustion engine in a more economical and environmentally friendly direction.
However, the internal combustion engine faces significant challenges. Internal combustion engines that use fossil fuels are inherently unable to avoid carbon dioxide (CO₂) emissions, which are one of the main causes of environmental pollution. Therefore, many researchers are focusing on improving the combustion efficiency of internal combustion engines and developing alternative fuels. Internal combustion engines that use biofuels, synthetic fuels, and natural gas are examples. Efforts are continuing to reduce the environmental impact of internal combustion engines while maintaining their existing efficiency through these alternative fuels.
The future of internal combustion engines and their role
The automotive industry of the future is expected to shift to eco-friendly vehicles such as electric and hydrogen vehicles, but the internal combustion engine will not disappear completely. Systems that combine internal combustion engines and electric motors, such as hybrid vehicles, will continue to play an important role. These hybrid systems will combine the high output of internal combustion engines with the high efficiency of electric motors to maximize fuel efficiency and reduce emissions.
In addition, there is still much room for improvement in internal combustion engine technology. Research is ongoing to reduce the weight of internal combustion engines and maximize efficiency by using new materials and technologies. Using lightweight materials can reduce fuel consumption and improve engine performance. In addition, engine management systems that use artificial intelligence (AI) and big data will also play an important role in further improving the performance of internal combustion engines.
