Tom_with_a_Truck

Look, I'm throwing barbs at you and I probably don't need to be. Your union experiences and mine could be very different. My friends in the trades have a totally different experience - there, if you aren't a good worker, you stay laid off a lot longer. They presumably still have good apprenticeship programs, and they have real-world competition to keep them in check.

Where I was, the union leadership would regularly encourage us to NOT work hard, to grieve every little speck of an issue, and if they didn't like a particular supervisor, they did whatever they could to go after him. I rarely busted my butt there, and still got hammered for "killing the job". I even got into a little bar-room fight over things, because I refused to do what my steward wanted me to do (go after the company over some silly little thing). He never bothered to explain why it was a good idea to file the grievance, and absent a good reason, I didn't. He threatened, I stood up for myself. It got broken up before too much blood was spilled, but I still didn't file the grievance.

Now that was back in the late 1980s - maybe things have changed in recent years.

Eduskator

Jesus, you must have a bad nose or something. My brother has a 2014 Jetta TDI and I can smell it as soon as he crosses the driveway. It's even worse when you follow one on the roads.

Have you read on NoX and what it does to your brain? The particles reach the brain and stick inside it, causing several diseases. Knowing the VW engines were emitting 40x more than what's currently permitted by the federal authorities, this is kind of alarming, isn't it?

VW had the choice between a lower MPG and a lower pollution rate or a higher MPG and a higher pollution rate and they chose to pollute the planet. Why? I'm pretty sure because a good percentage of the TDI buyer would not have bought one if they knew the MPG number at the ''supposed'' NoX emissions. Most owners don't even bring their cars affected by this scandal in to ''correct it'' because they will end up having a higher fuel consumption (the only reason why they bought a TDI at first, IMO).

Anyways, sorry to OP for this mess. I'm not commenting on VW scandal anymore on this thread.

gone postal

No clue where you're getting the alarmist pap about NOx, however:



NOx emissions – formation, reduction and abatement

The two most significant pollutants produced by humans (anthropogenic) are NOx emissions and particulates. Information on particulates can be found here.
Q. What does the term NOx mean?
A. It refers to nitrogen oxides. The purists would say that it refers to nitric oxide (NO) and nitrogen dioxide (NO2) only, but most also include nitrous oxide (N2O) in this description. There are some other variants, but their concentrations in the atmosphere are too low.
Q. Why are NOx gases produced?
A. There are three main causes of NOx emissions:-

• High temperature combustion of fuels where the temperature is hot enough (above about 1300°C/ 2370°F) to oxidise some of the nitrogen in air to NOx gases. This includes burning hydrogen, as it burns at a very high temperature. Comments on diesel engines are shown below.
• Burning plant material releases nitrogen oxides, as all plants contain nitrogen.
• Chemical and industrial processes which use nitric acid, nitrates or nitrites will release NOx gases.

Q. What is the difference in combustion between a diesel engine and a petrol/gasoline engine?
A. In a petrol/gasoline engine, a mix of fuel and air is injected into the chamber. This is compressed and then ignited by a spark plug.
In a diesel engine air is injected into the cylinder, and is compressed by around twice as much as in a petrol/gasoline engine. This compression generates heat, so that diesel fuel burns spontaneously when it is injected.
Q. Why do diesel engines produce more NOx than petrol engines?
A. Diesel engines operate at a higher temperature and pressure than petrol engines. These conditions favour the production of NOx gases. The quantity depends on the volume and duration of the hottest part of the flame.
Q. Why are diesel cars more fuel efficient than petrol/gasoline cars?
A. Diesel fuel produces more energy for a given volume (diesel has a lower calorific value, but a higher density than petrol/gasoline). Also the higher combustion temperature in a diesel engine makes it more efficient. Heat engines can generate more useful work if they operate at higher temperatures.
Q. How do you reduce NOx emissions from diesel engines?
A. By lowering the combustion temperature, typically by Exhaust Gas Recirculating (EGR). Some exhaust gas is cooled and injected back into the combustion chamber. There is less oxygen in the exhaust gas because some has been consumed by previous combustion, so there is not as much to feed the flame. The exhaust gas also has a higher heat capacity than air, so it takes longer to heat up.
Q. Are there any other consequences of using EGR?
A. Yes, there is a downside. As the combustion temperature drops, so does the power, and the fuel economy.
Q. How can you remove NOx from exhaust gases?
A. There are various techniques, depending on the applications, although a lot of effort goes into designing burners which reduce NOx emissions in the first place.

• Selective Catalytic Reduction (SCR) is the most common method in diesel vehicle exhausts, but it is expensive so isn’t use in small cheap vehicles. There are various proprietary blends of ammonia and urea which can be injected into the exhaust flow. These react with NOx gases over a catalyst, which turns them into harmless nitrogen and water.
• Selective Non-Catalytic Reduction (SNCR) – takes place in ducting where the temperature is about 1000°C (1800°F). Urea or ammonia is injected, and the NOx gases are reduced to nitrogen without the need for a catalyst.
• On an industrial scale, exhaust gases can be scrubbed with chemicals such as sodium hydroxide, hydrogen peroxide, or a mixture of hydrogen peroxide and nitric acid. These chemicals react with the NOx gases and removes them.

Q. Why are NOx gases harmful?
A. Internal combustion engines can produce all three nitrogen oxides.
Nitrous oxide (N2O), also known as 'laughing gas'.

• It is a serious greenhouse gas, and is defined as being 298 times as bad as CO2 because of its radiative effect, and the time taken to break it down.
• Used as an anaesthetic and generally considered to be non-toxic. It does react with vitamin B12, which may be a problem for those who are deficient.
• It is broken down in the stratosphere, and catalyses the breakdown of ozone. Ozone in the upper atmosphere is vital for absorbing UV rays; at the earth’s surface, it is harmful.

Nitric oxide (NO).

• Readily oxidised in the atmosphere to nitrogen dioxide.
• Non-toxic in small quantities, infact it serves a vital role as a regulator within the human body.

Nitrogen dioxide (NO2).

• A major pollutant and component of smog. Its brown fumes may be familiar from school chemistry experiments.
• It reacts with water to produce nitric acid, which is why it is so irritating to the eyes and respiratory tract.

http://clean-carbonenergy.com/nox-emissions.html


The low NOx requirement numbers are more a paean to modern analytic chemistry than anything else. Road use fuels account for less than half of NOx emissions, however, they are an easy target due to political reality and preconditioning through advertising. (Fossil fuels bad, ad nauseum over and over and over on TV and radio as both paid advertising from nonprofits and "public interest" advertisements...)


Regardless, back to the original topic, a compression ignition road going engine would be an interesting animal if they can get the reliability into the usable levels.

Apples

This Achates engine is pretty interesting. Another very cool but very complex piece with opposing-piston design was the 18-cylinder Napier Deltic... although the Achates appears to run much cleaner! Hahaha... (Napier Deltic aficionados know what I mean).


Thanks for the link.

UncleG

The new Ranger isn't 7/8's the size of the F150. Smaller.

CGiron

This new engine by Achates works with severe pressure and in order to manage this loads the entire engineblock is made of compacted graphite iron. Several producers has opted for CGI in their OPOC engines.
Ford already has CGI in the block of their Power Stroke 6.7 l V8, the 2.7 l V6 EcoBoost, and the new 3.0 liter V6 diesel so it´s getting more common as the OEMs are poised to get more efficient engines.
This engine will shock the most rigid experts and I think it will rewrite the map of the entire enginemarket.

Think of some 42 mpg with diesel and

37-mpg fuel efficiency, 270 horsepower, 429 pound-feet of torque and 50 percent emissions reduction with gasoline.

Asimco is a solid partner in this. They earn some 1 billion US dollars a day.

All Hat No Cattle

No offense, but I hope your mileage and horsepower numbers are more accurate than the statement I highlighted.

https://www.bloomberg.com/research/stocks/private
/snapshot.asp?privcapId=49003122

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/business/...world-in-2016/

sunofabeach

this whole post is loaded with so much bull****. smell a current diesel as it pulls into the drive-way? you need

CGiron

Sorry

https://www.forbes.com/pictures/mef4.../#7b7567e16285

robertsunrus

Hi, well back on topic, sort-of. You think the 5.0 V-8 fans won't buy an Ecoboost because of it's six cylinders. What will this three cylinder, six piston two stroke sound like?