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Originally Posted by MetroMPG
But let's keep this in context. Chris was just asking for advice on what to do with his current setup, at cruise, (my interpretation) to achieve the best efficiency.
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Sorry for getting a bit impractical...I just didn't want everyone to get the idea vacuum in and of itself is a good thing. I think too many questions are best answered with, "It depends...".
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Originally Posted by trebuchet03
To add to what Metro has already said... For highest thermal efficiency - that statement is true... But engines are over sized for that sort of driving. If I operated my engine at peak load all the time, two things would happen
1. I'd get a helluva lot of speeding tickets
2. I'd drastically reduce the operating hours of my engine
It is because the drive train is so big that lower thermal efficiency (lower brake specific fuel consumption) can lead to lower specific fuel consumption.
If I had a 20hp engine in there - it'd be much easier to operate at peak load all the time and maintain a legal speed But, operating a 20hp engine near 20hp for it's entire life will reduce it's service life. The gentleman from wrightspeed motors claimed that your typical car has about a 5,000 engine life. But, that's because these engine live at lower rpm and at low loads for most of their lives....
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Very true points. I was thinking about doing the opposite of driving at the engine's peak efficiency...
lower the peak efficiency to suit a particular driving style. I think that is the idea of the WAI, lean burn, EGR, etc. and definately applicable by more mechanically inclined members of this forum. Just another (tough) potential avenue for fuel economy...
As far as engine longevity, I would think some technology could help. SiC ceramic coatings on F1 engines are used to lower friction, increase cylinder wall hardness, and increase engine longevity. Supposedly, honing the bores is nearly as tough as cutting diamonds...
Ofcourse, this is getting a bit fanciful...but not impossible.
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Hypermilers like abbreviations I don't know why - but it has allowed the term CODFISH to exist Goofy
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Reminds me of the military.
Hmm, maybe we should name this the S.W.O.R.D.F.I.S.H. - the Super Wombat ORgan Dynamo for InFormatIon Subsystem's Headquarters.
Nothing like a good backronym...I wonder if the military has a whole department dedicated to that field.
- LostCause