Quote:
Originally Posted by Frank Lee
The funny part is, even though the crank and some other bits on the colossal engines are moving slow, the pistons are going just as fast as on wee little screaming engines. Since the ring pack is one of the- if not the- biggest sources of internal friction, the efficiency advantage of the colossus isn't from that.
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The ring pack has more friction than any other single "area", but it only contributes ~25% of the total friction, so there are significant gains from the rest of the engine turning slow. In particular, the piston skirts are typically the next biggest source of friction, and that source of friction is cut down tremendously with a slower engine.