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Old 01-21-2021, 03:12 PM   #209 (permalink)
Ecky
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Regarding exhaust waste heat, that's a function of the speed of combustion, and the expansion ratio (which is the physical geometry of the engine).

Here's a simplified example:

You add air and fuel to a cylinder, close the valves, compress it, and combust it. Let's assume the full energy of the fuel is released.

https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/ful...55/2012/931584

Sage Journals estimates combustion gases may approach 3000 kelvin at the point of highest compression, which is a hair under 5000F. This is easily hot enough to ensure any remaining fuel is vaporized and burns. Gasoline does not remain liquid at 5000F.

Assuming we can pull 40% of the useful energy out of the combustion gases, that's still 3000F. If an engine has a compression ratio of 11:1, once you expand that to one eleventh of its original volume, it's still close to 300 degrees. And, unfortunately, these hot gases spend a significant amount of time exposed to the relatively much colder pistons, cylinder walls and cylinder head, where much of the usable heat is lost, conducting through these.
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