110mpg mustang

[Formula413]

I saw this story on a muscle car forum too. BS or not, I'm itching to know what he has under that hood. Especially if it's a camless valvetrain. Honestly though I couldn't imagine the camless valvetrain providing that large of an improvement in efficiency all by itself. Even doubling the efficiency would be amazing.

FWIW, his acceleration and top speed claims are perfectly reasonable for a 400 hp drag car with drag radial tires. Those numbers are about what I would expect. It probably runs the quarter mile in the low 12/high 11 second range. Nothing unusual there. That leaves the extraordinary mileage claim for the skeptics.

[jamesqf]

Originally Posted by Duffman

You totally missed the point. If an IC engine weighs half as much and produces the same HP, then the ICE is more efficeint.

No, you miss the point. Efficiency is a precise concept. A fuel has a certain amount of chemical energy in it. Efficiency is the percentage of that energy that an engine can convert to useful work. The Stirling cycle engine is as efficient as it's possible for a heat engine to be. That's just basic thermodynamics.

[oldschool]

The reason that the selinoid valvetrain and computer controled valve map,make sense is , no where that I have seen does he state that the car will accelerate, produce 400 hp etc , while delivering 110 mpg. He just says it is capable of all of the above. As far as his grandfather's 60 yr old idea, the concept of variable valve timing to take advantage of both horsepower and mileage has been conceptual for a very long time, although in Grandpa's day the mechanism would have been a mechanical one most likely.

[kevlar]

*ahem*.....maybe he lives on top of a mountain?!?!?!? BA DUM - BUM!

[SuperTrooper]

Originally Posted by oldschool

The reason that the selinoid valvetrain and computer controled valve map,make sense is , no where that I have seen does he state that the car will accelerate, produce 400 hp etc , while delivering 110 mpg. He just says it is capable of all of the above. As far as his grandfather's 60 yr old idea, the concept of variable valve timing to take advantage of both horsepower and mileage has been conceptual for a very long time, although in Grandpa's day the mechanism would have been a mechanical one most likely.

Taking it a couple of steps further, a solenoid valvetrain would make cylinder deactivation a simple affair. Over on a couple of mopar/hemi forums the general concensus is the the hemi would cruise just fine on 2 cylinders, the penalty being engine vibration. The engine could also switch between otto cycle and atkinson cycle depending on demand.

[SVOboy]

In all the real work I've seen on magnetically actuated valves, no one ever quotes more than a 20% increase in fuel economy. Mehbe that's what he's using, but it's no secret revelation and I still doubt he could make a 5.0 v8 getting 110mpg in anything but I downhill coast, even with a camless system.

If he worked for ford for so long how come he's not a chief engineer and ford isn't kicking everyone's butts right now? Funny that he would wait to get fired to come up with his magical gadget, instead of using the opportunity of working for a billion-dollar company to develop this idea...

[SuperTrooper]

Some Formula 1 engines use pneumatic actuators. Ford looked at pneumatic and magnetic actuators when designing the new Eco-Boost series of engines, but decided the technology wasn't mature enough and would be cost prohibitive.

[ebacherville]

I doubt this story but there has been some great research isn using 1 piston to pre compres for the combustion cylinder.. thats just one idea of what this guy is doing .. and yeas a totllly variable valve configuration could be how this is done.. however is hes getting 110mpg, hows his NOx numbers.. a totally lean ed out x8 could possably produce 110mpg, but be terrable for nox etc.. I say prove it and let it be known.. time will tell.

If this guy has somthing i hpe he lets it becoem public domain and makes it well known and proved true.... We have all heard the 100 mpg carb stories..

YEs i realize that ther eis just so much energy in a gallon of fuel, however this is a old school light weight mustang.. not much heavier than todays lightest 40 mpg capable yaris or honda... Heck my heavy colorado pickup can easly pull down 35mpg if i stay under 50 mpg.

This guy coul dbe getting 110mpg at 35 mpg it doesnt say.. really that not to unbelieveable.. i just saw a special on the local news where they proved driving at 45 will give you 10 mpg better in a SUV.. this isn't rocket secince

[Greenblazer]

I will wait and see, but I do not buy the conspiracy debunking comment that claims that automakers do not make money from oil. Automakers are owned by stockholders, and so are the oil companies, and since it is true that the majority of the money in the world is controlled by a small percentage of the population, then I don't see it being hard to believe that the people who make money in the automotive world don't make money from oil too. If the automakers wanted to spend enough money they probably could make cars that get much higher FE, but it would loose the shareholders too much money in their oil business.

I would use the Prius as an example. In the real world 45MPG is what Prius owners who are not hypermilers are averaging. In the movie Who Killed The Electric Car they talked about a Prius that was modified to get 125MPG. This was done by relying on plug in power if I am not mistaken. Why wouldn't Toyota put these cars out like this for people who wanted to plug in their Prius'? The only thing I can see to answer this question is that automakers do not want to make ultra efficient cars because they make money from oil too, and making a car that is too efficient hurts oil profits.

The government is not interested in loosing the tax revenue that comes from the gas pump. Anybody know how much of that $4 gallon goes to taxes? If the government wanted to stimulate the economy, and reduce gas prices, they could reduce a big chunk of the cost of gas by eliminating the taxes. That is not likely to happen. It's all about money power and control, and I personally believe that people who are making the money have the power, and the control, and they are not interested in giving up the money power or control.

Call me a conspiracy kook if you want to, but if you follow the money then you might find clues that make you scratch your head and say "WTF?"

Later,

Allan Greenblazer

[oldschool]

Bottom line, sad to say is we most likely will have to wait till next yr to find out what combination of things he has done if he can indeed do what he says he can . Then there will be the carb certification before the system is allowed on manufacturers vehicles. and the haggling over who will give him the most cash for his prize should it pan out. I am bettin an oil co would win hands down.