The internal combustion engine is an important element of mechanical engineering, and despite environmental concerns and the advent of electric vehicles, it still plays an important role in our daily lives and future industries through technological advancements and efficiency.
The heart of mechanical engineering – the internal combustion engine
Chulsoo, who lives in Seoul, planned a trip to Gyeongpo Beach for his summer vacation. He bought food, a nice swimsuit, and recruited some great friends to join him. On the day of the trip, he booked a train ticket and headed to Cheongnyangni Station. However, the train service was canceled due to a train derailment that day, and Chulsoo thought, ‘Ah, it would be easier if we had a car. ‘ After taking a bus to Gyeongpo-dae, they found a group of vacationers they liked and decided to hang out with them. But at that moment, a car stopped next to them with a loud engine, and the person in the car suggested to the group of vacationers, “Would you like to go for a drive with us?” Eventually, the group of vacationers left the group and got into the car. Chulsoo thought to himself, “If I had a car, I wouldn’t have lost them.” Eventually, Chulsoo and his friends returned to Seoul, enjoying some guy time.
While this is an extreme example, cars play an integral role in our lives. Just like a heart is essential to a human being, a car has an engine that does the job – an internal combustion engine, to be precise. An engine is made up of many parts, but the most important part is the internal combustion engine that generates power. Internal combustion engines are used in a wide variety of mechanical devices, including cars, motorcycles, trucks, ships, and aircraft, and are an important part of mechanical engineering.
The study of internal combustion engines brings together the core elements of mechanical engineering. Fluid mechanics deals with the flow of water and air, solid mechanics deals with the stiffness and bending of materials, thermodynamics deals with the movement and change of heat, and dynamics deals with the motion of objects, all of which are applied to internal combustion engines. The internal combustion engine is the “bibimbap” of mechanical engineering, and it’s a complex mix of disciplines.
There are two main types of internal combustion engines: gasoline and diesel. Gasoline engines are mainly used in passenger cars, while diesel engines are mainly used in large vehicles such as trucks and buses. In the past, each focused on advancing their own technology, but in recent years, advances have been made to combine the strengths of gasoline and diesel engines and compensate for their weaknesses. For example, gasoline engines work by mixing fuel and air, compressing it, and igniting it, which increases power as the compression ratio increases, but can also lead to a problem known as “knocking”. To solve this problem, Gasoline Direct Injection (GDI) engines were developed, which incorporate the combustion method of a diesel engine. Diesel engines compress air as much as possible before injecting fuel to spontaneously ignite, and this was adapted to gasoline engines to prevent knocking and increase efficiency.
Internal combustion engine technology has continued to evolve in this way, most recently with devices such as turbochargers and superchargers helping to maximize the performance of the engine. These devices increase the amount of air flowing into the engine to deliver more power, while also increasing fuel efficiency. As a result, they are widely used in high-performance vehicles, as well as in heavy-duty commercial vehicles that need to improve fuel economy.
Technological advances and challenges of the internal combustion engine
Internal combustion engines have been innovating and evolving for a long time. In the early days, they relied on simple mechanical principles, but today, the introduction of electronic controls has greatly improved their precision and efficiency. Improvements in fuel injection technology have resulted in better fuel economy and lower emissions. These technological advances are making internal combustion engines more economical and environmentally friendly.
But the challenges facing internal combustion engines are also great. By their very nature, internal combustion engines that use fossil fuels cannot avoid emitting carbon dioxide (CO₂), which is one of the leading causes of environmental pollution. As a result, many researchers are focused on improving the combustion efficiency of internal combustion engines and developing alternative fuels. Examples include internal combustion engines that run on biofuels, synthetic fuels, and natural gas. These alternative fuels are an ongoing effort to reduce the environmental impact of internal combustion engines while maintaining their traditional efficiency.
The internal combustion engine and its role in the future
While the future of the automotive industry is expected to be dominated by cleaner vehicles such as electric and hydrogen vehicles, the internal combustion engine will not disappear entirely. Systems that combine an internal combustion engine with an electric motor, such as hybrid vehicles, will continue to play an important role. These hybrid systems combine the high power of the internal combustion engine with the high efficiency of the electric motor to maximize fuel efficiency and reduce emissions.
There’s still plenty of room for improvement in internal combustion engine technology, and research continues to leverage new materials and technologies to reduce the weight of internal combustion engines and maximize their efficiency. The use of lighter materials will reduce fuel consumption and allow engines to perform better. Engine management systems that utilize artificial intelligence (AI) and big data will also play an important role in further improving the performance of internal combustion engines.
