Variable valve timing has been with us for years, but now Nissan claims to be able to produce a variable compression engine.
The Japanese giant is set to unveil a new engine at September’s Paris motor show that it describes as a “revolutionary next-step” in the development of the internal combustion engine.
Nissan engineers have been working on a variable compression engine that promises a mix of efficiency and performance by tailoring the engine’s mechanical attributes to different conditions. Essentially, the new engine can vary the height of its piston stroke, which affects how much fuel and air is squeezed into the top of the cylinder before the mixture is ignited by a spark plug.
The new variable compression engine can vary its compression ratio from 8:1 to 14:1 – ratios that can give performance car power through to eco car petrol savings.
The 2.0 liter, four-cylinder VC-T engine averages 27 percent better fuel economy than the 3.5 liter V6 engine it replaces, with comparable power and torque. Nissan also says the new engine matches the torque found in diesel engines.
Infiniti engineer Kinichi Tanuma, a senior Nissan engineer working for Infiniti, says the technology could replace diesel motors. He said, “We think the VC-T engine could replace or become an alternative to some of today’s advanced diesel engines”.
Volkswagen might like to take a look at this development.
