Ameer Randolph
With the ever-increasing price of fuel, it is worth asking how much fuel our cars waste. It is estimated that internal combustion cars waste 70 to 88% of their fuel energy, with only 12 to 30% of the energy from the fuel being used to move the car. This waste occurs due to friction, pumping losses, heat losses, and engine inefficiencies. This has led to a push for more efficient cars, with Europe banning the production of new combustion engine-powered vehicles by 2035.
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What You'll Learn
Friction between gears
In a car, the combustion engine burns a mix of fuel and air inside the combustion chamber. This increases the volume of gas in the chamber, and the resulting pressure pushes the piston component downward. The piston is connected to the crankshaft by a connecting rod, which converts the piston’s vertical motion into a rotational motion. This rotation is then transferred by the crankshaft to the mechanical transmission (including the gearbox) and then to the wheels.
The mechanical transmission includes the gearbox, which uses gears to transmit power through rotation. Gears are circular mechanical devices with teeth that mesh to transmit rotation across axes. The friction between the gears in the gearbox causes energy loss, which ultimately results in a wastage of around 30% of the mechanical energy supplied by the combustion engine under average vehicle operating conditions.
Friction is the force that acts in resistance to the sliding motion between two objects when they are brought into contact. When two objects are rubbed together, a resisting force is created due to friction, resulting in energy loss through heat. In a car engine, this friction and heat cause wear and damage to the moving parts, compromising precise measurements and reducing efficiency.
Lubricants, such as oil, are essential in reducing friction and wear in car engines. Oil allows gears to slip past each other without generating as much heat as other liquids. It also helps to keep the engine clean by shedding water and preventing rust and other problems associated with moisture. Additionally, oil does not react with metals, preventing concerns of rust and oxidization.
While it is not possible to completely eliminate friction, products like ELEV8 have been developed to reduce it. ELEV8 has been shown to reduce friction by up to 75% more than oil alone and can lead to increased horsepower, mileage, and reduced emissions and maintenance costs.
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Engine inefficiencies
The internal combustion engine has been described as shockingly inefficient. In a conventional car, only about 12%–30% of the energy from the fuel is used to move the car, with the rest lost to engine and driveline inefficiencies or used to power accessories. This means that for every dollar of petrol you put in, you get just 20 cents’ worth of driving motion. The other 80 cents is wasted along the way, mostly as heat from the engine.
In a gas engine alone, 68% to 72% of the total power is lost in things like friction (3%) and pumping losses (4%). Heat losses through the radiator and the tailpipe account for 58% to 62% of total losses while driving a gasoline-powered car. Another 4% to 6% is lost to parasitic engine loads such as water, fuel, and oil pumps, and 5% to 6% is lost to friction and lash in the drivetrain.
Auxiliary electrical systems can also contribute to engine inefficiencies. On a rainy or snowy night, with the radio on to monitor the weather and the wipers cranked up, and seat and steering-wheel heaters running, these systems could consume 2% of the car's total energy.
The transportation sector accounts for a significant percentage of energy consumption in the US, with highway vehicles constituting more than 75% of this. As vehicles never operate in a thermodynamically ideal world, they experience energy loss in many areas. For example, vehicles with an internal combustion engine (ICE) lose 68% to 76% of the energy inputted as fuel, while electric vehicles lose only 16%.
Advanced technologies such as variable valve timing and lift (VVT&L), turbocharging, direct fuel injection, and cylinder deactivation can be used to reduce engine inefficiency losses. Lighter-weight vehicles and materials can also help, as less energy is wasted from braking a lighter vehicle.
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Heat losses
Firstly, it is important to understand the different components and processes involved in a car's engine. The combustion chamber is where the fuel-air mixture is burned, increasing the gas volume and pressure, which pushes the piston downward. The piston is connected to the crankshaft by a connecting rod, converting the vertical motion into rotational motion. Friction occurs at the piston and between the connecting rod, crankshaft, and cylinder block, resulting in energy loss through heat. The valves and their actuating system also contribute to energy losses. These mechanical transmission losses, particularly due to friction between gears, further reduce the useful mechanical energy from the engine.
Under average vehicle operating conditions, the mechanical energy supplied by the combustion engine experiences losses of around 30%. This means that only about 30% of the total energy supplied by the fuel is used to move the vehicle, while the remaining 70% is wasted. Out of this wasted energy, heat losses can account for 58% to 62% of the total losses while driving a gasoline-powered car. This includes heat dissipated by the powertrain or engine through convection, as well as heat lost out of the tailpipe in the form of exhaust gases.
Additionally, parasitic engine loads, such as water, fuel, and oil pumps, contribute to heat losses of about 4% to 6%. Friction, lash, and other losses in the drivetrain can result in a further 5% to 6% loss. The type of driving and the car itself also play a role in heat losses, with engine losses generally being higher in city driving compared to highway driving.
To mitigate these heat losses and improve fuel economy, automakers have been exploring various strategies. One approach involves selecting optimal coolant-circuit architectures, heat exchangers, and flow-control devices to distribute heat more effectively and improve thermal management. Another strategy includes exploiting waste heat from vehicle engines without adding extra hardware, aiming to improve fuel economy in light vehicles. By addressing these heat losses and improving combustion and energy recovery systems, there is potential to significantly reduce fuel consumption and improve vehicle efficiency.
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Pumping losses
In a car's engine, the planet bearings are crucial for transmitting power from the input shaft to the output shaft. However, due to factors such as viscous drag and mechanical friction, the planet bearings can experience significant power losses. These losses occur due to the resistance created by the fluid in the gear mesh, as well as the friction between the gears themselves.
Viscous drag losses occur when the fluid surrounding the gears resists their motion, creating a drag force that opposes the rotation of the gears. This force increases with the viscosity of the fluid, which is why using low-viscosity fluids can help reduce pumping losses. Additionally, the gears themselves experience mechanical friction losses due to the contact and sliding motion between the gear teeth during rotation.
To estimate the pumping losses in a planetary gear set, various schemes and equations can be utilized. These schemes take into account factors such as the viscous drag losses from the planet carrier and sun gear, the gear mesh pumping losses from the planet-sun and planet-ring gear meshes, and the planet bearing viscous and mechanical friction losses. By inputting relevant data into these equations, engineers can calculate the specific pumping losses for a particular gear set.
Reducing pumping losses in car engines is crucial for improving fuel efficiency and reducing waste. By minimizing these losses, more of the engine's mechanical energy can be utilized to propel the vehicle, resulting in lower fuel consumption and reduced operating costs for vehicle owners. Additionally, reducing pumping losses can help decrease a vehicle's environmental impact by lowering emissions associated with fuel combustion. Overall, understanding and mitigating pumping losses is an important aspect of optimizing engine performance and promoting sustainable transportation.
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Parasitic engine loads
In the context of internal combustion engines, parasitic loads refer to devices that draw energy from the engine to enhance its ability to create more energy or convert energy to motion. These loads are necessary for the engine to function, but they also contribute to energy losses.
In a car, parasitic engine loads can include the power required to run auxiliary components such as air compressors, coolant pumps, and hydrogen circulation pumps. The most significant energy losses occur around the piston, with approximately 45% of losses in this area. This is followed by the links between the connecting rod, crankshaft, and cylinder block, which account for about 30% of losses. The valves and their actuating system also contribute to energy losses, with around 10% of losses occurring in this area. The remaining 10% of losses are attributed to other engine fittings.
The impact of parasitic loads on the overall system performance becomes more pronounced in high-concentration applications, such as when using demanding heat extraction methods and accurate tracking mechanisms. In some cases, parasitic loads can account for a significant portion of the annual energy production, reducing the overall efficiency of the system.
To minimize parasitic loads, it is essential to optimize the concentration ratio to maximize total energetic and exergetic system efficiencies. This involves considering the increased parasitic loads at high concentrations and the improved power output. Additionally, using more efficient lubricants can help reduce fuel consumption by a few percent.
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Frequently asked questions
Internal combustion cars waste anywhere between 70 to 88% of energy.
The main reasons for fuel wastage are engine inefficiencies, heat losses, and energy losses due to friction.
Friction between the moving engine parts and the mechanical transmission leads to a loss of around 30% of the mechanical energy supplied by the combustion engine.
Recent studies have shown that new technology can reduce energy losses due to friction by 50 to 60% in the medium term, resulting in 15% less fuel consumption.
Only about 14% to 30% of the energy from the fuel in a conventional vehicle is used to move it down the road, depending on the driving conditions.
