CO 2 Reduction Request and Future High-Efficiency Zero-Emission Argon Power Cycle Engine

Abstract

To meet the requirements of strict fuel consumption and emission limits, continuously increasing the thermal efficiency of an internal combustion engine and decreasing its exhaust emissions are the main challenges to its sustainable development within the automotive industry. Considering the competition with other zero-emission powertrain systems, such as vehicle batteries and fuel cells, the development of the internal combustion engine needs to focus on producing higher efficiency and zero emissions to meet the request of CO 2 reduction. This paper introduces two novel concepts for an internal combustion engine featuring high efficiency and zero emissions. Referred to as the argon power cycle engine fueled with either hydrogen or natural gas within an oxygen–argon mixture, its fundamentals and characteristics are expounded. This includes a method necessary to absorb carbon dioxide when natural gas is used as fuel instead of hydrogen.