Progress in high performances, low emissions, and exergy recovery in internal combustion engines

Abstract

This article first gives a brief review of heat engines designed for terrestrial transportation since the 1900s. We then outline the main developments in the state of the art and knowledge about internal combustion engines, focusing on the increasingly stringent pollution constraints imposed since the 1990s. The general concept of high-energy performance machines is analyzed from the energy and public health point of view and illustrated with typical examples of clean energy production and zero emissions. The article concludes with some perspectives for the emergence of an economic model that could be applied to land-based transport systems in the framework of energy transition by 2030.