[Ducati] exhaust energy, turbos and diesels

[Kerry and Brad Black]

my fourth year project was "computer modelling of operation of dual fuelled natural gas trucks".  unfortunately, as a project it went badly as the trucks were running a efi style natural gas injection system that was drive by wire, and the relationship between accelerator pedal and throttle valve (i found out half way thru) was completely variable and not consistant.  which kind of screwed me.

from memory it was cleaner and because of the existing high comp it worked well.  ford ran their "just in time" truck fleet (geelong production to melbourne assembly plant run, 70 or so km) on straight natural gas for some time, don't recall how it ended up tho.  there's a few buses running it, but they're also starting to convert diesel to ethanol for buses i think.

when i did work experience on planes in 1984 or so the engines then were often turbo and supercharged.  big flat4 and 6 cylinder motors.  but that's more to do with returning volumetric efficiency at altitude.

increasing part load petrol engine efficiency is one of the things that really interests me, and turboing would make good use of the waste product.  just complicated, and not what peopl ethink of when you say turbo.

brad