Diesel, the fuel of the future!!
Just had a read of the latest wheels magazine. Audi's R10 TDI won the 2006 24hr Le Mans carrace. Beat the likes of Porsche, Farrari, BMW, renault et al. Intersting point is this car was a 5.5 ltr twin turbo DIESEL.
For the first time. the Audi engineers cracked the secret to make the engine block out of aluminium, previously all diesel engine blocks were made of cast iron. The fuel injectors fed fuel into the cylinders at an incredible 29,000 psi.
Apart from being the fastest car outright round the circuit, its fuel economy averaging 43.5 ltrs per 100 km v's the petrol engine version at 51.4 ltrs per 100 km. All this while producing 485 kw, so it needed fewer fuel stops during the race.
This technology is still in its infancy comparatively, they recon that petrol engines have advanced about as far as they will ever go. Diesel technology to ultimately surplant petrol as the no 1 car engine.
Just imagine this technology applied to GA aircraft. Thialerts Diesel V8 being a good example.
Interesting times ahead.