92 mpg, 180hp, 12.9s 1/4 mile non-hybrid petrol car

[thisisntjared]

Originally Posted by Bill in Houston

I think it looks cool but...
20:1 air fuel ratio is not especially remarkable... Honda Insight did 22:1, I believe.
The whole thermodynamics of it doesn't fit. Liquid fuel vs "vapor" doesn't wash.
1.7 lateral g? Must have measured it on a highly banked curve.

Anyway, looks cool and I bet it is fun to drive, but I think a lot of the rest is suspect.

1.7 lateral gs on a flat road with that thing is totally possible. remember it has the 2 front wheels and only one rear. its also light weight. the suspension theory is completely different. i am interested in the car and in the technology. i also like that they made sure to give it 2 seats. in tandem.

i guess what matters more? the radical engine? or the radical frame?

the next thing to figure out is how that setup would handle something that would give 350whp and run 9s ?

[diamondlarry]

Originally Posted by SVOboy

That is only C02...which is directly related to gas mileage, I care about other emissions too, and would like to see some mention of them.

If combustion is efficient there won't be very much(if any) of those other emissions. By being efficient I mean that if you can design the combustion chamber so that the mixture burns quickly, there won't be enough time to produce enough heat to create NOX emissions. That was the basic idea behind the Singh grooves that were put in my cylinder head.

[SVOboy]

Originally Posted by diamondlarry

If combustion is efficient there won't be very much(if any) of those other emissions. By being efficient I mean that if you can design the combustion chamber so that the mixture burns quickly, there won't be enough time to produce enough heat to create NOX emissions. That was the basic idea behind the Singh grooves that were put in my cylinder head.

Well, I'm not sure which honda engine is in there, but I doubt there is one that is so clean as to produce no emissions without a catalytic converter...even if they are burning "vapor."

[trebuchet03]

Now shrink it a little smaller -- then throw in a LWB tadpole recumbent and you've got me sold

[diamondlarry]

Good point. I have also heard that with proper tuning and combustion chamber design that cat con's would be unnecessary but there is such an economic tie to the production of them that it's highly unlikely that they'll ever go away. Not 100% sure if it's true.

[SVOboy]

The CVCC originally did not need a cat because it could pass emissions without one, but emissions standards have become such that no car could reliably get away without one. Cats don't really cost all that much to make and don't get replaced very often, and are very annoying to make and recycle, so I don't see much motive to have them. I'm sure the auto manufacturers would love to get rid of them with the 100$ a unit they tack on. *shrug*

[diamondlarry]

It would be interesting to test a car like mine with and without the cat but IN doesn't do emissions tests so I'm not sure there is even a place to do it here.

[SVOboy]

I would do it if I were home, but alas!

This says something about CO emissions: http://www.cdc.gov/niosh/surveyrepor...TB-289-12a.pdf

[DrivenByNothing]

Originally Posted by diamondlarry

If combustion is efficient there won't be very much(if any) of those other emissions. By being efficient I mean that if you can design the combustion chamber so that the mixture burns quickly, there won't be enough time to produce enough heat to create NOX emissions. That was the basic idea behind the Singh grooves that were put in my cylinder head.

I've been told that the grooves do work, but it seems like hot air to me. lol.

What you stated about an efficient motor not producing high levels of harmful emissions is true. I'll have to look up the information, but the average duration between ignition and the opening of the exhaust valve(s) is around 7ms. Unfortunately gasoline requires 20ms to burn completely. That means the engine is sending unburnt fuel into the exhaust which is usually at a temperature high enough to create oxides of nitrogen. This is why EGR (exhaust gas recirculatory) valves exist.

Matt