In collaboration with a series of automotive partners that include DENSO, Ma 2T4 and the Universities of Brunel and Brighton, Ricardo today announced the completion of an advanced prototype gasoline engine concept called 2/4SIGHT. This innovative engine utilizes a series of solutions to enable automatic switching between two- and four-stroke operations, with the aim of combining significant fuel economy improvements with high-performance.

The research prototype engine is a 2.1 litre V6 unit that uses a direct injection gasoline combustion system in which the design of intake and exhaust ports, combined with appropriate changes in boost supply, fuel injection, ignition and valve timing, enable it to work both in two-stroke and four-stroke modes.

An advanced control system coupled with flexible valve actuation manages driver demands and coordinates operation of the boost system, valves and fuel injection equipment at an individual cylinder level. Ricardo supports that this enables smooth transitions between two- and four-stroke operation without torque interruption in both transient and constant torque conditions. -Continued after the jump

Ricardo carried out a vehicle drive cycle and acceleration performance simulation using an 1800 kg passenger car sold in the European market equipped with a 3.5-litre naturally aspirated V6 gasoline engine matted to a 5-speed conventional automatic transmission as a baseline.

The company’s simulation results indicated that while the 2/4SIGHT gasoline engine could maintain the same acceleration figures - including launch from rest - with the 3.5 litre powerplant, the prototype unit deliver fuel savings of 27% over the New European Drive Cycle (NEDC) while CO₂ emissions where reduced from 260 g/km to 190 g/km compared to the same vehicle equipped with the conventional 3.5L V6.