World's most efficient diesel engine
Want to travel further on less fuel? You're going to need a bigger vehicle…It wouldn't be unreasonable to think the world's most efficient diesel engine would be invented by the automotive industry, given governments everywhere are mandating ever stricter CO2 emissions regulations and car-makers are scrabbling to develop new technologies to meet them.
But today, the world's most efficient four-stroke diesel engine comes not from Volkswagen, Volvo or Citroen. Nope, it comes from the marine industry.
And it's a V8!
OK, so the Finnish-built Wärtsilä 31 diesel engine won't fit in a car, because it weighs between 56 and 85 tonnes depending on the configuration. The V8 is the smallest, the V16 is the biggest!
But the fact of the matter is it's the world's most efficient diesel, and it currently holds the Guinness World Record for the feat.
Tailored for cruise ships and ferries, the Wärtsilä 31 measures up to 4.7 metres tall and 8.7 metres long and can generate up 9666kW, or no less than 13,142hp.
In terms of efficiency, the high-precision, house-sized motor delivers 0.271 points per horsepower hour, a new world record.
What does that mean in layman's terms? Well, it's impossible to convert the engine's efficiency to comparative automotive terms, simply because the hydrodynamics are different and a car's weight and aerodynamics play a significant part in how efficient a car is too.
But put it this way: this mammoth diesel is ultra-thrifty. It can be ordered in three different configurations -- diesel, spark-ignited petrol and dual fuel – plus there's a nitrous oxide system that when engaged doesn't affect efficiency, claims Wärtsilä.
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