Liter output
The liter output (technically better: specific or cubic capacity ) of an internal combustion engine is a calculation variable that serves the purpose of comparing engine outputs of engines of different cubic capacities . The (specific) capacity is the quotient of the nominal capacity and the capacity of the engine.
For example, a tractor engine or a marine diesel engine usually has a low liter output, as these are designed for high torque at low speed . The exact opposite is a racing motorcycle that achieves high peak performance with a small displacement, but needs high speeds and only has a narrow usable speed range with usable torque.
A calculation example: With a nominal output of 105 kW and a displacement of 2.3 l, the result is a displacement of 45.65 kW / l.
As a result of the downsizing of engines that has been common in automotive development in recent years, the liter output increases considerably, even in volume models without sporting ambitions - in return, engines with less displacement are used (example: Ford Ecoboost 1-liter three-cylinder with up to 103 kW output).
As early as 1939, with compressors and explosive fuel mixtures, racing engines achieved liter outputs of 125 kW / l, for example in the Mercedes-Benz W 165 . In the so-called turbo era of Formula 1 in the 1980s, one PS could be achieved with special fuels (" racing gasoline ") and correspondingly adjusted boost pressure per cubic centimeter, corresponding to a liter output of around 736 kW / l. This rapid development of the power output from the specified cubic capacity - at the expense of durability, stability and safety - was at the time one of the reasons to tighten the regulations and to return to 3.5-liter naturally aspirated engines.
Often, instead of the technically correct (and legal) unit of measurement kW / l, the outdated unit PS / l is used.
literature
- Hans Jörg Leyhausen: The master craftsman's examination in the automotive trade part 1. 12 edition, Vogel Buchverlag, Würzburg, 1991, ISBN 3-8023-0857-3 .
- Jan Drummans: The car and its technology. 1st edition, Motorbuchverlag, Stuttgart, 1992, ISBN 3-613-01288-X .
Individual evidence
- ↑ Ford Fiesta Sport with the most powerful 1.0-liter EcoBoost series engine of all time , press release from Ford 2014