At first glance, the concept of engine compression is simple enough:It's the ratio of the volume of the combustion chamber and bore when thepiston is at bottom dead center (BDC) versus when it is at ...

You might have heard about high compression ratios, but what exactly are they, and what kind of effect do they have on an engine's fuel efficiency?

Engineers have a lot to think about when designing new engines, and one of the biggest considerations is the shape of the ...

A gasoline piston engine that can dynamically change its compression ratio —that is, the amount by which the piston squeezes the fuel-air mixture in the cylinder—has long been a holy grail of engine ...

Strictly defined, compression ratio is the total volume above the piston at bottom dead center (BDC), divided by the total volume above the piston at top dead center (TDC). First, let's look at the ...

It seems like every major automaker these days is using tricks like variable-valve timing – often in conjunction with forced induction – to eke better efficiency out of their engines while still ...

IRVINE, Calif.—Despite rumors to the contrary, the internal combustion engine is far from dead. Recently we’ve seen several technological advances that will significantly boost the efficiency of ...

Mihai has even branched beyond the usual confines of an automotive writer from time to time, however, his heart is still close to anything car-related. He's most at home retelling the story of some ...