Audi ! .. ... combustion !! ............ ......... and more !!!

It was after India’s glory on 25^th June 1983 winning the Prudential World Cup- India played exceptionally good cricket downunder in Benson & Hedges 1985 – beating Pakistan, England, Australia, New Zealand (in Semis) and Pakistan again in the finals.  Krishnamachari Srikkanth gave great starts hitting bowlers around the park, yet it was Ravi Shastri who was the Champion of Champions – and was awarded an ‘Audi 100’ sedan car.   I first heard of that car only then – having seen Ambassadors, Fiats, Standard 10,  Chevrolets, Morris, Plymouths .. .. !!

During our school days, we read about ‘Engines’ (did not comprehend them fully though) – it was about combustion – about how petrol could change to energy that drove the vehicles .. .. and we read about 2 stroke and 4 stroke.  1980s were days of  Hamara Bajaj, Vijay, Lamby scooters, Jawa/Yezdi, Rajdoot, Bullet motor cycles – all had two stroke – engines that completed a   power cycle with two strokes of the piston during only one crankshaft revolution.  The Four-Stroke   engine is an internal combustion engine in which the piston completes four separate strokes while turning the crankshaft.

Combustion is the scientific word for burning. In a combustion reaction, a substance reacts with oxygen from the air. Combustion reactions happen at high temperatures, and transfer energy to the surroundings as light and heat. This is why you see flames when things burn.  Combustion, or burning, is a high-temperature exothermic redox chemical reaction between a fuel (the reductant) and an oxidant, usually atmospheric oxygen, that produces oxidized, often gaseous products, in a mixture termed as smoke. Combustion does not always result in fire, because a flame is only visible when substances undergoing combustion vapourise, but when it does, a flame is a characteristic indicator of the reaction. While the activation energy must be overcome to initiate combustion (e.g., using a lit match to light a fire), the heat from a flame may provide enough energy to make the reaction self-sustaining.  

An internal combustion engine (ICE) is a heat engine in which the combustion of a fuel occurs with an oxidizer (usually air) in a combustion chamber that is an integral part of the working fluid flow circuit. In an internal combustion engine, the expansion of the high-temperature and high-pressure gases produced by combustion applies direct force to some component of the engine. The force is applied typically to pistons, turbine blades, a rotor, or a nozzle. This force moves the component over a distance, transforming chemical energy into useful work. This replaced the external combustion engine for applications where weight or size of the engine is important. 

You are reading all these because it would become a thing of the past in a few more years !  .. .. .. Bosses at German car firm Audi have confirmed plans to phase-out petrol and diesel models, with a deadline of 2026 set for the release of its final vehicles with an internal combustion engine. After that date the brand will cease development of fossil-fuelled cars and redirect attention to pure electrification. By 2033, Audi says it will no longer offer petrol and diesel-engined models into its European showrooms - though it will continue to sell them in China.

Audi became the latest in a host of car makers to outline their intentions to do away with the internal combustion engine over the course of the next decade, following the likes of Fiat, Ford, Jaguar Land Rover and Volvo, as well as exotic brands including Bentley and Lamborghini.  Like many rival manufacturers, Audi's goal is to be net-zero carbon by 2050 - the same carbon-neutrality target set by parent group VW.

Part of this process will see the end of development of internal combustion engines come in five years' time. From 2026 there will be no investment into evolving its petrol and diesel offering and all models removed from sale some seven years later. But while there won't be any new engines coming to market, Audi says it will continue to build its existing fossil-fuelled powertrains for China, as the market is expected to continue growing after 2033. For Europe, the schedule for winding-down availability of petrol and diesel models begins with immediate effect, as the German car maker plans to launch 'more than 20' electric 'e-tron'-badged vehicles before 2025. Its latest electric car, the e-tron GT, has received rave reviews and is, despite a high starting price of £79,900, experiencing high demand. Already due to launch next year is the large Q6 e-tron SUV, while an electrified version of the A6 luxury saloon is also due in 2023.  

Speaking at the Climate Neutrality Foundation conference on Wednesday, CEO Markus Duesmann said: 'Audi is ready to make its decisive and powerful move into the electric age. 'Through our innovative strength, we offer individuals sustainable and carbon-neutral mobility options.' Commenting on the proposed ban on sales of new petrol and diesel passenger cars in different countries - with the UK setting a deadline of 2030 - Duesmann added: 'I don't believe in the success of bans. I believe in the success of technology and innovation.'  Audi believes that the exact timing of the combustion engine's discontinuation will 'ultimately be decided by customers and legislation' combined.  

'With this roadmap, we are creating the clarity necessary to make a decisive and powerful transition to the electric age. We're sending the signal that Audi is ready,' the Audi boss continued.  And in something of a two-finger salute to law makers, Duesmann added: 'Audi’s last internal combustion engine will be the best we've ever built.'

Interesting !

 

With regards – S. Sampathkumar
23^rd June 2021.