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Ford Tests More Efficient 1.0-liter EcoBoost Prototype

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1.0-liter EcoBoost

Ford is the three-time winner of the International Engine of the Year award, and Ford is looking for ways to extend its popular powerplant’s streak by working out how to make it even more efficient. A new approach to engine management in the form of the cylinder-deactivation process might be the key.

“Even for an aggressively downsized engine such as the 1.0-liter EcoBoost, a significant improvement in vehicle fuel economy could be found by exploiting cylinder deactivation,” Schamel said. “The highest priority in the development of new combustion engines for automotive applications is the ongoing reduction of fuel consumption.”

In testing a new prototype of a possible 1.0-liter EcoBoost followup, Ford engineers at the European Research and Innovation Centre in Aachen, Germany found that cylinder deactivation promotes upwards of a 6% improvement in fuel efficiency. These findings were presented last week at the Vienna Engine Symposium by Andreas Schamel, Ford director, Global Powertrain, Research & Advanced Engineering

Ford also developed a dual mass flywheel that creates the possibility of cylinder deactivation at a more diverse range of engine loads and speeds. The flywheel also helps reduced noise, vibration, and harshness, ensuring a smoother and more palatable ride.

This flywheel was combined with a pendulum absorber and tuned clutch disc, all of which improved the performance of the prototype 1.0-liter over that of the current mass market iteration.