Otto cycle
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Over the past couple of years we’ve been reporting about a new engine concept where a small amount of ethanol is injected directly into a cylinder chamber before combustion along with a blast of gasoline. The burning of ethanol has the positive side effect of cooling the combustion chamber, and when combined with the fuel’s higher octane rating, much higher compression ratios can be run, the end result being diesel-like economy from a gasoline engine. Now Chrysler, along with the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), is investigating a similar concept but where diesel fuel is injected...