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Performance Hybrid Technology
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By MartinW at 2007-12-10 12:36
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Wednesday, 08 March 2006
V10 power (courtesy of Connaught Motor Company)
The all-aluminium, ultra-compact, 2110cc V10 engine is packed with innovative features. The vee-angle is just 22.5 degrees, which makes the engine narrow and gives good balance with even firing intervals. The wet cylinder liners mate directly with the cylinder head, with no gasket, and other components are sealed with rubber where necessary.
The crankshaft is pressed together from 22 components, and fed into the block from one end. Its webs double as very large main-bearing journals, but the bearing surface is very slender to keep friction down. The pistons have ceramic crowns, to reduce the heat transfer to the block. Future developments could include V8 and V12 versions of the engine.
For a rapid warm-up and maximum efficiency, the cylinder head has its own water-cooling circuit. When the block needs to be cooled as well, an interconnecting valve opens to unite the cooling circuits, pumped by an electric water pump as required. There are two valves per cylinder, a single overhead camshaft per bank with bucket tappets and variable valve timing system, and a very high (13.5 to one) compression ratio. Cross-linking of opposite inlet ports produces pressure pulses to improve low-speed torque, and each cylinder has its own throttle valve.
The engine alone reaches its torque peak at 4000rpm, but with the electric motor assisting its efforts there's a flat torque curve of 144lb ft from 1000rpm right up to 6000rpm. That strong low-end pull is the secret of the Connaught's pace, delivering a pulling ability extraordinary for such a compact engine unit. Maximum combined power - 162bhp - arrives at 6000rpm.
Internal Combustion Engine Specification
22.5 degree all alloy V10 with C-MHS
Electronically controlled torque delivery
20 valves with VVT (variable valve timing)
Electric water pump
Compression Ratio 13.5:1
Displacement cubic cm 2000
Maximum 6800rpm
Power and torque
162bhp (120Kw) @ 6000rpm.
192Nm (144lbs ft) of torque from 1000 to 6000rpm
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