Ultrasound Can Monitor the Health of Your Car Engine

A system that uses ultrasound technology to look inside car engines could lead to more efficient engines. Ultrasound scans have been used in healthcare for many years, but they have never been put to use in testing the health of a modern combustion engine. Researchers at the UK’s University of Sheffield have devised a method of using ultrasound to measure how efficiently an engine’s pistons are moving up and down inside their cylinders.

Carmakers have to calculate how much oil will allow the piston to move efficiently. Too much oil is wasteful and ends up getting burnt in the engine, while too little results in wear. The researchers are measuring lubricant film by transmitting ultrasonic pulses through the cylinder wall from sensors attached to the outside. The reflections from these pulses can then be recorded and measured.

Visit www.shef.ac.uk/news/nr/ultrasound-monitor-health-car-engine-1.230250 for more information.