Turbocharged engines have really started to find their place in the conventional car market after years of being seen as more of a performance-only option. It’s not just the Germans who are pushing for forced induction; even Toyota and Honda have plans to fit smaller 2 and 1.5 Litre turbocharged units on some of their best-selling nameplates. It’s by far the most cost-effective way for large producers to make petrol engines more powerful and efficient, but of course there are drawbacks, the biggest obstacle being the limitations on compression ratios.
Many, including Saab and Peugeot, have tried but failed to produce a viable solution on a large scale. Porsche however, have finally found a way to produce a simple and reliable variable compression ratio solution. Their consulting arm, Porsche Consulting, worked with the maker of variable valve timing components, Hilite International to produce this patent.
The patent shows their solution is to use hydraulic pressure to control the connecting rod of the piston, pulling it down for when a lower compression ratio is required. It’s not infinitely variable, there are just two ratios that the engine can operate at, but that means it’s less complex and prone to failure. If it begins to see industry wide adaptation, we might just witness the end of turbo lag.
