How Ford 'further refined' its Ecoboost engine

The classic engine needs to be "further refined" to meet new emissions regulations and future customer expectations, a team of Ford engineers said in a presentation at the annual Vienna Motor Symposium.

To ensure the long-term future of internal combustion engines, new technology elements such as flexible valve timing and adjustable turbine geometry were analyzed on a prototype based on the second generation of Ford's successful 1.5-liter Ecoboost powerplant.

One goal of the engine project was to find a way to maximize the benefits of both continuously variable valve lift (CVVL) and variable turbine geometry, which would mean adding another expensive solution, such as variable compression mechanism, could be avoided.