AUBURN HILLS, MI—Despite the recent focus on electric power trains, automakers aren’t ready to throw in the towel on the good old internal combustion engine. Engineers are studying how to deliver more efficiency out of smaller sources, such as turbocharged 2.0-liter four-cylinder engines, without sacrificing performance.
Getting there means using more pressure (boost) and higher compression ratios. However, doing that generates more heat in the cylinder head, which sees some of the highest temperatures in an internal combustion engine.