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A variety of fuel tolerance tests were conducted utilizing Ford's PROCO engine, a direct fuel injection stratified charge engine developed for light duty vehicles. These engine tests were run on the dynamometer and in vehicles. Data indicate an 89 RON octane requirement, relatively low sensitivity to volatility characteristics and good fuel economy, emission control and operability on a certain range of petroleum fuel and alcohol mixes including 100% methanol. Fuels such as JP-4 and Diesel fuel are not at present suitable for this engine. There were no engine modifications tested that might improve the match between the engine and a particular fuel. The 100% methanol test was conducted with a modified fuel injection pump. Durability aspects including compatibility of various fuels with the materials in the fuel system were not addressed.

A structural ceramic diesel engine has the potential to provide low heat rejection and significant improvements in fuel economy. Analytical and experimental evaluations were conducted on the critical elements of this engine. The structural ceramic components, which included the cylinder, piston and pin, operated successfully in a single cylinder engine for over 100 hours. The potential for up to 8-11% improvement in indicated specific fuel consumption was projected when corrections for blow-by were applied. The ringless piston with gas squeeze film lubrication avoided the difficulty with liquid lubricants in the high temperature piston/cylinder area. The resulting reduction in friction was projected to provide an additional 15% improvement in brake specific fuel consumption for a multi-cylinder engine at light loads.