Optimising Lubricant Oils to Boost Engine Efficiency | Ken Hope
Original Article Reference
This SciPod is a summary of the paper ‘PAO Contributions to Energy Efficiency in 0W-20 Passenger Car Engine Oils’, in Lubricants. https://doi.org/10.3390/lubricants6030073
About this episode
The engine of a typical passenger vehicle is made up of hundreds of mechanical parts. These parts require lubrication to prevent them from overheating and to keep them working efficiently. Ken Hope and his team at Chevron Phillips Chemical, headquartered in Texas, have analysed the extent to which different types of lubricant oils reduce friction. They then used this data to estimate how an optimised oil mixture can achieve an overall improvement in engine efficiency.
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
What does this mean?
Share: You can copy and redistribute the material in any medium or format
Adapt: You can change, and build upon the material for any purpose, even commercially.
Credit: You must give appropriate credit, provide a link to the license, and indicate if changes were made.
More episodes
Dr. Zhe Su | Understanding the twisted tectonics of the Sichuan basin
The Sichuan basin in southern China is a region of deep geological and seismological complexity, which has so far prevented researchers from understanding its tectonic past. Through fresh analysis of previous observations, combined with the latest modelling techniques, a team led by Dr. Zhe Su at the National Institute of Natural Hazards, Beijing, suggests for the first time that the entire Sichuan basin is slowly rotating. Their result could explain the origins of one of the deadliest earthquakes in living memory, and could also help seismologists to better predict when earthquakes will strike the region in the future.
Dr Patrick O’Neill | Revolutionising Pharmaceutical Synthesis with Continuous Flow Chemistry
Dr Patrick O’Neill of Pfizer, Ireland, and Professor Jie Wu of the National University of Singapore, and their team, have made groundbreaking advancements in the synthesis of 1,2,3-triazole – a key building block in the manufacture of a life-saving antibiotic. Replacing traditional batch processes, they developed a safer, more efficient method using continuous flow chemistry, which addresses potential global supply chain vulnerabilities. This innovative approach eliminates hazardous intermediates, improves reaction safety, and ensures a stable supply of 1,2,3-triazole for global pharmaceutical production.
Dr Ramtin Zand | A Hybrid System for Real-Time Sign Language Translation
Neuromorphic computing is a powerful tool for identifying time-varying patterns, but is often less effective than some AI-based techniques for more complex tasks. Researchers at the iCAS Lab directed by Ramtin Zand at the University of South Carolina, work on an NSF CAREER project to show how the capabilities of neuromorphic systems could be improved by blending them with specialized machine learning systems, without sacrificing their impressive energy efficiency. Using their approach, the team aims to show how the gestures of American Sign Language could be instantly translated into written and spoken language.
Dr. Mingjun Xie | A Blueprint for Life: Creating Blood Vessels in Bioprinted Tissues
A future where injured or diseased organs can be removed and replaced with new lab-printed tissues that are customized specifically for each patient is not as far away as you might think. These functional and living tissues could grow naturally within the body, and repair and sustain themselves over time. While these concepts were once in the realm of science fiction, advances in bioprinting, which is a form of 3D printing using biological “inks” (known as bioinks) loaded with living cells, are bringing them closer to reality. Among the researchers advancing this field is Dr. Mingjun Xie of Zhejiang University, China, and colleagues, who are performing work that addresses a significant challenge in bioprinting. This involves creating large portions of tissues that have a functional vasculature, thereby mimicking the complexity of native tissues and organs.
Increase the impact of your research
• Good science communication helps people make informed decisions and motivates them to take appropriate and affirmative action.
• Good science communication encourages everyday people to be scientifically literate so that they can analyse the integrity and legitimacy of information.
• Good science communication encourages people into STEM-related fields of study and employment.
• Good public science communication fosters a community around research that includes both members of the public, policymakers and scientists.
• In a recent survey, 75% of people suggested they would prefer to listen to an interesting story than read it.

Step 1 Upload your science paper
Step 2 SciPod script written
Step 3 Voice audio recorded
Step 4 SciPod published