Global outlook for the ceramic heat engine

The ceramic fever of the early 1980s has abated somewhat and the enthusiasm held by many has been replaced by a more cautious approach. Perhaps this is no more evident than with those involved with the ceramic engine. Consequently, Argonne National Laboratory was asked by the Department of Energy to update their economic study made in the early 1980s, which had revealed that the use of advanced ceramics in automobiles and other vehicles could substantially increase US economic growth. The new study was refined so that both government and industry could make better decisions on developing ceramic engine technology based on accurate projections of market development and timing. In addition, a panel discussion was held during the 1988 SAE International congress and Exposition to discuss the results of the survey and provide an open forum for additional comments, some of which are presented in this paper.