Thermal management of combustion engines

A method of improving the reflectivity of a surface of an internal combustion engine, the internal combustion engine having a cylindrical or non-cylindrical internal wall of an internal combustion chamber in which one or more pistons move and in which combustion occurs, the method comprising:

• polishing a surface of the internal combustion chamber, said surface exposed to combustion during use of the internal combustion engine,
• said polishing effective to increase a reflectivity of the surface.

A component of an internal combustion engine, the engine having a chamber that has a cylindrical or non-cylindrical internal wall and has one or more pistons moving within the chamber, the component including one of the following:

• (i) an internal combustion chamber having an internal wall including a polished surface exposed to combustion during operation of the engine, (ii) one or more pistons that have a polished surface exposed to combustion during operation of the engine, (iii) a valve having a polished surface exposed to combustion during operation of the engine and (iv) an engine head having a polished surface exposed to combustion during operation of the engine, said polished surface having a reflectivity of at least 45%.