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From another forum I frequent:

The wave disk generator came up in discussion this past weekend with an old friend of mine, an MSU engineering graduate of some 30 years ago (my vintage as well...), he is still well connected with the MSU engineering community and I consider him to be brilliant. He knows some fellows who do contract machine work for many of MSU’s engineering projects, and apparently his friends have done some machine and fabrication work for the wave disk generator.

When I asked him if he thought it was a real breakthrough, or just another “revolutionary ICE design that never goes anywhere...”, I believe I’m quoting him correctly as saying “...I believe it is complete and utter f**king bulls**t.”

Apparently, said wave disk generator requires a rather large amount of compressed air to operate, and as we know, large amounts of compressed air aren’t free, and some outsiders who have looked at it believe that a goodly amount of the shaft output power comes from the compressed air input. Granted now, if it has enough shaft output, it could likely run it’s own turbocharger.

One other consensus is that the MSU academics involved are quite skilled at working the federal grant system.

I find the claims of 1000 pound reductions in vehicle weight due to conventional powertrains (engine, transmission, cooling system, emissions, and fluids) to be an exaggeration, as decent sized generators, wheel traction motors, batteries, and their associated heavy wiring and control systems have substantial weight. But if this thing can efficiently run a generator at constant speed with lower BSFC and emissions than a piston ICE, and provide enough output to run an all-electric vehicle, then perhaps it has merit.

Guess we’ll see, but my engineering skepticism detector is beeping on this one.

BSFC rulz.

Guess we’ll see, but my engineering skepticism detector is beeping on this one.

Thanks for the (insider) input. Helps to hear from folks who have a professional take on these sorts of things.

When I asked him if he thought it was a real breakthrough, or just another “revolutionary ICE design that never goes anywhere...”, I believe I’m quoting him correctly as saying “...I believe it is complete and utter f**king bulls**t.” Apparently, said wave disk generator requires a rather large amount of compressed air to operate, and as we know, large amounts of compressed air aren’t free, and some outsiders who have looked at it believe that a goodly amount of the shaft output power comes from the compressed air input. Granted now, if it has enough shaft output, it could likely run it’s own turbocharger.

I've looked @ this thing, and I sort of get it, but I am worried about air building up and becoming stagnant... Does anyone here know the effects on "Reynolds Numbers" on Small Turbine Engine Centrifugal Compressors? The effects are not good, i.e the blades aren't long enough and what about compressor stalls? This thing is like taking a Centrifugal Compressor and trying to make it act like the entire engine, How robust will it be? Will parts liberate and hurt someone like a small turbine engine can? I want to see one run on a dyno, then will talk.....

However this is the most clever engine I have seen in a long time. 2 stroke, Barrel engine ( no typical crankshaft or rods), Internally charged, with a unique air director off the main shaft and The ignition and Fuel injection are intergrated within the pistons and that makes it Direct Injected... All I can say is wow...

http://www.google.com/patents?id=zPLwAAAAEBAJ&printsec=abstract&zoom=4&rview=1#v=onepage&q&f=false