New Disc Gas Engine Looks to Challenge Traditional Diesel, Gas ICEs

Daily Tech ^ | April 7, 2011 4:17 PM | Jason Mick (Blog)

[prisoner6]

Bet there's very little torque. Might make a decent fixed speed engine for a generator.

Interesting, but not holding my breath.

[Ernest_at_the_Beach]

fyi

[bigbob]

It looks interesting, but I’m skeptical whenever I see the Next Big Thing described in vague terms illustrated with a fuzzy drawing that lacks detail or a solid technical explanation of the theory of operation. If they have provisional patents filed, why not show and tell instead of having Dr. Norbert drone on and on?

Should create work for a good PR person at least! I’ll stay tuned.

[runninglips]

That is what it is being built for, to power a generator, making a hybrid.

[mylife]

Pulse jet go cart for sale!

[Jack Black]

The Wankel made it all the way to full production but has still never displaced the piston engine.

And, as far as I’m concerned from a motorcycle perspective the four-stroke still is unproven in the highest echelons of racing.

[Jack Black]

:-) .. on that last comment.

[mylife]

And what of the Stirling?

[Past Your Eyes]

All it needs is a flywheel or two. ";^)

[MsLady]

The combustion engine is kinda like the light bulb. No on has really been able to come up with any kind of substitute that’s just as good if not better.

[SunkenCiv]

And, the guy's only an assistant professor. :') Decades ago, there were a couple of diesel engine designs which never caught on, both were bent in the center, and the rotation of the halves produced the compression. They were mirror images of a sort -- one had the 120° pistons in the middle, the other one had the 120° cylinders in the middle.

It's more usual for ideas of this kind -- good or bad -- to languish.

Thanks Ernest.

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[Polynikes]

LOL Looks like a V-1 on wheels. When you get close to your destination does it cut off and glide in? :~)

[Jack Black]

Concept vehicle for next-generation Mazda RX-9, as far as I know the only rotary engine in production in a commercially available vehicle today.

The problem with the current RX-8 is that it has only about 230HP while the competing Z-370 puts out 330 and the V8 Mustang puts out over 400. It gets worse gas milage than the V6 doing it, too. It will be interesting to see what they come up with in the 9 and if they finally get competitive with pistons. Gas milage has been one of the biggest weaknesses of the design, from what I can tell. It's light enough that they could put a bigger engine in and presumably match the power output of a piston engine, but the milage would be really bad.

They have done a great job on the styling at least. The current RX-8 was not ever a really cool looking car IMHO.

[mylife]

It coasts in

[epithermal]

I am looking for the return of the HVID engine. I once read an old newspaper article that said it could be powered by whipped cream.

[iontheball]

I'll bet your statement on low torque is right on the spot. I am dubious of whirling wheels being able to cut it when you need real lugging power like you get from a slow burn, long stroke diesel engine. If the only torque you get comes from high rpm, you will need a fluid slip transmission system which will greatly reduce the efficiency.

[calex59]

When ever anyone says flywheel I remember the old(really old)one cylinder gas engines with huge fly wheels. It was a hoot watching one run with only one explosion about every 3 or 4 seconds and the engine cycling through the other 3 strokes silently. However, they were able to do what they were designed for, run a generator or other farm equipment and the fly wheel took forever to stop turning after the engine died.

[mylife]

Sounds delightful. But will it lead to the transmission of HVIDS?

[WellyP]

How about the old “Make and Break” marine engines, PONG...Pong...PONG?

How to Build a 3HP Launch Engine
... complete text, drawings, and instructions for an amateur to build a single cylinder, three horsepower, make’n’break, marine engine.

www.marineengine.com/books/g7.html