Circle Cycle engine (new type of car engine. Darndest thing I have seen in awhile)

circlecycleice.com via Popular Science ad. ^ | 2012 | Circle cycle

[dynachrome]

What is it?

Orbital,non-reciprocating internal combustion engine. Piston/Cylinder structured Adaptable to all liquid or gaseous fuels Ultra efficient Patent # 7721687B1; & Patents Pending

[VeniVidiVici]

The HP output on that website must be a typo. The 6.1L underneath it is listed at 425 also. If you go to the Mopar Performance homepage for that same part number, P5155513, the specs say that it is 426ci motor with over 540hp and 530ft-lb torque.

http://www.moparperformanceonline.com/p-1255-mopar-426-hemi-540-horsepower.aspx

[Chode]

thx... that'll liquefy tires for sure

[Mike Darancette]

Watching the animated drawing and listening to “Blue Danube” is a real trip!

[Mike Darancette]

You still feill it up on gas, but the tires are all driven by small electric engines.

Diesel/Electric is the way to go on that.

[count-your-change]

I did watch video and then went to the engine home page. There are apparently some parts not shown in the drawings nor fully explained.

It sounds like there is a small piston or set of seals that does not leave the cylinder and the larger piston simply pushes against it.

[VeniVidiVici]

And it’s on sale too. Only $11K!

When I was a kid I always wanted a ‘71 Barracuda with the 426. Now I can’t even afford the motor.

[cpdiii]

We should drill drill drill and then bring back the 426 Hemi when gas goes back to $.28 a gal.

The only reason to drive a 426 hemi is very simple. They do not make a 1000 Hemi.

[TigersEye]

I don't think there is any piston that stays in the cylinder. The seal is created by the compression ring cartridge in the the compression ring assembly. The rings apparently are the only thing that touches the piston and nothing touches the cylinder walls.

[Chode]

and that motor costs more than the whole car did in 72... damn

[BobL]

“as a former vega owner,I can tell you they sucked.”

Decades ago I convinced a friend to buy a Vega...well...a former friend now.

[count-your-change]

I'm having trouble visualizing just how a piston can be driven out of a cylinder with nothing touching the cylinder wall to seal the gap between piston and cylinder wall.

Even being a close fit would have too much blow by. So maybe my mental picture of the thing is way off.

Anyway it's an interesting looking machine.

[TigersEye]

The rings seal it. In essence the rings are all that seal any piston and cylinder internal combustion engine.

[Ruy Dias de Bivar]

Anything like the WANKEL engine that Mazda used back in the 1970s?

[Nik Naym]

“Anything like the WANKEL engine that Mazda used back in the 1970s?”

Back in the 70s?????

It was only a few months ago that Mazda built the last RX8, which was powered by a rotary engine. (A Wankel)

You can still find them on dealer lots if you want one.

A spectacularly fun car, too.

Mazda WILL bring out another Rotary powered car.

I would love one, but I can only justify one summer/toy car to the wife.

But someday......

[jaydee770]

>>...Then there was Vega...<<

And *then* there was the Vega with a small-block (thank you aftermarket)!

[kickonly88]

Better flow than a Knuckle or Pan. Although, I do love Knucks, Pans and even Flatties. After the Shovel, the factory took a turn for the worse in the rocker arm cover design. It lost the cool factor.

[SunkenCiv]

Thanks dynachrome. In the 1970s PopSci had separate stories (separated by some months) regarding 120° angled piston engines. One had the solid pistons as 120° solid pieces, with the ICPE cycles going on on both ends, as they spun in the engine cylinders and the two halves of the engine block spun. This is how the pistons reciprocated in the cylinders. The other approach flipped the pistons to the outside, with the single block in the center.

[Don W]

A quick reference to the engine specifications for 1955-57 will show the Ford V-8s ahead of the Chevrolet counterparts in displacement, horsepower and torque.

BTW, it was Buick that came out with the first OHV V-8. Chevvie has always been a second place copycat.

Smokie Yunick, who was no fan of Ford, stated in the early 1960’s that if Nascar rules were even-handed and fair, no Chevvie would have won a race after about 1954.

[grellis]

MICHIGAN PING LIST

Please freepmail me if you wish to be added or dropped from the mitten ping.

[Red Badger]

Very interesting.
But, the greenies will still hate it because it’s just another way to burn fossil fuels.
It seems a bit complicated, and has lots of parts that must be machined perfectly and withstand extremely high temps for a long time.
The alignment of the piston and cylinder looks like a nightmare waiting to happen. If it’s sitting on a test stand on concrete is one thing, going down the road hitting bumps and jars is another..................