New Internal Combustion Engine Prototype

[Mychael101]

http://www.popsci.com/cars/article/2011-03/shockwave-generating-wave-discs-could-replace-cars-internal-combustion-engines

Shockwave-Generating Wave Discs Could Replace Internal Combustion Engines

Michigan researchers have built a prototype of a new auto motor that does away with pistons, crankshafts and valves, replacing the old internal combustion engine with a disc-shaped shock wave generator. It could slash the weight of hybrid cars and reduce auto emissions by 90 percent.

The generator is about the size of a saucepot, and would replace the 1,000-pound power train in most cars - no transmission, cooling system, emissions regulation or fluids needed. Norbert Müller and colleagues at Michigan State University showed off the new motor prototype at a meeting with the Department of Energy's Advanced Research Projects Agency.

It consists of a rotor carved with wave-like channels. Fuel and air enter through central inlets, and the rotor spins to block their exit through a separate outlet. The sudden build-up of pressure generates a shock wave, compressing the mixture. Then it's ignited, and as the rotor keeps spinning, the outlet opens again to let the hot gases escape. New Scientist explains in further detail.

The novel generator would use about 60 percent of fuel for propulsion, according to MSU. This is a dramatic improvement over typical car engines, which use only 15 percent of fuel for forward movement. The system could also make cars 20 percent lighter, improving fuel economy even more.

MSU received a $2.5 million ARPA-E grant to develop the technology. Müller said he hopes to have an even larger 25-kilowatt prototype by the end of this year.

[CJ-95GT]

Very cool, but it won't impress many car enthusiast until it has at least 500 hp.

[Strychnine]

link is busted; has ellipses in it. copy/paste again.

[Jewrrick]

http://www.popsci.com/cars/article/2011-03/shockwave-generating-wave-discs-could-replace-cars-internal-combustion-engines

[jdgregory84]

It looks like some sort of goofy modern art wall decoration.

[cool cat]

I'm just amazed you put up a link that wasn't from that Hip Hop site.

[Strychnine]

Yikes, I wonder how much math went into the specific shape of the rotor channels. Relying solely on shockwave compression to light off combustion (no sliding vanes, no odd shaped case, etc)... and have it repeatable and consistent... Props, yo.

If they're planning to scale up to 35hp, I wonder
1. How small their prototype is
2. When they will have anything ~200hp
3. What speeds they are testing at
4. Max speed, if any? (technology in general, excluding things like bearings)
5. Efficiency charts? At some point in the speed range does power:speed ratio fall on its face? is it linear?
6. Sensitive to A/F ratio? Is is super strict where HP is direclty related to engine/rotor size or could one size package be tuned for diff power levels?

[Rreemo]

Isn't this just kind of rotary technology to the next level?

[Strychnine]

Isn't this just kind of rotary technology to the next level?

Yeah, it has a rotor and no valves... But it's also not spark ignited.


It's like a rotary diesel (in that it's just compression ignition) that uses a sort of "whip crack" combustion instead of just brute force, mechanically cram the air into a tighter and tighter space combustion.

It also has a constant combustion volume. Recip engines have a piston to compress the air. Wankels use the rotor to squeeze the air into a static, but decreasing combustion volume.
This one does neither. It has a circular perimeter and circular rotor.

[Baron Von Crowder]

Kinda tirbine-ish. Could be cool. Wonder if it makes gobs of torque?

[46Tbird]

I could beat it with a $1500 5.0...

[Snatch Napkin]

[Frank]

I'm not clear if its theoretical or they have actually gotten the prototype to work.

[GT Dan]

Rx-7

[Jimbo]

So its just an idea for an effiecient fuel powered generator, to charge an electric vehicle?