A Diesel?

[Muzhik]

When I was looking at alternative fuels and the like (mostly involved with "make your own diesel/alcohol fuel at home in your spare time!" type stuff) I read up on this EcoMotors design. It had one major drawback that outweighed all the fuel-efficiency/size/eco-friendly stuff:

If you don't get everything, and I mean EVERYTHING, balanced just right, the blessed thing will shake apart. Standard engines with multiple cylinders can time piston movements to cancel out vibrations. But this design has only two cylinders going left-right-left-right. You need some major vibration management to keep the resulting shimmy from doing serious damage.

 

[CrimsonEclipse]

If you're going to make a diesel startup, consult with VW.

 

[Sethodine]

When I was looking at alternative fuels and the like (mostly involved with "make your own diesel/alcohol fuel at home in your spare time!" type stuff) I read up on this EcoMotors design. It had one major drawback that outweighed all the fuel-efficiency/size/eco-friendly stuff:

If you don't get everything, and I mean EVERYTHING, balanced just right, the blessed thing will shake apart. Standard engines with multiple cylinders can time piston movements to cancel out vibrations. But this design has only two cylinders going left-right-left-right. You need some major vibration management to keep the resulting shimmy from ding serious damage.

You could have a second one of these motors next to the first, making it 4 cylinders, and time the shake from the second set to cancel the first.

 

[AriLea]

I could make a new super efficient diesel. I could achieve 65-90% efficiency and beyond. It would be able to run on strait bio-oil from hemp, or algae, (purified French fry oil) . It would be scalable. An Elio version would be very good and get incredible gas mileage. If it were an aircraft engine it would be smaller and lighter than a gasoline engine but with more parts(ie. turbo chargers and intercooler, supercharger etc), however the total weight and size would be similar. Same holds true for automobile engines. It would be extremely easy to work on in a garage. It would have far less parts. When made, it could rival gasoline engine price because of its simplicity, though high quality very advanced materials would be used like ceramics and carbon composite. Not a four stroke but a 2 stroke. Unlike any engine you have seen, but the best of all out there. I could also make the elio 3 wheel drive (AWD) with a hydraulic transmission. All would last a long time.

Having said that, how does your thought differ from the LiquidPiston (LqP) engine claimed at 70% efficiency?
All ICE has a thermal limit based on absorption of the peak heat. Ceramics is one way to limit that drain, but then the design of the 4stroke gets in the way causing hot-spot based issues such as N.O.'s and pre-detonation. LqP avoids that by over-expanding the exhaust and a design with-out valves of other hot-spot features. It is more suitable for ceramics than the 4stroke ICE.
So then, how are you accomidating these issues, other than eliminating the valves as a two stroke? Also how do you propose to avoid the hydro-carbon issues from burning of two stroke lubricant? That had an impact on the Rotary and probably will be a concern for the LqP.
The 'opoc' above eliminates much of the hot spots and lube iissues, but still has flow efficency issues around evacuating the exhaust and heat loss through the walls.

 

[AriLea]

I should mention that racing has been using ceramics for years at this point, but never approached a 50% thermal efficiency. That was never their objective, but would always be helpful for a high power-to-weight ratio.So I think they did care and considered it.

Hydraulic AWD has always been interesting too, but efficiency has always been a concern generating excess heat, never reaching the desires golden range of less than 2% losses. Typically it's a lot higher than common automatics even in 2WD formats. Of course no recent engineer has considered that as a viable objective for hydraulics, so maybe you have a plan?

I certainly have considered all the above for my Atlantric, but like everyone else I can not get an 'angel' to fund me until it's already done.

i.e, if you do it, and prove it. (most often) Only then you'll have interest.

 

[Muzhik]

You could have a second one of these motors next to the first, making it 4 cylinders, and time the shake from the second set to cancel the first.

I thought of this at the time. Apparently that layout significantly increases the weight of the engine without a significant increase in power.

Just checked out the web page, and they've apparently made some progress in the past 8 years, so everything I know about the engine may be wrong.

 

[Adamant]

Me too. And the mileage would likely break 100/gallon!

Kinda makes you wonder why they didn't go for Diesel in the first place. It must me significantly more expensive to produce. Otherwise, seems like a no brainer to go diesel. Especially if it puts mpgs up over 100.

Perhaps Gen 2 will be Diesel? Or at least once they get going, maybe they can offer a Diesel option.

 

[Muzhik]

It's not just the mpg. It's that for some reason, the EPA and DOE and all the other agencies treat the diesel engine like it's an ICE, so the govt. ratings aren't as good as they are for ICE engines and the designers have to design around that. It's why it's so hard to get European-designed diesel engines in autos sold in America.

 

[bunchathrees]

But a diesel is an internal-combustion engine.

 

[ross]

Keep in mind they are the first independent manufacturer to produce their own engine in over 60 years. The difference in the strength of the bottom end of a gas engine and a diesel is substantial, you don't just unscrew the spark plugs and screw in diesel injectors and have a diesel engine. Oldsmobile tried that in the late '70's and it was a MAJOR failure.