Alternative Engine Tech

[AriLea]

(JEBAR guys, this is very interesting but it doesn't need to be in this thread ..... rather someone interested should start a thread for this discussion -Jim

-Granted!

(Made In USA While probably not of interest to Mark and his BEX project, the following engine looks promising. (35lbs for 70 HP, stackable)
THE RACE TO ZERO IS OVER! – Power with a purpose. (astronaerospace.com)

(Ari Lea They make some claims without any test numbers. At least the Liquid-Piston guys state some numbers and show a few tests.

Hot points gives NO2 emissions, that I can concede there may not be hot spots.
But heat losses seem to be very likely. Hopefully ceramics or other exotic materials will help with that.
But I don't see how there are less leakage issues. And they don't state numbers, and no images
with actual hardware in testing, just CGI is all I found... so far.

They seem to depend on very high RPM to keep combusted air where it belongs. But seals at that speed, well yes methods used in jet engines are required for that. Hmmmm, absolutely no examples of engine tests or results on line. Both Liquid Piston and Omega1 are saying 60% efficiency, but Omega says 'potential' and LqPn says 'demonstrated'.

Make one, test one, then talk to me 'bout it.

Turbine tech is particularly susceptible to downsized inefficiency. Something for a large ship producing much-much better power to weight than a small car or motorcycle. This was true for the Mazda rotary, which was a much better success in a sportscar than a motorcycle.

Now fuel cells, they seem to keep their efficiency up in small sizes, even better that EV motors.

(Mark BexThis type of engine is 100 to 200 years old in principle, one of my favorite engine sites here ..

Rotary Steam Engines.

Douglas Self, rotary steam engines, Watt Engine, Cooke engine, Bramah & Dickenson Engine, Cartwright Engine, Murdoch Engine, Trotter Engine, Routledge Engine, Eve Engine, Lamb Engine, Hyatt Engine, Borrie Engine, Galloway Engine, Simpson & Shipton Engine, Napier Engine, Hardy Engine, Cochrane...

www.douglas-self.com

(Ari Lea Liquid Piston is currently hoping to inspire manufacturers to use their engine. It's been years into an up hill battle.
LIMITED QUANTITIES OF DEVELOPMENT KITS, WHICH INCLUDE A CUSTOM BILLET MACHINED X-MINI PROTOTYPE ENGINE, ARE BEING MADE AVAILABLE TO SELECT DEVELOPMENT PARTNERS. STARTING AT $30,000.

Liquid Piston ━ Introducing the X mini engine​

​

(Made In USA That's a cool engine too. And like you said, they actually have working examples. Problem I see is that they are too small to produce in large quantities and therefore the price won't be coming down any time soon. They would need to license to a major manufacturer. They mentioned 30% better efficiency but they would need to put it into something like a car to have a fair comparison. Wonder what it might be produced at money wise if done in volume. I bet it would still be more than what the complete Elio was suppose to cost. Still, nice concept.

Well, it is an relatively simple engine. The kicker for the Wankel (sounds like an aussie word to me now! ) was the emissions from burnt oils. So I would like to see emissions results for the LiquidPiston (no piston involved, lol) They did put it on a go-cart and run that around.

The only thing other than that testing proof for emissions, is just a contract (and funding) to make a larger volume volume production. Actually I don't think it would take more than a 1k/mo to get the price way down. A BEX would only need like a 75hp version at the most.

But if they produced a version for a hot motorcycle, that could double for a small tandem seater, IMHO.

But the easiest initial route seems to have been small equipment for utility and military uses. Hence that small engine they have now.
I'm not sure why I'm seeing a different design in this video than what I knew about. This one just seems to be a 3 lobe Wankel using hydrogen fuel.

Nope, OK this is what I expected. That extra transfer tunnel is the difference.

So this is an article on the test of a 40bhp version of the LqPn engine, claiming 75% efficiency and reduced oil burn.

LiquidPiston 40-BHP Rotary Engine Delivers 75% Thermal Efficiency | UAS VISION​

(Ray OVery interesting this could change everything. Very interesting this could change the way we power cars and boats and plains.

 

[AriLea]

I should disclose, I wrote a paper for the SAE back in the 1980's. It was the results of a multi-fuel technology. (still have a copy of it)
The engine we tested had our special carburetor adaptor. It could switch between 'petrol', CNG and Propane.

This LiquidPiston engine should be able to do all of that plus Hydrogen and Diesel without significant hardware changes. Fuel storage and pluming becomes the limiting factor at that point.

That feature, if provided on very many cars, would undermine the monopoly that each fuel type currently has over it's individual sectors.
Petrol and Diesel would likely need to be separately stored, depending on how the oxygen sensor is engineered into the system.
It's relatively easy to combine Hydrogen, Propane and CNG in the same tank. This is because one gas is fully consumed before the next one starts to boil out.

At one point (in 1980's) CNG was a lot cheaper per unit of energy than Propane. But CNG did not store very efficiently. So if you have enough CNG in one tank for average use, it would consume the CNG first and the propane was kept in reserve for those longer trips.

When the propane started boiling out, the O2 sensor would see the change and auto-adjusted the carburation.
How to properly top off each fuel type would take some more engineering design work.

 

[Velhartice]

Achates power already has a killer diesel, but nobody seems to care since it isn’t a BEV.

Walmart fleet rolling out 'cleanest combustion engine in the world' - Commercial Carrier Journal - Achates Power

At a time when heavy-duty internal combustion is frequently castigated in the shadow of zero-emission all-electric and fuel cell powertrains, a leading non-profit clean transportation group is lavishing praise on an oil burner that has shown the ability to meet the nation’s toughest emissions...

achatespower.com

Achates showcases 2.7L, 3-cylinder opposed piston gasoline compression ignition engine in F-150; estimated 37 mpg combined

At the North American International Auto Show (NAIAS), Achates Power and new development parter Aramco Services (earlier post) showcased a Ford F-150 fitted with a 3-cylinder, 2.7-liter Opposed-Piston Gasoline Compression Ignition (OPGCI) engine. (Earlier post.) Fabien Redon, Vice President...

www.greencarcongress.com

 

[Velhartice]

Achates power already has a killer diesel, but nobody seems to care since it isn’t a BEV.

Walmart fleet rolling out 'cleanest combustion engine in the world' - Commercial Carrier Journal - Achates Power

At a time when heavy-duty internal combustion is frequently castigated in the shadow of zero-emission all-electric and fuel cell powertrains, a leading non-profit clean transportation group is lavishing praise on an oil burner that has shown the ability to meet the nation’s toughest emissions...

achatespower.com

Achates showcases 2.7L, 3-cylinder opposed piston gasoline compression ignition engine in F-150; estimated 37 mpg combined

At the North American International Auto Show (NAIAS), Achates Power and new development parter Aramco Services (earlier post) showcased a Ford F-150 fitted with a 3-cylinder, 2.7-liter Opposed-Piston Gasoline Compression Ignition (OPGCI) engine. (Earlier post.) Fabien Redon, Vice President...

www.greencarcongress.com

Just to emphasize my previous post with a TLDR quote for the F150 article.

“Fabien Redon, Vice President, Technology Development at Achates, said they estimate that the OPGCI pickup will achieve 37 mpg (6.35 l/100 km) on the combined cycle—nearly five MPG better than the proposed CAFE 2025 requirements for a vehicle of a similar size. The OP engine produces 270 hp and 480 lb-ft (651 N·m). This performance is achieved without vehicle modifications and is projected to cost $1,000 less per vehicle than widely accepted technology roadmaps currently being considered by OEMs, Achates said.”

…and thats not even a hybrid. Just think of the possibilities if this was in a way lighter and more drag efficient car, possibly with a hybrid powertrain.

A twin cyl version (1.8L) with 180hp/320lbft is perfectly reasonable for a midsize car.

 

[Hog]

With a fuel oil burner and 1gpm nozzle, steam would be viable again. An upgraded Doble perhaps...

 

[Velhartice]

With a fuel oil burner and 1gpm nozzle, steam would be viable again. An upgraded Doble perhaps...

I’d be interested to see what steam power would be capable of if someone was serious about it. I imagine it’d be pretty good.

 

[AriLea]

I’d be interested to see what steam power would be capable of if someone was serious about it. I imagine it’d be pretty good.

It has always been an efficiency issue with that tech. And everything environmental affects it's efficency. And then there is the chemical etching etc.
But it is elegant and steam-punk romantic. The truth is, other things have much more potential.

 

[Sonoran Sam]

I’d be interested to see what steam power would be capable of if someone was serious about it. I imagine it’d be pretty good.

There is a guy on youtube that built a steam powdered 3 wheel motorcycle. I think its more "click bait" than anything else, but it does work.
Steam powered 3 wheel motorcycle

 

[Mark BEX]

For those interested in real steam power, Google/Youtube Australian Ted Pritchard steam car.

Very real, saw the car when i was a kid at motor shows in Australia, late 60s/1970s - serious enough that Ford flew Ted and his car to the USA for evaluation.

https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=pritchard+steam+car

 

[BigWarpGuy]

Mazda is coming out with a car with rotary engine. Motor1.com . it comes out this year; 2023. Fox News .

It drives a generator.