Thursday 21st January 2010

Lotus Omnivore Engine - Interactive Demo

Radical new tech makes its virtual debut on PH

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Thanks to the chaps at Lotus Engineering, we're proud to share this interactive demo of their new Omnivore engine, featuring new technology the Lotus boffins reckon improves fuel consumption by 10 percent - with ultra low emissions.

In case you don't know what the Omnivore engine is, here's an excerpt from an earlier press release:

"The first testing phase of Lotus Engineering's Omnivore variable compression ratio, flex-fuel direct injection two-stroke engine has been successfully completed on gasoline. In addition to exceptional fuel consumption results, the engine has successfully demonstrated homogenous charge compression ignition (HCCI) - where the engine operates without the need for the spark plug to ignite the fuel and air mixture in the cylinder - down to extremely light loads. Traditionally, this has been challenging but this combustion process results in ultra low emissions and has been achieved over a wide range of engine operating conditions, even from cold start.

"The detailed research has so far focused on lower speed and load conditions that represent a major proportion of an engine's operation in a real world environment. At 2000rpm and up to approximately 2.7 bar IMEP (Indicated Mean Effective Pressure), the ISFC (Indicated Specific Fuel Consumption) achieved is approximately 10% better than current spray-guided direct injection, spark ignition engines. Emissions results are an impressive 20 ppm NOx at less than 2.3 bar load and has four-stroke-equivalent hydrocarbons and carbon monoxide emissions."

We couldn't have said it better ourselves. (No really, we couldn't!)

Anyway, click the link to try the interactive demonstration for yourselves. You can adjust the engine speed and load parameters, although sadly - according to PH's RacingPete who's already been playing with it - not enough to see what happens when it goes bang. Silly boy...

[Greg_D]

Great, but how do they ignite the fuel without a spark plug, and does the tech allow for high performance as well as low emissions

greg

[kambites]

Greg_D said:

and does the tech allow for high performance as well as low emissions

Isn't that a nonsensical question? You can presumably make it more powerful by making it bigger.

[M Powered]

Greg_D said:

... how do they ignite the fuel without a spark plug,...

Clue is in the text "compression ignition". (HCCI)

[Greg_D]

M Powered said:

Greg_D said:

... how do they ignite the fuel without a spark plug,...

Clue is in the text "compression ignition". (HCCI)

Diesel then

[The Wookie]

Greg_D said:

Great, but how do they ignite the fuel without a spark plug, and does the tech allow for high performance as well as low emissions

greg

It runs like a diesel, very basically it makes use of knock

[soad]

Played with the interactive demo, quite cool.

[Snoggledog]

Obviously I'm missing the point but what's so special about it?

[mackie1]

Snoggledog said:

Obviously I'm missing the point but what's so special about it?

Mainly the variable compression ratio.

[Twincam16]

mackie1 said:

Snoggledog said:

Obviously I'm missing the point but what's so special about it?

Mainly the variable compression ratio.

And the fact that it'll run on any mixture of anything - petrol, diesel, chip fat, moonshine, cowpats etc - in short, it's 'future-proofed' against fuel shortages and technology changes. Also, if you pull into a forecourt unimpressed at the price of the diesel, you just put petrol in instead.

[durbster]

Cool demo even though I don't really understand it.

Is this like Mitsubishi's GDI technology?

Edited by durbster on Thursday 21st January 12:09

[LD1Racing]

Like the demo. I think Bike magazine did a feature on it earlier last year. Great to see a UK based company leading the way yet again, 2-strokes are the future!

[coogy]

My understanding was that this engine was going to used as some sort of generator for hybrid or fuel cell powered cars. Though I may have got it completely wrong?!

[coogy]

Double post, sorry.

Edited by coogy on Thursday 21st January 12:22

[eliot]

Twincam16 said:

Also, if you pull into a forecourt unimpressed at the price of the diesel, you just put petrol in instead.

I'm un-impressed with the price of both of them..

[joe_90]

said:

improves fuel consumption by 10 percent

ehh?

Edited by joe_90 on Thursday 21st January 12:24

[900T-R]

It might run a bit better on alcohol fuels, though.

[Twincam16]

coogy said:

My understanding was that this engine was going to used as some sort of generator for hybrid or fuel cell powered cars. Though I may have got it completely wrong?!

That's another Lotus engine, a 3-cylinder intended as a permanent-optimum-economy generator for electric motors in larger cars. Rumour has it that the new Jaguar XJ could end up with one.

[Snoggledog]

Twincam16 said:

mackie1 said:

Snoggledog said:

Obviously I'm missing the point but what's so special about it?

Mainly the variable compression ratio.

And the fact that it'll run on any mixture of anything - petrol, diesel, chip fat, moonshine, cowpats etc - in short, it's 'future-proofed' against fuel shortages and technology changes. Also, if you pull into a forecourt unimpressed at the price of the diesel, you just put petrol in instead.

Ah. I see. Thank you.

[dylan39]

Its a great concept and a lovely interactive app. but it doesnt half look complicated - not exactly 'elegant' like the gas turbine...

Less is more.

[jaik]

doogz said:

Can anyone explain to me how the trapping valve operates? As it seems the movement of it is governed by the speed of the piston moving up and down, surely it's not friction causing it to move?

Looks like it's driven by a timing belt to me.