Duke axial engine ..,interesting.
Discussion
The key will be whether they can solve the "head-block" seals. Similar to a wankle in that respect. It doesn't look like valve control can be anything like as precise as on a conventional OHV engines, so I suspect intake and exhaust will be probably less efficient (although the "valves" look larger, which will help to counter that to a degree.
Edited by kambites on Monday 14th April 21:33
gforceg said:
Is this more suited to longitudinal layout and RWD with gearbox and prop shaft in line with the driven shaft?.
To fit it to a car, I think you'd have to somehow shift the drive downwards anyway. The prop shaft would be too high up for a sensible transmissions tunnel otherwise. I wonder if you could put it in a transverse FF car with the gearbox mounted beneath and in front of the engine, driven in the same way that a bike gearbox is?
LaurasOtherHalf said:
As above, how on earth do you get a reliable head to block seal & an efficient cooling method 
I suppose you can lubricate and cool the piston bores by spraying oil at them from the "sump" where the wobble plate (I think that's the correct term?) is. The interesting bit is the interface between the rotating "block" and the static "head". Given that the head plate is part of the combustion chamber and combustion always happens at set points on that plate, you're going to get immense hot-spots on the actual head plate which is going to cause all sorts of problems with expansion. maybe the "head" is completely ceramic? I can't see how this is any better than wankle from an oil consumption point of view though. You've got to lubricate the head-block interface somehow.
Edited by kambites on Monday 14th April 21:53
kambites said:
I can't see how this is any better than wankle from an oil consumption point of view though. You've got to lubricate the head-block interface somehow.
The main market issues with the wankel were:-- fuel consumption, esp. as prices keep rising
- mean time between rebuilds, which has been at least in-part fixed by use of ceramic tips.
(Oh, and warm-starting issues...but that's less-well-known and not as big a pain in the wallet)
If the Duke can prove it's durability*, AND is as economical as claimed, then it may well have a place in the market...
* I'm skeptical - part of the advantage is the high CRs possible...how do you ensure that doesn't deteriorate???
kambites said:
I suppose you can lubricate and cool the piston bores by spraying oil at them from the "sump" where the wobble plate (I think that's the correct term?)
I think it's still a swashplate, as used in hydraulic pumps and motors and helicopter rotor linkages for many years.I agree that "valve" timing could be problematic, especially implementing any kind of variable system (unless the phasing between cylinder rotation and cylinder head can be adjusted?).
Edited by Mr2Mike on Monday 14th April 22:28
havoc said:
* I'm skeptical - part of the advantage is the high CRs possible...how do you ensure that doesn't deteriorate???
Yeah, it's going to be very hard keeping the tiny clearance you'd need between head and block, given that it has to rotate as well. Can't see it working for long.MadKipper said:
...and has 6 cylinder power...
Has six cylinder power _strokes_. So smoothness. Power output isn't related to the number of cylinders.smele said:
I don't get how the pistons seal at the top. Certainly looks compact.
kambites said:
The key will be whether they can solve the "head-block" seals.
Mmm. It's going to be interesting, but they've clearly got it working short-term, so it's just a question of longevity.kambites said:
It doesn't look like valve control can be anything like as precise as on a conventional OHV engines
I don't see why - if they go with poppet valves, then they don't have to be cam-controlled. Look at something like Fiat's TwinAir. That's just conventional bolt-on technology now.conkerman said:
Cooling will be a mare.
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