Remember That Snazzy "Push - Pull" Opposed Super Engine?

[LowGear]

I can just remember how smart it looked with opposing piston connected to the same journal on the crank shaft.  How come it isn't in the news any more?

Casey

[Derb]

Wuz that something like the Commer TS3?

[LowGear]

I don't think so.  It was more experimental than what google first shows.  This one was in the box next to the cars that are powered by compressed air.

Casey

[Cornelius]

This is what google first shows (mostly); http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Opposed-piston_engine

But are you thinking of the Stelzer engine? http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stelzer_engine

Or maybe a Free Piston engine? http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Free-piston_engine

[LowGear]

Stelzer engine is the one.  It looks so smart.  I wonder what kind of problems they ran in to?

Casey

[BruceM]

http://www.homemodelenginemachinist.com/f14/stelzer-free-piston-engine-10072/

Some interesting videos of the working prototypes.  It does seem like a lovely 2 cycleengine design- ideal for a hydraulic piston pump- and for an all hydraulic drive heavy equipment.  Power density should be quite good.

[glort]

I remember reading about all these breakthrough/ radical design new engines as a kid in Popular Science/ mechanics.
So far 40 odd years later not one of them has come to anything despite there being 1000 more though up since.  Engines are the same since not only I was a kid but my father was with the possible exception of the Rotary.

I don't know if there will ever be any new designs come into the mainstream.  It may well not be a case of they can't be made to be more efficient or in some why better than what's out there now, it may be there is no commercial reason to embrace them.

I imagine many manufacturers make a lot of money out of engine parts now. Why would they want to  see a design come in that was more reliable and used less parts?
Why would fuel companies and Gubbermints that make incomprehensible revenues and takes want to see engines that cut those profits and revenues come into the mainstream?

There are a whole range of reasons why better isn't the most commercially profitable way to go and I think that the powers that be are likely to be plenty happy with the way things are now and will be happy to keep them that way.

[LowGear]

I'm sorry glort but you've spent too much time watching the movie "The Man In The White Suit".

Innovation, except bata tape, will make it's way to the forefront.

Casey

[glort]

Well, I've yet to see any of these "Innovative" engine designs come to anything near production in the last 40+ years.

There has been an unlimited amount of new and wonderful, set the world on fire designs that have had their 2 minutes in the spotlight, but nothing has come to the mainstream.  We are still stuck with pistons going up and down the same way they have for the last 100 years basically, bar as I mentioned, the rotary that has seen Very limited use and I believe is currently only produced for racing applications. 

Obviously one day something will come up. Rather than get excited every time I see a press release for one of these revolutionary Miracles, I'll just wait till there is one under my bonnet before I start counting my chickens.

[LowGear]

And this is the same fate as the White Suit.

Today's electric cars are really super complicated Stanley Steamers.  This difference is now we burn the coal, natural gas, bilge oil, use nuclear energy or whatever to generate steam which runs a generator which sends electrical energy to your home which then runs the electric motor in the new cutting edge vehicles.  I wonder really how much more efficient the Leaf (name one you like) is over the Stanley?

Casey