ADAM_ROB_UK

i think this engine will produce tons of torque... if you think about it.. its getiing pushed 3X as often as a regular engine, therefore that should mean smoother acceleration. i think they could go somewhere with this.

AusS2000

I saw this engine on a little standoutside the motor show about 10 years ago. Very impressive design.

Unfortunately, like the Sarrich Orbital, it is relegated to a life of obscurity in a world of conventional crank and rod.

ADAM_ROB_UK

also.... how do they get that opposing rotation ??

Elistan

It works because there are TWO trilobe wheels and they counter-rotate, so the net lateral force on the piston is zero.

Elistan

Sure, it'll produce 3x the torque - but at 1/3 the rotational speed. Therefore horsepower is exactly the same. You can get the EXACT same effect by putting a 3:1 reduction gear at the end of the engine crank. So it's an interesting result of the engine design, but from what I can tell it's not of any actual benefit.

Elistan

Indeed, it would be very cool to see this go somewhere. Particularly in Formula One. But F1's likely too restrictive to allow this.

ADAM_ROB_UK

^^^ good point i should have thought a bit harder !


but another thought... if you are rotating the engine 3x its normal speed.. wont that cause a huge amount of ware issues, as you are putting 3x the usage on it ?

Elistan

Hmm. Do you mean the REVETEC engine? I don't think it'll be spinning at 3x the speed. If you used the F20C's cylinder dimensions (84mm stroke) and max piston speed (81.76 feet per second), the crank on the REVETEC engine will be limited to only 3000 rpm. Go faster than that, and you'll have to deal with significantly faster piston speeds. (Which might be entirely possible, given the lack of cylinder wall foces... )

Slamnasty

They likely get the counter-rotation of the green trilobe by starting each trilobe offset a few degrees of rotation from the other.

Whereas the yellow trilobe's position starts with its respective piston wheels on one side of a lobe peak, the green trilobe's position starts with its respective piston wheels on the opposite side of that same respective lobe peak. Therefore it's using the horizontal force of the pistons to produce two rotational forces when coupled with the shape of the trilobes.

This dual, simultaneous coutner-rotation likely keeps the forces pushing and pulling the pistons even.

Traveler

I wonder what the mass of one of those tri-lobe thingies is? Will it be like having a 50 pound flywheel?