Scuderi Group Air-Hybrid Engine claimed to double fuel efficiency

[hankthecrank]

From http://www.gizmag.com/

Scuderi Group Air-Hybrid Engine claimed to double fuel efficiency
May 3, 2006 On March 7, we wrote of the coming of Scuderi Group's Air-Hybrid engine which claims the title of the world's most fuel efficient internal combustion engine. The Scuderi engine makes its European debut May 9 - 11 at the Engine Expo 2006 in Stuttgart, Germany on a bit of a roll. With three additional worldwide patents recently filed, the air-hybrid system potentially doubles the fuel efficiency of today's gasoline and diesel vehicles and reduces toxic emissions by up to 80 percent. The design is ingenious, has been verified by a world renowned independent laboratory, just landed a US$1.2 million DoD grant to develop the technology further, and it was clearly the talk of the Society of Automotive Engineers World Congress in Detroit where it was officially declared the most visited stand. The technology can be adapted for either diesel or gasoline engines of any size and is claimed to halve fuel consumption compared to today’s internal combustion engines. Auto blog has a succinct well-crafted piece and this animation will help you conceptualize this clever twist on the Otto cycle. There's also the official how it works and theory of operation. (more...)

Scroll down page to 6th posting.

This seems to be best change made to 140 year old Otto cycle engine design.

By splitting the strokes of the Otto cycle to a pair of cylinders. One for only compression and one for power. The compression and power cylinders are connected on top by a pipe and one way valve.

The dedicated cylinders than can be better designed to the task. I also would think the power cylinder would retain some of the heat. How this will effect the parts or if they can stay metal and not become welded into one mass will come out in more testing.

1. the power stroke can be longer to get all of the gas expansion (the Miller Effect)

2. the compression piston can be made larger than the power piston to act as a supercharger.

3. both cylinders can be at any angle

4. very fast combustion rate

5. better thermal efficiency

6. less nitrogen oxide(Nox) emissions.

Sorry above info lifted off the online links

Because you are not changing the cylinder shape or length the wear rate would be good. Tools and skills in making motors apply to this design. Nothing new has to be learned or tested out.

There is better stuff written in online article and animation to see how it works!

[Vincardog]

1. How long before we see it on the street?

[hankthecrank]

3. Going to be Engine expo May 9-11

They also stated they landed a Dod grant

So I don't think it will just get put on the shelf.

With changes to the head most engines have two cylinders already that come same position now. One cylinder would have to made a compression cylinder instead of power. The tube would be longer(don't know if that hurts this). You also would lose some chance to make bigger changes to the two different cylinders. But it would allow testing to see if more changes were needed.

[Trillo]

11. I looked at the animation showing

one cylinder pumping to the the adjoining cylinder that fired. Judging solely from that animation, it appears the relative crank offset is somewhat different from standard gasoline engine crankshafts that I've examined. Perhaps the animation is inaccurate, however.

[Vincardog]

13. That is what the story said. Longer Power stroke to get the full benefit

from the gas expansion. The problem will probably be solved by a twin cam set up.

[hankthecrank]

14. Yes slight offset.

Makes sense. I was putting lipstick on old pig. Not a nice fit. It was a way of using an old engine fitted with the new stuff. I looked at the air transfer and the firing at TDC (Top dead Center) Engines have two cylinders that are same position only different parts of 4 strokes. So you could get close but that might not be enough. The pipe on a inline six would really be long as the number one and number 6 cylinders are partners. I also think you could have two cranks as a way of getting different things done.

[Vincardog]

12. If they can double millage with this relatively simple change

we should easily se 75 - 80/ MPG cars on the road by 2010. IMHO Why not?

[papau]

2. compressed air to store braking power? and this is better than Toyota

Prius how?

The engine design is neat -Diesel engines can eliminate half the injectors.

I am in wait and see mode on this one.

[Jackpine Radical]

4. For one thing, no need for battery & electrical technology.

[hankthecrank]

5. Not storing braking air.

Yes some of the braking could be stored by the extra air from the compression cylinder in a tank for latter use. But most of the advantage comes from splitting jobs that were once done by only one cylinder.

Engine in your car now uses 4 strokes to get power.

1. Intake (Air fuel mix) Diesel just air
2. Compression
3. Power (spark applied gas engine) Diesel (fuel injected into now hot air)
4. Exhaust

This change would split the 4 strokes to different pistons

Compressor piston cylinder
1. Intake in compressor piston cylinder
2. Compression of (Air fuel mix)

Power cylinder
Compressed air fuel mix moves thru pipe to power cylinder

spark

3. Power stroke
4. Exhaust

This can be used in all engines and engines for hybrids

[phantom power]

7. I assume this might be an opportunity for better fuel/air mixture.

[hankthecrank]

8. Yes chance at better mixture

But also it gets the two of the strokes to a different place in the engine.

Plus it allows the 2 cylinders to better fit job at hand. Not make one cylinder have to fit to different jobs. That was the only choice before.

Could shut off cylinders better than thru the main engine valves now.

Engines should run at one rpm. Not use rpm to change vehicle speed. This might make it possible to fix some problems. Because we have no way to adjust valve openings to match rpm need. Different rpm need different valve timing.

[phantom power]

9. How would you change vehicle speed then? CVT?

[hankthecrank]

10. CVT would work for speed change

If you do what trains do and covert all engine power to electric than use motors to move vehicle and speed change. But then you have some lose, that changing the energy from one form to another form thing.

IHC had a electric valve control for the engine. That way you could have the best setting for what ever rpm the engine was at. But last I heard they can't get the a soft landing for the valve when it closes.

Hybrids offer some hope for the speed change also.

Or they are also using hydraulics to get the speed change.

Cheap way change engine rpm. Not make transmission do its job.

[hankthecrank]

6. Sorry should have made this more clear

Hybrid of engine design

Not change of hybrid (term used to mean car)

But they say some of the extra air could be stored and used. So some of braking air could also be used.

[papau]

15. thanks for the extra info - sounds like a natural progression from hybrids

that are now allowing the design of a gas engine optimized for a smaller range of RPM, thereby getting better mileage, or so they tell me - :-)

[NNadir]

16. Thanks Hank, for an interesting discussion.

Welcome here.

[woodstockny]

17. What do we know about Scuderi Group?

Who is invested in this, who benefits (or suffers) if this works?