Circle Cycle Engine?

[Cricket1]

Has anyone seen this new engine?  Looks very interesting.  Our IT Mgr here gave me the link.

I wonder how the cylinders get fuel and how the exhaust gasses escape?  

I've got no interest in this company, etc, etc.


http://www.circlecycleice.com/

Appears to be very efficient and adaptable to a number of uses.

Discuss.

[Kraz]

Appears to be very efficient...

Can't be THAT efficient - or the patent would have been bought and invention destroyed or the inventor would have been assassinated.


Seriously now - looks cool - will be interested to see if it makes into mainstream use.

[jhawk]

just appears to be a table-top toy.... it would be interseting to see if it could power an actual vehicle on an actual road

[Andrew]

Love to see how the EPA or CARB looks at it when it goes in for certification,   (So where is the exhaust pipe? How loud is it?)

sort of the same principal as the diesel jack hammer, just put on wheels.

[Kootenanny]

Actually, looks very interesting.

The concept is simple, but...I have to wonder about that piston seal, and I imagine the temperature differential might be rather steep.  With modern materials, that might be managed.  I'm not gonna say "it'll never work," just because it's different.

Personally, I still kinda like the Wankel better (less complex, for one thing).  As I recall, seal issues used to be the Wankel's weak point...hmmm...

[X1Glider]

It is very interesting, especially the benefits of having no valves so a more efficient combustion chamber can be designed.  Counter rotating flywheels too to cancel out precession.  I imagine you'd get increased rocking couple though.  But yeah there seems to be some unknowns such as can the piston hit the hole accurately every single time?  Anyone who has ever pulled out then missed the hole on the way back in knows what kind of hurt that can cause. Can the exhaust gasses ever completely expel?  I agree, lots of moving parts expecially in regards to having the plugs and injectors moving along with the piston and cylinder.  Changing plugs would have to be a bitch too.

[rgbeard]

Slightly conical shape on the entry part of the cylinder would be necessary, I'd think, so that sealing can be more complete as the piston enters. I just don't see the piston pins lasting, and as parts wear, the piston "timing" (keeping it at the same angle) would be near on impossible.

Neat academic exercise with very little practical benefit, IMO.

Agreed, that's what I was thinking as I realized how the piston/cylinder alignment were being kept aligned by the gear drive.  Just a little wear on those gears, and the alignment error is multiplied.

Thus, the I can't believe that the seal can be comparable to a conventional engine.

I agree with the "great academic exercise" comment.

[Atitalongtime]

Here's the one to invest in...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0CmGJucRDBk&feature=related

[tomek]

Going back to OP , I`d say that concept is mega retarded , I fail to see single advantage  over conventional engine . Even if you place those rotating parts in some kind of enclosure  how in the hell do you separate combustion gasses from the fresh charge ?  

Also it does not appear to be very space efficient , just imagine piston and cylinders from your engine rotating like that .

It is clearly apparent  whoever came up with that idea smokes quality dope on hourly bases .

Problem with Wankel is a shallow , wide and traveling combustion chamber leading  to heat losses and poor combustion under light loads . Consequently fuel economy sucks .It could probably be dramatically improved with direct injection and stratified charge under light load .

There are also emission issues related to oil being injected into combustion chambers for lubrication proposes . Mazda had to reduce amount of it but it caused long term wear problem on new RX8 .
Problem with engine seals was solved about 40 years ago .  

[desertxxrider]

There's no way (within reason, mind you) that could be built to handle the mechanical stresses. And there are far too many moving parts.

I put the self-destruction rate at 85%

+1  ...Rube Goldberg comes to mind.
Maybe just perfect the Rotary, not many moving parts.

[caddydaddy]

 Even if you place those rotating parts in some kind of enclosure  how in the hell do you separate combustion gasses from the fresh charge ?  

And they say that K&N air filters let a lot of dirt into the engine!  Haha, try having no crankcase!  

[Meemuh]

Yeah - longevity would be an issue.
Don't know about efficiency.

Credit for thinking outside the box, tho - certainly more than I've ever done.

[Fourstring]

Man, tough crowd.

[jpaul]

Here's the one to invest in...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0CmGJucRDBk&feature=related

I came across this one last week. It's a very interesting concept. They say it has three moving parts, but I count five. Still quite a few less than most engines.

[Cricket1]

Going back to OP , I`d say that concept is mega retarded , I fail to see single advantage  over conventional engine . Even if you place those rotating parts in some kind of enclosure  how in the hell do you separate combustion gasses from the fresh charge ? 

Also it does not appear to be very space efficient , just imagine piston and cylinders from your engine rotating like that .

It is clearly apparent  whoever came up with that idea smokes quality dope on hourly bases .

Problem with Wankel is a shallow , wide and traveling combustion chamber leading  to heat losses and poor combustion under light loads . Consequently fuel economy sucks .It could probably be dramatically improved with direct injection and stratified charge under light load .

There are also emission issues related to oil being injected into combustion chambers for lubrication proposes . Mazda had to reduce amount of it but it caused long term wear problem on new RX8 .
Problem with engine seals was solved about 40 years ago . 

Yeah, there are a number of questions I had when seeing the design. Just like others have posted, it could lead to other more "workable" designs in the future.

I thought that you all here might have some insights into plusses and minuses of it.... and I was right. 

[Kootenanny]

Going back to OP , I`d say that concept is mega retarded , I fail to see single advantage  over conventional engine . Even if you place those rotating parts in some kind of enclosure  how in the hell do you separate combustion gasses from the fresh charge ?  

No, the concept is not "retarded"--it's simply different from what you're used to.  And  yeah, the details may be challenging, I don't expect the designers thought it would be easy, either.  

I see a number of issues myself, but...well, as I've had maybe 5 minutes to look at a web page, compared to the designers spending 5 years in development, I'm willing to admit that they may have a better handle on the details than I do...

[jhawk]

I'd think about buying a bike powered with one.....when/if it wins a 24 hour endurance race or the Dakar rally    

[Skee]

I could see it being realistic if there was only one piston on each side of the wheel (ie 2 cylinder) and if the piston never completely extracted all the way out of the cylinder.  Otherwise, alignment wear problems.

[Meemuh]

Kind of like overly exuberant "special time" with the wife.
Alignment is the key.

[maddjack]

Looks like something made to break a lot, Its gotta leak gases like a sieve.

[oldenslow]

Weird.  What's the rpm range?  Can it idle?  Will it start at -20 degrees?  So many questions and not much information.