Jun

Pistons? We Don’t Need No Stinkin’ Pistons!

Posted by admin Published in Auto Blog, Auto News

The U.S. Air Force is bankrolling development of a pistonless internal combustion engine that would supply unmanned aerial vehicles with more potential and greater torque in a smaller, lighter package.

It’s called a nutating engine and it uses a rotating disk that that wobbles as it spins, creating voids or pockets. Air and fuel are forced into the voids, compressed and ignited to create propulsive force just like a piston.

So why is that better?

Researchers say nutating engines offer greater displacement than reciprocating engines of similar size. They produce twice as much ability as two-stroke engines - and four times the potential of four-stroke engines - of similar size and weight. They’ll plus burn anything, including gasoline, heavy fuels and hydrogen.

The Air Force

Research Laboratory is supporting development of a nutating engine by Kinetic Research and Development and Baker Engineering. The goal is creating a 36-pound engine that generates 77 horsepower and fits within a space of no more than .75 cubic feet. Michael Boruta, president of Kinetic Research, tells Flight Global engineers are thermal examining a prototype and getting shut to the 36-pound target.

Engineers already are working on the second-generation aluminum engine that would produce 103 horsepower and degree about a square foot.

Photo by U.S. Air Force Staff Sgt. Jeremy T. Lock.

Original post by Chuck Squatriglia