Why there is no different opportunities in engine technology?

[Aouregon]

This is something pretty new, why do you think that nobody take the risk to build it, up to these days? I was looking for different concepts and saw few projects from MIT, some quasiturbine projects, some liquid piston engines, doyle engine. But let's face it - too complicated, now these videos show something quite easy to be build and to be tested, but still... in our ordinary lifes nothing changes. :)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TRnNsyKibJY

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MP5wC5z8wPQ

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OUQHFw7RlXg

 

[Doug Huffman]

How does the Marinov overcome the disadvantages of the very similar Wankel?

 

[Aouregon]

Maybe he wanted to have some secrets about the practical realization.
Still, I was looking all around for that type of Wankel engines and there is nothing, so we don't know if this type has the disadvantages of the ordinary Wankel engine.
But we know that in ordinary production one Wankel engine is not analogical to 4 stroke piston engine. Wankel engines have to be in couples, so this one I see is absolute analogue without the complication of two.
There is no physical model, I just saw the concept and it wasn't that complicated to be made.

 

[SteamKing]

But we know that in ordinary production one Wankel engine is not analogical to 4 stroke piston engine. Wankel engines have to be in couples, so this one I see is absolute analogue without the complication of two.

It's not clear what you mean by 'Wankel engines have to be in couples ...'

There have been single-rotor Wankel engines constructed.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wankel_engine

The problem with developing a new engine isn't lack of knowledge or skill, it's often a lack of time and money which can be devoted to such a project.

Wankel himself conceived of the idea for his engine in the 1920s but was only able to start development in the 1950s. There were quite a few difficult problems to overcome with manufacturing such a radical new design, and, once in operation, the new engine needed further development to improve fuel economy and durability.

We are not talking about weeks or months here for this effort, but years of work being invested. It's very hard to support an enterprise this length of time without access to substantial, independent means of funding. Few industrial concerns can afford to fund such an effort, which is why you see, for the most part, investment in improving existing engine designs incrementally.

When Diesel and Whittle started their engine projects, very few people at the time were impressed with the possibilities which these very different engine designs presented, and success was obtained only after years of hard work by their inventors.

 

[Baluncore]

The 4th example in this article is a two-cylinder crank-less Shane engine.
http://www.fwi.co.uk/articles/09/03/2014/143663/four-clever-inventions-from-a-hampshire-farmer.htm
It uses cams rather than a crankshaft to double the number of combustion strokes for each revolution.

 

[xxChrisxx]

Maybe he wanted to have some secrets about the practical realization.
Still, I was looking all around for that type of Wankel engines and there is nothing, so we don't know if this type has the disadvantages of the ordinary Wankel engine.

Of course we do. The Wankel requires an apex seal, this requires an apex seal. Apex seals are the single biggest problem for wankel engines.

So unless they plan to seal the combustion chamber with magic, or have used alchemy to create a seal that doesn't wear, then problem is the same. If anything is is much worse becuase this would require more seals.

 

[dschlink]

Good point and putting apex seals on hinged corners will be a nightmare.

 

[Aouregon]

Well, this is just a mathematical model, making the production easy using CNC machines.
I just think that the reason why we don't have different oportunities in engine technology on market, is because (like SteamKing says) would take a lot of money and time.
Maybe this particular type has some defects and has some edges to be polished, but it's pretty easy and cheap to be build, and to be improved with time and it won't cost as much as to improve the other types I saw.
There is no perfect things, but someone has to make the step to make something different.
After all someone has to make the invention, so we can say what's wrong with it? :)