New Engine Technology
 

Well, I don't know if there is anyone here anymore, but here is something interesting. Especially for those that have followed our Gas/Glow experiments. It is a short, but interesting video if you watch it.

http://www.roadandtrack.com/new-cars...ing-explained/

(Funny how they have a diesel type model airplane engine shown. Has anyone seen this tech in a gasoline airplane engine yet?)

AV8TOR

Don't see how they can claim it to be "new technology".
If it is as outlined in their explanation, the model aircraft diesel engine (ether, kero, castor fuel) follows this to a tee.
and it goes back some 60 or 70 years.

I guess because it uses gasoline, and that requires a very tightly controlled homogenous mixture, and a narrow temperature range to be maintained. I don't think a fuel with ether in it would work well for every day auto use, nor make the EPA very happy as it vaporized away.

On this subject somewhat, I have a race boat with a big block Chevy with 13:1 compression. I normally run it on Avgas. One day I wanted to fire it up for a few minutes but didn't have, and couldn't get Avgas for it. So I fired it up on auto fuel. It wouldn't turn off!!! It just sat there running and pinging and knocking until I could frantically get the fuel supply shut off and the carbs finally ran dry.

AV8TOR

I guess because it uses gasoline, and that requires a very tightly controlled homogenous mixture, and a narrow temperature range to be maintained. I don't think a fuel with ether in it would work well for every day auto use, nor make the EPA very happy as it vaporized away.

On this subject somewhat, I have a race boat with a big block Chevy with 13:1 compression. I normally run it on Avgas. One day I wanted to fire it up for a few minutes but didn't have, and couldn't get Avgas for it. So I fired it up on auto fuel. It wouldn't turn off!!! It just sat there running and pinging and knocking until I could frantically get the fuel supply shut off and the carbs finally ran dry.

AV8TOR

I did not see anywhere where it said it ran on gasoline.

Edit:- ok ...saw it in initial writeup.

Although, it still operates like the 70 year old model engine diesel so not really new technology.
I doubt that gasoline alone will suffice and it will need an ignitor like ether to work.

In the late 50's Dad had a racing go-kart with an extremely high compression victa engine that would diesel at times but no where near what one would call "running".
Lumpy and irratic idle would be more precise.

Back in the day, a development project for an un-named gov' t agency resulted in an lightweight aircooled 2 cylinder Diesel engine running on Jet A. Starting it up resulted in it running away and it couldn't be controlled or stopped by throttling. As above, the fuel shutoff was the only way to shut it down. Scary with it running at full chat, and a tribute to it's robust but lightweight construction that it held together for quite a long time as they tried to control it.

A friend of mine that I taught mechanics to told a story about a runaway diesel at his college one day. The instructor finally threw a 3" thick phone book on the air intake. That finally stopped it, but not before sucking a big round hole right out of that phone book.

Another racer friend told me about a boat racer that was killed when he was knocked out of his seat and landed on top of the engine/injector stacks while the engine was turning around nine grand. God, can you imagine??

AV8TOR

It seems to me that requiring a very tightly controlled operating temperature precludes having a wide range, quick responding RPM rage. Perhaps it would work for a large truck but not for a typical car. Also, the high torque and efficiency of diesel is more a function of the fuel rather than the ignition method.

CBoy, that would really suck!

Oh man..... :p :)

AV8TOR