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The principle in its most basic form is to combine the non reciprocating advantages of turbines and true rotary engines, with the piston in cylinder efficiency of a sealed combustion chamber.
Add to that the capability of utilizing the mass of the engine itself for storage.
The overlapping intake pulses would also create a constant flow of incoming air, compared to the pulse of intake air then three periods of static in a conventional 4 stroke engine.
With a diameter of about 3 feet and a height of less than 9 inches, and a weight of somewhere in the neighborhood of 200-250 pounds, the mass of the engine itself could absorb the energy of a 60-0 stop and reapply that energy with a change in RPM of about 1800.
Some here may remember the flywheel toys of our childhood. This would operate under the same basic principle, but be capable of variable "gear" ratios in power application and recovery as well as re-energizing of the flywheel.
This allows you to pulse the engine, without having to pulse the vehicle. The engine would never be at any constant RPM and the transmission would never be at the same ratio. As engine-flywheel speed increased under fuel consuming power, the "gear" ratio would be increased. Then when the fuel consuming mode was switched to flywheel, the "gear" ratio would be reduced as the flywheel speed decreased as energy in the flywheel was applied to the vehicle.
The self hypermiling car, using pulse and glide operational tactic, while maintaining a constant speed, with no reciprocating losses, no idling, no wot operation, super high torque, and a reserve of close to a 1000 horsepower seconds of energy instantly available for acceleration that would make most high performance cars pale in comparison.
Also a heck of a lot fewer parts required to produce a functional vehicle.
Combine this engine with the hydraulic hybrid power train that was the second evolution of the design, and you have the power to break traction at all 4 wheels from a dead stop. 0-60 times would be limited only by the traction capability of your tires at all 4 wheels and regenerative braking would be available all the way to 0 vehicle speed.
No batteries, or electric motor necessary.
Now if you wanted to go electric, make the engine the armature in an electric motor. The hub is a hydraulic pump while the outer rim holds the magnets of the motor. Spin the motor up to several thousand RPM, and throw the stroke to full, and you have the same 4 wheel tire shredding acceleration.
The power train patent is the one that was approved. The engine patent was a 4 year battle, that I eventually abandoned and pursued the power train development, because the engine concept was extraordinarily difficult to understand and the capital commitment would be astronomical.
This system could be installed in any vehicle, even a lightweight motorcycle, or a human powered vehicle like a bicycle.
Using hydraulic energy storage via an accumulator you could charge the accumulator using household current or just used the vehicle stationary as an exercise machine.
After years of fighting to get the design patented, the real fight starts in the beginning of 2010 to get the design built into something that proves the concept, even to people who do not understand the principles of operation.
regards
Mech
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