Quote:
Originally Posted by ConnClark
The Bourke engine is a joke when it comes to fuel efficiency.
First lets look at one of its most touted features, the scotch yoke. It keeps the piston around top dead center longer. This does allow more combustion to take place before the downward power stroke and burn more of the fuel, however it also keeps the combustion gasses hotter for longer causing much more heat loss (and thus energy) to the cylinder head and piston. In fact if you look at some of the engines Russell Bourke built you will see they have giant cooling fins on the head for this reason.
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Looking at this thread (because I have long ignored looking at the Bourke engine) I have often wondered how we might use ceramic on the head and walls to keep the hot exhaust gasses there while also not bothering to dissipate them through the material. An ideal engine would not have any active cooling at all
Ah well pipe dream just like the Bourke engine.