Scuderi files patent for 'split-cycle' engine
 

Scuderi files patent for 'split-cycle' engine | Fox News

Thoughts?

Faux seemed remarkably objective for a change.

Scuderi Engine - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

I've read about this before; it was all the rage 3 years ago; supposedly they have a fistful of patents already; don't know why this last one is any different. :confused:

I've read about how it supposedly works several times and I have to admit, I don't get it. What makes a piston supercharger any better than any other sort of supercharger? On top of that, it's turbocompounded- that's nothing new. So then there's firing at ATDC, which I think is neat, but I don't understand what makes it work in this layout; why couldn't any ol' ICE have that? :confused:

I agree.
Different? Yes. Neat? Yes. Revolutionary? Nnnooooo.

A mechanically-driven (belt, gear, chain) supercharger robs power from the engine. Perhaps a piston-powered supercharger provides gains in efficiency ?

And a piston is....

mechanically driven.

I don't know how the various types compare re: compressing efficiency.

Maybe it isn't much more than an excuse for a press release ie they need some more investment.

That's probably it. There's supposedly "millions" sunk into it already... it would make a good Aptera engine.

A piston compressor doesn't give you a chance to cool it down with an intercooler first. That can't be good.

I've talked with these guys at length at the DC auto show. They do already have a fistful of patents. I'm wondering if they keep filing for new and improved patents to keep the technology from becoming openly available when patents expire. I'm wondering if they just want too much $$ to license the engine.

Some of the efficiency comes from:

A) Super high compression. Like 15:1 or greater in the second cylinder. And different comp. ratios for compression stroke and power stroke (like atkinson)
B) Firing ATDC (don't have to compress during combustion)
C) The potential of an Air-hybrid. You can actually store the energy created under compression braking into a large tank (and feed it back into cyl #2 at a later time).

I don't see where 25 percent more efficiency is going to come from.

a. you can run 15:1 in a traditional engine. same problems, same solutions. variable cam timing is a pretty known technology on an Otto engine, which gives pseudo atkinson already.

b. This one is REALLY weak. you can fire ATDC on an Otto. But in any case, your mean average cylinder pressures will be lower, and mileage will suffer. There is spark advance for a reason.

c. Even weaker. You can do an air hybrid using the main pistons, and you can do an air hybrid with an Otto engine. In either case all you have to is completely change the cam timing - not a trivial matter.


This new revolutionary engine looks a whole lot like a Detroit 2 stroke diesel to me.

What do you mean by this? I am well versed in Detroit 2 stroke diesels (piston ported intake, valved exhaust, supercharger necessary for scavenging, direct injected diesel) and this is nothing like that.

Am I missing something?

the engine is a 2 stroke.

it does use valves for both intake and exhaust, which is actually a bad thing as it makes for less efficient scavenging.

the supercharger is necessary for scavenging (uses piston supercharger as well as turbo, just like the detroit).

Unless they do something like direct injection or get really precise with sequential timed injection they are going to have troubles with dilution.

Similar engine made by customizing a standard V-twin Ducati:
Ducati V-One – Twin to Supercharged Single Conversion

Includes the air tank between cylinders for storing compressed air. I believe the main difference between this and the Scuderi is that the Ducati is still 4-stroke (though it doesn't explicitly say).

Did anyone ever notice they never publish BSFC. #s. I spoke with one of their engineers at the SAE conference in D.C. last year. 269grams/KWH Do the math not very impressive. Follow the money trail to congressman Olver. You don't need the prophetic ability of Nostradamas to know that you will never walk into a new car showroom and purchase a vehicle with one of those engines under the hood.

^^^
A lot of these "revolutionary" engine designs don't actually deliver on what they promise, or have some obvious and serious drawbacks. Some claim ridiculous things like 50% higher fuel efficiency from 50% friction reduction alone.