OPOC Engine

[Dare]

http://www.engineeringtv.com/video/Opposed-Piston-Opposed-Cylinder



Saving the World Two Strokes at a Time



This is no wimp engine. 
It's a two cylinder with four pistons delivering 300+ Horse Power
It's extremely small and very efficient and is presently in use in test applications




It’s called OPOC (Opposed Piston Opposed Cylinder), and it’s a turbocharged two-stroke, two-cylinder, with four pistons, two in each cylinder, that will run on gasoline, diesel or ethanol. The two pistons, inside a single cylinder, pump toward and away from each other, thus allowing a cycle to be completed twice as quickly as a conventional engine while balancing it's own loads.
The heavy lifting for this unconventional concept was performed by Prof. Peter Hofbauer. During his 20 years at VW, Hofbauer headed up, among other things, development of VW’s first diesel engine and the VR6.
The OPOC has been in development for several years, and the company claims it’s 30 percent lighter, one quarter the size and achieves 50 percent better fuel economy than a conventional turbo diesel engine.

They’re predicting 100 MPG in a conventional car.

For a good demo, See: link at beginning of post
 
 
 
 

[lkjohnson1950]

As a general rule, if it sounds too good to be true, it probably is. I'll wait until I see a real world version powering a 100 mpg car before I jump on the bandwagon.

Lonny

[cosworth151]

Fairbanks Morse built opposed piston diesels back to WW II. They were used in submarines, tugboats and, after the war, locomotives. The FM design was vertical, to fit into narrow sub hulls and loco hoods. They also had a crank on both ends of the engine.

[Dare]

Hey Cos,if perfected how'd you like to stick a couple of
these powerplants in some future Indy cars?

Seriously,shouldn't that be what Indy used to be all
about?trying to win with new engines.Remember the
turbine.

[cosworth151]

I agree, Dare. I remember when the Indy 500 had everything from tubines to stock block Rambler 6's. Diesels wouldn't be a new idea, either. Cummins ran them from the 30's through the 50's.

[John S]

Whatever happened to the Fairbanks-Morse engines Cos, did they go the way of the Wankel.? 

[cosworth151]

They're still around, as stationary power engines.

http://www.fairbanksmorse.com/engine_opposed_piston_model_38.php?return=stationary_power.php

[John S]

I can't see one of them big buggers fitting into a racecar anytime soon then, the smallest one must weigh well over 20 tons.