Introducing The Dudgeon Engine

[MW383]

Jim,

I really like your diagrams and analogy. My mind is now wrapping around this much faster now. The next step for me is to understand your mechanical components and movements thereof. This is quite interesting. I will say right now that this design should prove to be more thermally efficient than conventional 4-strokes. We will prove this out in the future and even apply some design tweaks to make even more efficient.

This is a very interesting thing you have here Jim,

MW383

[mondrasek]

This is unfortunately not a new design.  It is well known and is sometimes referred to as a "Crankless"  or "Cam Drive" engine.  Here is one example:  http://www.rexresearch.com/revetec/revetec.htm 

I remember seeing one on the cover of "Popular Mechanics" several years back that had upwards of 18 or so pistons arrayed around the cam/main shaft.

[electricme]

BURN TIMEs and explanations

I have refined this a little further to make it easier if some people still might not understand the operating principle.

In image 1698 = I have added in RED the main points or KEYS representing the 4 strokes
                        Just follow them around the blue line image from 1/ to 5/

OK at this point, we can play around with the firing of the mixture between points 1 and 2.

As you can see, there is a slight downward drop between point 1 and 2, this represents the "time" you want the mixture to BURN during the cycle in relation to the amount of degrees of angle available to carry out the burn process.

A machinist can machine the slot to give a tiny burn time or a longer burn time.
The longer the "burn" time the more fuel is consumed, the higher the pressure builds, the more torque is available.

This section alone could in no doubt be machined to reflect what ever senerio  was required.
In a recropicating engine, this is a fixed quantity as the crankshaft is directly affixed to the big ends, but here, because the "big end" is done away with, the machined slot takes its place, and by the changing of the flywheel accommodates this.

So looking at the diagram again, we see the whole process begins at

position 1/ then when the flywheel rotates to X the spark plug fires the compressed mixture, the mixture is burnt between X and 2/.
2/ represents the point where the pressure of the burnt gasses is really applied in a downward force, which is controlled by the machined slot in the flywheel.
Positions of 1/ to 3/ combines position 2/, it may look a little confusing, but I did it this way to explain the burn time procedures.

The positions between 1/ and 3/ represents the  POWER           stroke.
The positions between 3/ and 4/ represents the  EXHAUST        stroke.
The positions between 4/ and 5/ represents the  INTAKE           stroke.
The positions between 5/ and 1/ represents the  COMPRESSION stroke.

-------------------------------------------------------

Now print out the next jpg which is 1699

Next using scissors, cut out the peanut image, and past to thick cardboard.
Draw a piston on some scrap paper with a vertical fixed shaft, then cut it out and fix to cardboard too.

Grab a drawing pin and shuv it through the round hole with the black X in it
Now grab your cutout piston place it vertical on the peanut, the bottom of the piston shaft always points to the blue line.

ROTATE the peanut slowly, matching the blue line with the bottom of the piston shaft, remember, the piston shaft must NOT move sideways, it MUST be FIXED in a UP or DOWN ward motion.

Keep rotating the peanut, and you will begin to see how the 4 stroke principle actually does follow the blue line you have on the peanut.

That's it folks, my DUDGEON ENGINE and the way it works.

jim

[MW383]

I just looked at these links and materials and they indeed appear to be cam driven and employ a Scotch Yoke type mechanism between 2 opposing pistons. There was actually a chap building something similar right after WW2. Bourke perhaps? I forget as it has been a long time since I read about them.

Regarding Jim's design, I think some principals may be similar but from my initial assessment, he is applying other design aspects which appear unique. I will now read his latest post to confirm.

[electricme]

VARIABLE PISTON SPEED during each cycle/revolution.
ADDING a extra STEP in the Exhaust procedure, creating a 6 cycle procedure in a single revolution.
ENGINEERING SOFTWARE

Over the last centuries, the piston cannot alter its designed up or downward movement.


This engine of mine also has another unique feature, which is impossible in the usual 4 stroke engine.
Engine designers will love this.

As the machined slot is machined in the flywheel, the position of the slot in any position can reflect what the engine designer wants to do with it.

For instance I have already showed you the burn time can be made flexable by lengthening the position of the burn between points X and point 2/.
This WAS a dream that engine designers could not do on a normal engine.

In the same way the compression can be altered to reflect a slow rise in compression, OR, it can start as a low compression rising to a rapid compression.
Let us take a closer look at the position of the slot between position 5/ and 1/.

As the flywheel revolves further around the axis, the machined grove forces the piston to follow a pre planed movement, if the machined slot had a deeper wave to it, the piston would have to follow this pattern, reflecting it in its operation.

The piston in this engine does not rise simply up or down at a fixed pattern as is expected in the usual 4 stroke principle which is governed by the rotating crankshaft.

This piston will have many different variable speeds applied to it, which depends exactly where the position of the machined Slot relates to the bottom of the piston shaft where the swivel plate is in relation to the flywheel.

So the designer engineer has a lot more scope/flexture which he can incorporate into the final design of this engine.

The engine is extremely flexable in design and those designs can be incorporated into this engine by placing them in the machined flywheel grove.

For instance, if a designer wanted to allow only a low compression engine, all he has to do is to use a shallower wave for the piston to follow in the machined slot.
If he wanted a higher compression, the wave is just made a bit more aggressive.

If for instance the engine designer wanted the engine to expunge the exhaust gasses TWICE instead of the usual only allowable ONCE, because of the 4 stroke principle, he would only have to create a small EXTRA wave during the machining of the flywheel slot to incorporate this.
Between position 4/ and 5/ is the EXHAUST stroke, by placing a ridge in the machined slot this could be achieved, the lower or higher the ridge the more or less aggressive the piston stroke becomes.

So in actual fact the piston would travel in its upward exhaust stroke, then be made to return to the bottom of the stroke with the exhaust valve still open and the return stroke would almost guarantee a 100 percent of all previous burnt gasses evacuated. Something that is IMPOSSIBLE to do on a current 4 stroke engine.

I suppose in effect this could be termed a 6 stroke engine, BUT it occurs only during the SINGLE revolution or complete turn of the flywheel.
As I said earlier, this is AMAZING stuff, and the mechanical engineer, will have his head spinning at the possibilities he will be able to incorporate in the design phase.

In effect the piston would not have to actually go all the way to the bottom again if not required, but it could be made to rest a split second if needed then it could be sent on it's way again to complete the current cycle. To do this, a small step would be machined in the flywheel plate to accommodate this.

As I mentioned previously, this engine is not a standard engine that we are all used to, it has amazing features available to the engine designer that he has never dreamt about, it is truly the most flexable engine, which is capable of truly amazing features, no doubt over time, designers will come up with other operating features that will be utterly impossible to the usual 4 stroke cycle engines that are used today.

ENGINEERING SOFTWARE.
Well, I guess you all know by now I don't use any, lol, the old pen and paper is my tool, but I know the design of metal parts for fabrication requires software, probably the old CAD stuff, but no doubt these companies who make these might have to take a look see at this engine idea of mine and reflect the changes in their programs.

jim