My guess is it's already been done before, but this Duke Company claims to have them built and are testing them. Interesting concept, used as a compressor, I feel the design is superior for A/C over recip. type compressors. Axial-piston I-C engine. Here's the story: https://autos.yahoo.com/news/worlds-most-advanced-gas-engine-170021695.html
Interesting design, sort of a much more complicated piston Wankel engine. It should have the same sealing problems that the Wankel did, compounded by the rotating cylinders against a breech face setup (the gunsmithing analogy was all that came to mind). Not to mention the oiling problems. Not to mention the green laws related to 2 stroke gas engines. Seems to me that a direct injection gas 2 stroke similar to the diesel 2 strokes would be a more viable and reliable option if the technical issues could be resolved. On the other hand, a Rube Goldberg contraption like this might confuse the leftists enough that they accept a gas 2 stroke engine.
True enough, but the Wankel did not have any reciprocating members, just a wobbling around triangle. I thought they were pretty effectively used in the Mazda cars. Or, did they experience early seal failures? The original NSU Spyder engine used carbon "sticks". I was very fortunate to be present in 1965 when our Field Test Garage received one of those cars for evaluation. We immediately tore apart it's engine! mo.
The sealing on a Wankel was never as good as a standard piston engine in the first place, and the 'stick' that repeatedly contacted and lifted from the outer cylinder was problematic. The lack of lubrication was an issue as there was no way to remove fouling from the cylinder where the seal contacted. That issue is compounded with this A-6 design. Also, a correction to what I previously stated. When I woke up this morning I realized that the A-6 is a ported 4 stroke engine. What threw me off was the improper use of RPM as the crankshaft rotation is a percentage of piston movement built into the transmission between the pistons and the crankshaft. That explained the issue of limited RPM as piston speeds are near double per rpm what they would be in a regular engine. That is, of course, assuming that one accepts the premise of engine RPM being measured at the output of a transmission.
The "A-6" I was comparing Duke's debatable design to is an axial piston pump which was manufactured by Frigidaire. Unless, of course, my old memory bank is wrong in that nomenclature, definitely a possibility, OR, there actually was (is?) an "A-6" combustion engine? The misleading thing here, I think, is the drawing provided by Duke, which I pasted. mo.
Weren't the early GM A/C compressors swashplate driven piston designs? Albeit less complicated than this engine. And most hydraulic motors (think lawn tractor transmission)?
I just recycled the name you used. Actually I don't think I saw it called that in the text of the article.
I believe so. Now, this brings up a point worth delving into. GM compressors had fixed swashplates, which meant that they were classed as constant volume pumps. Less problematic compressing gas, but REAL problem with incompressibles, think hydraulic fluid. So, for every revolution the pump turns, if ALL the fluid delivered is not moved through the device needing it, the excess had to be dumped, right back into the reservoir. When demand was low, lots of power was expended for nothing. NOW. If the swashplate's angle could be varied while running, the OUTPUT VOLUME of fluid could be thus controlled, resulting in no wasted effort. I heard back then (but never had it confirmed), that the GM Fiero cars had A/C compressors using controllable swashplates, if that was true, they were way ahead in usefulness, even though pumping gas. mo.
That is the downside of all hydraulic systems. There has to be a bypass valve. That can be mitigated some with an accumulator and shutting the pump off, but a constantly running punp has to be wasteful or not maintain pressure.
That is the downside of all hydraulic systems. There has to be a bypass valve. That can be mitigated some with an accumulator and shutting the pump off, but a constantly running pump has to be wasteful or not maintain pressure.
I think all the GM cars with the C3 or better computer controls had a measure of controlling volume by controlling the swashplate in the R5s...something I remember from my ASE studies. Doing so gives better control over A/C load and reduces the clutch duty cycle at the same time.
It's got to be expensive from a point of view of design. I just wonder how a swashplate may be electronically controlled angularly from outside the confines of the compressor? Either solenoid-driven, solenoid inside, making sealing no real issue, a wire protruding through a small bulkhead? But mechanical means through the compressor proper? Difficult. See, I have no idea how they do it, so I'm conjuring up design thoughts! mo.
They would control it the same way they control variable valve timing...by controlling oil pressure to change the swashplate angle.
Forget that engine. I want this one. What would you do with a 2-stroke V8 engine. I'm thinking chainsaw or leaf blower.
Lord help ! Now I know what I've been hearing on the lake behind the farm. Waiting to hear about Bubba wiping out in one of the many wild bass boats around here. 450 HP ought to do it.
So THAT'S how they do it! Like engaging or disengaging a torque converter clutch! Except, that in an A/C compressor, would Freon already present be used as the pressurizing medium? Introducing hydraulics into that system would be real tricky, I'd say. mo.
