Piston Deactivation @ Engine Expo 2012
Not cylinder deactivation where fuel is cut from a cylinder but a complete stop of the piston and rod.
Engine Expo 2012 arrives at the Messe Stuttgart in Germany on June 12, 13, and 14, and this year’s show – which is the must-attend event for everyone involved in powertrain design, development, procurement and production – will feature two breakthrough engine design concepts that have already got many in the industry talking.
The first will be from Scalzo Automotive Research, which will debut the world’s first piston deactivation engine (PDE), something that’s not to be confused with cylinder deactivation technology, says company owner Joseph Scalzo, who hopes to demonstrate that there is a much better way of achieving substantial fuel economy at a much lower cost using existing manufacturing processes, rather than high-cost hybrid technology.
At Engine Expo 2012, Scalzo will unveil a prototype 1.7-liter, three-cylinder PDE that has run successfully on one, two, and three pistons. Unlike cylinder deactivation engines, where the pistons still operate within the cylinder, the PDE stops the pistons from moving and they are ‘parked’ until required. Scalzo says this substantially reduces overall engine friction and pumping losses and, at the same time, enables the operating piston(s) to work with a much higher open-throttle efficiency.
Scalzo’s prototype engine has been based on one half of a GM six-cylinder, 3.6-liter Alloytec unit. It uses part of the cylinder block with pistons, and the complete head and part of the manifold, thus effectively creating multicapacity engines of 567cc, 1130cc, and 1700cc.
EngineWorks will bring another potential breakthrough in design to Engine Expo: a rotary vane engine. Details remain top secret, but what the company aims to showcase is a method of fully removing friction between rotating vane blades and stationary engine parts. With this technology on board, a rotary vane IC engine promises to be more efficient than reciprocating engines. The prototype is currently undergoing testing, and results so far promise high efficiency levels, says the company. Exhaust gas emissions are very low, says the company, due to a continuous combustion process, which also allows the engine to run on multiple fuel types.
Now in its 14th year, Engine Expo 2012 – which has established itself as the leading automotive powertrain fair – promises to build on the success of last year’s show. The event will provide the industry with an ideal platform to meet the world’s leading companies as they exhibit their latest powertrain breakthroughs, which will include state-of-the-art designs, components, and subsystems, as well as innovative new materials manufacturing technologies and services.