Duke engines

[rcfreak177]

This is very cool, I have never seen this type of engine.

Enjoy,

[ame]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c19kn3drdFU[/ame]

 

[Swifty]

A very interesting video, someone has put a lot of money into development of it.

Paul.

 

[Till]

There have been barrel-engines for over 100 years now. They all share difficult lubrication conditions, difficult thermal conditions, extra tight tolerances and lack space for maintenance.
In other words: These are expensive to make, have a short lifespan and expensive maintenance.

someone has put a lot of money into development of it.

I don't think so.
On top of the things stated above, the duke engines obviously have an additional dynamic seal at the cylinder head, wich is exposed to maximum combustion pressure and gases while moving (!!!). Awww...
This rotating arrangement also fails to meet any modern emission standard by default.

Take something complex and difficult to handle that nobody has mastered before, then add even more complexity...

Nobody would provide funding for that.
It looks more like some kind of private hobby to me.

 

[Cogsy]

It looks more like some kind of private hobby to me.

I have to agree. The video looks very well produced and sounds very professional. Most of what it says and shows I can't dispute. However, at around the 3:07 mark, it shows a double bearing arrangement in a most unusual configuration. I know from my years of bearing experience, both in sales and on the 'engineering' side, this type of arrangement is not suitable for those types of bearings and such a design would never be approved by any bearing engineer, except possibly in some type of non-critical, low load situation (like a small conveyor system or the like).

I have to think that professional engine designers would have more experience than to make such a fundamental error in design.

 

[Swifty]

I wish that I was as rich as some of the posters here, the amount of money invested into that engine might be hobby money to them, but to me it's a fortune.

Paul.

 

[Woodster]

I think the bearings mentioned at the 3:07 mark are on a bench stand and not a part of the engine. A stand like that would allow easy rotation of the cylindrical engine so as to be able to work on all sides without any man-handling. If you look through the right hand cylinder there is an identical bearing visible.

 

[Cogsy]

Well spotted Woodster. That is quite possibly what it is. Low load, low precision, just something 'knocked up' to do the job.

 

[vederstein]

I found this on Yahoo today - An interview with a company rep about this engine:

https://autos.yahoo.com/news/worlds-most-advanced-gas-engine-170021695.html

...Ved.