Advanced Combustion Research Engine Design

[Blake11911]

Hello all!

I currently work in an Advanced Combustion laboratory and have been on the hunt for a very particular engine to modify, my end game is creating a helpful teaching tool for our thermodynamics classes. At the moment our design will be using a quartz composite cylinder for the cylinder housing, allowing use of our 8000+ FPS camera to view the intake, compression, power, and exhaust strokes of an otto cycle. We have a lot of resources at our disposal however we have had a hard time finding a single cylinder flat top engine and I was hoping a community with your expertise would know where to point me. The reason for a flat top head design you might ask is that using an engine with a hemispherical head would be counter productive to our goal. At the end of the compression stroke when the piston is TDC the spark ignition will be contained within the half hemisphere of engine head and we will not be able to see it. It is important for us to see the spark propagation and "first light" as we like to call it here. If you have something in mind, but questions wether it would be right for us or not, fret not, I will greatly appreciate any information you guys are willing to give us and I can look into designs to analyze wether it will be compatible with our goals or not.

The primary stipulation is that the engine needs to be small, 10hp or less at the crank, we can only do "so much" black magic in order to contain the blast within our transparent walls, which we do have experience with.

Thank you all very much!

 

[Niels Abildgaard]

will a two stroke with a transperant head be a solution?
If You want more fourstroke combustion cut the spark every second rev.

 

[Blake11911]

will a two stroke with a transperant head be a solution?
If You want more fourstroke combustion cut the spark every second rev.

A two stroke will not, however thanks for the tip regarding the spark.

 

[lomaxmotorsports]

I remember in our high school auto class there was a clear cylinder single 4 stroke the teacher had, from memory of it it had about an 1.5"bore and about a 3" stroke. Not sure where it came from but it exists!

 

[Tin Falcon]

Blake Just noticed you post. I Think we can help you. It happens that our friend and member here Jann Ridders of the Netherlands has designed some fantastic engines that I believe will meet your needs.

This engine is designed and built with a glass cylinder as you describe.

http://ridders.nu/Webpaginas/pagina_1-cilinder_glas_4takt/1cil_glas_frameset.htm


And here is his Otto cycle engine

http://ridders.nu/Webpaginas/pagina_otto_viertactmotor/otto_frameset.htm



His normal policy is to send any one plan set free via e-mail. But i think if you ask nicely and explain why you need or want both plan set he will likely accommodate you .
Can you tell us where you work ??

Tin

 

[Tin Falcon]

Blake : If you are realy interested in what we do here

1) I suggest you post an introduction in the welcome area.
And if you are interested in engine history you may want to come visit The rough and tumble Engineering society annual threshermens reunion 13-16 AUG KInzers PA http://www.roughandtumble.org/resources/22476.pdf
and you can visit us in York PA in April 2015

http://www.cabinfeverexpo.com/

Kinzers should be about a 3 hour ride and York about half of that.
Kinzers has a large collection of antique and historic engines that will be running IIRC they do have an orignial otto.

Cabin fever is a model engineering show. Lots of cool stuff to see.
Tin

 

[matt-jaysey]

A briggs and stratton engine? They have flat heads, mostly are well under 10bhp and are everywhere, you could pick up a brand new one for quite cheap, and they're simple.

 

[lomaxmotorsports]

Matt how many clear b&s engines you ever seen?

 

[Goldflash]

many years ago in Model Engineer ( 1970s) there was an article called "looking into the Fire"
It was about a small Side Valve Engine built ( somewhere between 3.5 -5 cc ) and it had a clear glass lens built into the cylinder head above the piston. It was used to film the combustion sequence. It would not be that difficult to fabricate a cylinder head for a Side Valve Engine with a Glass Plate Sandwiched into it.

 

[matt-jaysey]

Matt how many clear b&s engines you ever seen?

I'm sure he said he wanted an engine, not the clear cylinder?

 

[lomaxmotorsports]

Go back and read the original post he wants a clear engine so he can video the combustion process.