There's a new engine in town: Kugelmotor

"Spoon II" (Spoon_II) 12/03/2015 at 14:41 • Filed to: None

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Someone may have posted about this thing before, but the Kuglemotor seems fascinating:

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And some German video with part movement examples below (you may have to skip around a bit):

pip bip - choose Corrour > Spoon II 12/03/2015 at 14:50

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i’d like to see one i a car running and curious to know if it improves emissions / fuel economy or is just plain stupid German over engineering

RamblinRover Luxury-Yacht > pip bip - choose Corrour 12/03/2015 at 15:02

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gin-san - shitpost specialist > Spoon II 12/03/2015 at 15:19

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This was back in 2011 - has any further development occurred since then? I like the low size/weight, and it seems like it’s well suited for modern hybrid applications. 1.18 litres, 100hp and 200+ lb-ft of torque seems pretty good, especially since they said further efficiencies can be found.

The articles ends with them saying they'd have a major car manufacturer on board soon but that was four years ago and I don't think any manufacturers have mentioned this at all.

Snuze: Needs another Swede > Spoon II 12/03/2015 at 15:21

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Did anyone else see the headline and read it as kegel motor?

Steve in Manhattan > Spoon II 12/03/2015 at 15:24

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Where I come from, this is kugel.

And it sort of looks like that thing they dropped Jodie Foster into in Contact.

Khalbali > Snuze: Needs another Swede 12/03/2015 at 15:26

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Yep.

unclevanos (Ovaltine Jenkins) > pip bip - choose Corrour 12/03/2015 at 15:28

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If anyone tells you that they can build a IC motor with 99% or 100% efficiency, its total bullshit. Most IC gas engines stuggle to get 30% efficiency, diesels can a get a bit more. This being thermal efficiency though.

RamblinRover Luxury-Yacht > unclevanos (Ovaltine Jenkins) 12/03/2015 at 15:33

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Combustion efficiency is pretty easy these days. Varying combustion quantity on demand and improved thermal efficiency are both spectacularly hard.

Snuze: Needs another Swede > Spoon II 12/03/2015 at 15:42

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Also, I don’t have time to dig up links at the moment, but look into swash plate motors. It’s what torpedoes use. Imagine 500HP out of an engine 26” in diameter and about 2 feet long. Of course part of that is the fuel - they use Otto II fuel, its a self oxidizing propellant which is very toxic but also makes for awesome power.

Spoon II > gin-san - shitpost specialist 12/03/2015 at 16:19

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I’m honestly not sure about any further developments. I just kind of happened upon this today and thought it was interesting. I’ll definitely look into it further when I get a chance.

Spoon II > Snuze: Needs another Swede 12/03/2015 at 16:22

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I’ve seen a few things on those and they’re such an awesome design! I wonder why they aren’t used more frequently. This actually gives me a possible blog idea: an in-depth examination of the advantages/disadvantages and uses of various engine layouts. I think I actually saw a brief article on something like that, but it was more on theoretical designs.

Spoon II > Steve in Manhattan 12/03/2015 at 16:24

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That looks much more delicious (and now I’ll internally refer to this design as the potato motor). Haha, that’s honestly what I thought too. It could’ve been ripped right out of a sci-fi movie.

Manwich - now Keto-Friendly > Spoon II 12/03/2015 at 17:58

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I think it’s more likely that we will see 2 stroke piston engines with DI than seeing this engine making it into production.

Anyone remember how in the 1990s, many thought the 2-stroke engine would make a big-time comeback?

http://www.allpar.com/neon/stroke.ht…

Snuze: Needs another Swede > Spoon II 12/04/2015 at 08:34

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That would be a great blog post, I’d definitely read it. I really like alternative engine ideas but it doesn’t seem liked any of them take off. I think the biggest issue is that we’ve already reached maximum combustion efficiency - i.e. in a modern engine over 99% of all the fuel in the chamber is burned. The problem is thermal efficiency, turning that combustion and heat into work.

Piston engines have a big disadvantage because they have have to turn reciprocating motion into rotating motion, which adds friction and a layer of complexity to things. But as I mentioned in another reply here, they have been around for 100+ years and so are quite well understood. When you think about it, the only viable competitor to replace the piston engine is the rotary/wankel and it’s failed to make a significant dent in the market. That’s sad because it offers some real theoretical advantages - look at the Renesis in the RX-8 - 247HP out of a normally aspirated 1.3L engine that weighs ~250lbs (with all accessories but no fluids). That’s crazy to me because my Cruze has a 1.4L with a turbo, and even after having it tuned, it only makes 180HP and the engine probably weighs at least 100lbs more. But poor emissions, poor fuel economy, and nagging reliability issues seem to have forever relegated it to curiosity status.

John-Burns > Snuze: Needs another Swede 03/16/2017 at 10:43

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There has been advances on the rotary engines. HCCI ign, laser ign, and David Garside in England has come with superior cooling and an exhaust reactor to burn unburnt fuel in the exhaust. Rotaries work very, very well as a constant speed engine in generator applications for hybrids. One third of the weight and size of piston engines. Also very `smooth`.

A hybrid engine it is a part-time engine, so will last and last.