Welcome to Engineering TV, an online video program by engineers for engineers! Focused on technical B2B engineering topics, Engineering TV covers emerging technologies, best practices, new products, the latest developments, behind-the-scenes footage, and insights into the people at the forefront of design engineering. Search hundreds of engineering videos by topic or by channel. New episodes every Monday through Thursday!
Topics:    Channels:

Engineering TV

Opposed Piston Opposed Cylinder Engine

An extremely lightweight opposed piston opposed cylinder (OPOC) engine has been developed under a Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) program. FEV and Advanced Propulsion Technologies (APT) were asked by the U.S. Army Tank Automotive Research Development and Engineering Center (TARDEC) to modify this engine for heavy-truck applications. Analyzing the two stroke scavenging, the side-injection combustion, and the structure of the key components shows the potential of the OPOC concept. It is predicted for the 465 kW (650 hp) OPOC truck engine. The OPOC engine was designed to be modular. Each module is self-contained and delivers 325 hp. The modules are connected together via the Modular Displacement Clutch, which synchronizes the modules for achieving even firing when both modules are functioning. With an optimized scavenging process, the special design features of the OPOC engine offer a significant step towards the potential of the two-stroke engine having double the power density of a four-stroke engine. An estimated 90% scavenging efficiency has been achieved with unique gas exchange characteristics of the OPOC engine and the use of an electric assisted turbocharger. The OPOC engine runs with almost two times the engine speed (3800 rpm) along with a large cylinder stroke (167.53 mm), as a result of the split stroke of the opposed piston structure. This also improves the power density by another factor of 2.

AddThis Feed Button

Have a story suggestion? Want to be featured on Engineering TV?
Send us a tip at: EngineeringTV@Penton.com!

  • More than 150 Product Training Modules Online . . . On Demand® at Digikey.com
  • Comments

     

    John Skene said:

    I like the balanced concept, the engineering seems simple but very interesting. Good luck with the tests.

    July 8, 2008 10:27 PM
     

    Jay Salsburg said:

    I know a secret. I know how to achive firing at top-dead-center with the crank at what ever angle you choose to acheive 15 to 35% increase in efficiency and reduction of exhaust gas temperature eliminating Nitrogen products. The design allows a flat engine made of ceramics. A side benefit is the crank lubrication system is closed and isolated from combustion products.

    August 21, 2008 3:33 AM
     

    Dr. Gary E. Anderson said:

    Great site.  

    August 23, 2008 3:32 PM
     

    E.R."Harry" Harrison said:

    I fear that the engine would be balanced in the horizontal plane but not in the vertical plane.  My company used a horizontal piston compressor but had to add a great deal of concrete to absorb the vertical forced, to balance the compressor.

    August 25, 2008 9:45 PM
     

    Paul K said:

    After having thought out the design carefully, I think that they will have a problem with the fact that all of the intake ports are on one side, and the exhaust ports are on the other side. Conventional two strokes are as efficient in producing power as they are because the intake and the exhaust ports work together to induct a fresh charge and to evacuate the burned charge. I am very curious whether they have done any dynamic state flow tests to see how their port layout would work.

    Best of luck

    Paul K

    September 8, 2008 4:29 PM
     

    Brian M. Anderson said:

    We should put one in an M1 Abrams

    September 11, 2008 6:43 AM
     

    Jack Beaner said:

    Wow, now that is very fascinating indeed. Well done!

    RT

    March 9, 2009 8:26 AM
     

    Jonathan A said:

    This engine configuration has been developed and manufactured successfully in the past.  The Rootes Group fitted their TS3 engine into Commer and Karrier trucks in the late 50s and throughout the 60s.  Known as the Commer Knocker engine due to their unique sound.

    March 9, 2009 10:17 AM
     

    Doogenheimer said:

    Oh what new technology!...

    Wait...

    (Subaru "Boxer" engine)

    March 9, 2009 10:54 AM
     

    Mark said:

    Two-Stroke - it will never pass emissions.

    March 9, 2009 11:04 AM
     

    mike H said:

    no no no subaru is opposed but that's not the point, this has two pistons per cylinder. those long connecting rods are a little scary though.  if you want to see a scary engine with two pistons per clynder look up a deltic engine on youtube. this came out about eighty years ago, its a two stroke with three crankshafts.

    March 9, 2009 12:05 PM
     

    Adam said:

    en.wikipedia.org/.../Opposed_piston_engine

    I don't understand what is new?

    March 9, 2009 12:24 PM
     

    Biggy D said:

    This isnt New. Opposed Cylinder 2 strokes were used back in the 40's and 50's on stationary power plants and trains except they used 2 cranks to get the opposed effect. maybe with new tech this idea can florish. i thing is isnt 40% effieceny normal on a diesel? 300hp with turbochargers isnt that impressive

    March 9, 2009 12:25 PM
     

    Jodalean said:

    Fairbanks & Morse developed an opposed piston engine in the 1940's. It is still being built today. These supercharged two strokes have powered locomotives and submarines and continue to provide primary ships propulsion.

    The opposed cylinder arrangement is even older making this an amalgam of two rather ancient technologies. It may even be a stretch to call this particular design new or novel without research but the outboard connecting rod arrangement is rather intriguing if not a mechanical weak point as demonstrated.

    Given a common crankshaft with vastly dissimilar rod lengths, it would be interesting to see the composite torque curve across the rpm range.

    Alternatively, interested parties might wish to check out a cam driven four stroke deign by Revetec.

    ps: look for the animation

    www.revetec.com/gallery_render_031.htm

    March 9, 2009 12:34 PM
     

    Grant said:

    This is nothing like a Subaru boxer engine (or a Porsche/VW/BMW boxer engine) or the opposed piston engine design used in the 40s. This design uses a piston that performs half the travel and the "head" performing the other half of the travel, with the two meeting in the middle. It's not simply two pistons traveling in opposite directions.

    March 9, 2009 1:16 PM
     

    YourMom said:

    Adam... yeah that's the OP part... now let's do the OC...

    O_o

    March 9, 2009 1:19 PM
     

    the dude said:

    elegant

    March 9, 2009 1:43 PM
     

    GaryH said:

    Post-war examples include the highly-successful Rootes TS3 used in Commer trucks 1953-1969, when Chrysler (who also had shares in Cummings) took over Rootes & killed it (this had one crankshaft and a rocker-linkage); also the more-fragile Napier Deltic engines (3 crankshafts) for marine and rail use. A petrol motor was the British "Dolphin Marine" 8 hp by Johnsons - this used 2 crankshafts with chain-drive. The WW2 Junkers diesel aero-engine used in the Ju86 long-range bomber and Bv138 patrol-seaplane had 6 cylinders, 12 pistons and two crankshafts in a vertical layout.

    The Rootes scheme eliminated the need for gearing having to withstand engine-output loading; also it gave greatly reduced side-thrust on the pistons because the primary con-rods moved through only a very small deflection angle. The nickname "Knocker Commer' did not arise from mechanical sounds, it merely referred to the layout. But they were a noisy engine due to the rapid opening of ports, added to the music of the Wade Roots-type blower.

    March 9, 2009 2:38 PM
     

    Ernst Dinkla said:

    One of the goals in two stroke opposed piston designs was the asymmetric opening of inlet and exhaust ports and the better gas flow possible. To reduce the complexity of two crankshafts, Puch and some other motorcycle engine designs more or less bended the straight cylinder into a U and used two pistons + an Y shaped piston rod. In the end the gain was less than expected.  Rotary disc and membrane inlets allowed the same asymmetry with less complexity.

    I do not see a fundamental difference in the stroke length with this design compared to double cranks. But the frequency per crank cycle is doubled in this case.

    March 9, 2009 3:45 PM
     

    so_not said:

    Where do the intake and exhaust go, if they are opposite, they have to be on the top and the bottom of the cylinder, since the external rods would block the flow on the sides. So part of the engine is horizontal, part is vertical. Would make a gasoline motor difficult to be efficient.

    March 9, 2009 4:16 PM
     

    so_not said:

    Also, the two "equal and opposite forces" on the crankshaft is really no different then an even cylinder car. Two are on a combustion stroke when two are on an intake stroke, two are "pulling" while two are being pushed... Whats the difference??

    March 9, 2009 4:19 PM
     

    stroker said:

    When is the big block version going to be in play. HaHa. Maybe it will make some hp, who cares,and what about the torque.Did they mention tq values at what rpms. Nitrous.Yea !!!!!!

    March 9, 2009 7:13 PM
     

    Anon omous said:

    Bow down in awe at the mighty Napier Deltic 18 cylinder

    opposed piston diesel!

    www.ptfnasty.com/.../ptfengcutaway.jpg

    March 10, 2009 1:02 PM
     

    wallace clendening said:

    anybody have any info on "AENG" engines. I bought stock.

    March 10, 2009 7:49 PM
     

    Claude said:

    With the opposed cylinders, the vertical force is also balanced. It should be extremely smooth as reciprocating engines go.

    Thanks for the Napier link. I always wondered how a Deltic worked.

    March 11, 2009 1:03 AM
     

    TC said:

    start with a marine diesel - with that flat design their prayers will be answered!

    March 11, 2009 10:02 AM
     

    Bhustalimath B M, Bangalore- India said:

    The work to be rapidly marketed for generating savings of fuel, generating employment, conserving clean environment, etc.

    March 12, 2009 1:13 PM
     

    TheMentat said:

    Porsche engines are not technically "Boxer" engines... the firing sequence is different.

    March 13, 2009 7:32 PM
     

    Preston said:

    Nothing new here.  locamotives and some Coast Guard ships have been using engines like this sense the 1960's

    March 14, 2009 12:36 AM
     

    Steve said:

    Yes but they all used more than one Crankshaft....

    March 16, 2009 12:06 PM
     

    James Myers said:

    I like this new design however, i dont think you could get enough horse power to be useful for a large size vehicle(cars, trucks, SUVs, ect..).  The design is amazing its well balanced and a simple design for its functions, but it is a two stroke which are great fro producing high RPM and not much torque.

    Keep up the great work!   I look forward to seeing this engine being put to use!

    March 18, 2009 3:23 AM
     

    Deepwater said:

    Napier Deltic engines were installed on a minesweeper I went on sea trials with. Started by cartridge, index and fired like a gun VERY LOUD. very powerful. No on board repairs. Repairs by replacement only.

    March 31, 2009 6:11 PM
     

    Manousos said:

    The external pistons of the OPOC engine do not touch the cylinder wall, only rings touch the cylinder.

    This fact enables the cylinder being a little tapered/conical towards the combustion dead center CDC, thereby:

    -nor the rings touch the ports and the port bridges any longer.

    - the ring friction is reduced, rings seal only where necessary.

    -the lubricant film needs not extend over the ports and

    the bridges where, otherewise, will get burned

    -the oil film on the bore has to serve only the rings.

    -it seems that the uniflow/through-scavenging of the OPOC engine eliminates the gases flow problems  of this tepered/conical cylinder

    Will such a compression-release cycle reduce the longevity of the rings?

    May 7, 2009 3:19 AM
     

    perkee said:

    Great!  I am waiting for the opoc medium for light aircraft applications.

    May 15, 2009 10:51 AM
     

    Douglas said:

    Tucker's engine Patent #2184820 there is no development here. The DOD has  Tucker's engines from the 1930's.

    Also Levi ,Lee Bowman built for DOD radial form back in 1918.

    And Pittman before that, for mining drill in the 1890's to balance torque.

        I like the accent, it makes be feel like he is smart.

    All that needs to be done is to bring back suppressed technologies and fund them with large backing.

    By the way, DOD does not have emissions controls.

    May 23, 2009 6:26 AM

    Leave a Comment

    (required)  
    (optional)
    (required)  
    Add

    Brought to you by

    Machine Design Electronic Design Motion Systems Design MWRF Medical Design Medical Design Medical Design

    View By Channel >

      Educational    Vendor Submitted   Topics    User-Submitted