Shockwave Generators - maybe the new engine

[Slide Panda]

Hit the articles below for more info - in short researchers at MSU have come up with a device that uses a veined rotor plate in an enclosure to create a new sort of engine. Pretty cool

"As the rotor spins, the channels allow an air-fuel mixture to enter via central inlet ports. The mixture would escape through the outlet ports in the walls of the surrounding chamber, but by now the rotor has turned to a position where the channels are not pointing at the outlets.

The resulting sudden build-up of pressure in the chamber generates a shock wave that travels inwards, compressing the air-fuel mixture as it does so. Just before the wave reaches the central inlet ports, these too are shut off by the turning of the rotor.

The compressed mixture is then ignited. By this time the rotor's channels are pointing towards the outlet ports again, releasing the hot exhaust. As the gas escapes at high speed, it pushes against the blade-like ridges inside the rotor, keeping it spinning and generating electricity."

http://www.popsci.com/cars/article/2011-03/shockwave-generating-wave-discs-could-replace-cars-internal-combustion-engines
http://www.newscientist.com/article/mg20928035.100-shock-wave-puts-hybrid-engines-in-a-spin.html

[WarrenJ]

Interesting to see if this will work - I remember reading a science fiction work of Robert Heinlein where he talked about the old internal cumbustion driven vehicles where most of the complexity and energy were consumed "paying for the sins of reciprocation"  Maybe this is some progress.

[Vindingo]

It would be cool if there was a video.  It is hard for me to visualize how this thing actually works or how it is different from a wankel.

[Slide Panda]

Looks like there's no piston driving a separate shaft like in a wankel. Looks to be a direct drive - the veined plate has a shaft that would go to some sort of transmission. Less parts to interface = more better.

Don't seem to be the distinct suck press bang blow strokes still present in a wankel. It looks like it's all happening at one time, using the shock fronts and such to divide the spent fuel/air and the fresh stuff... funky!

[He Man]

lies! thats a talisman, the person who uses it will be granted super powers!

[Slide Panda]

Against Zombies?

[He Man]

no the silver surfer!!!

[Speedbag]

It would be cool if there was a video.  It is hard for me to visualize how this thing actually works or how it is different from a wankel.

On that note, I wonder if they need any type of seal on the OD of the vane wheel thingy that would wear out quickly (like the rotor seals on a Wankel).

I wonder how fast it has to spin, and what kind of variance in RPM is tolerable.

It will all be moot when I perfect my perpetual motion machine (let alone my teleporter).

[Buckethead]

Very interesting.

I'm curious to see where the Brain Trust takes debate over this new-fangled engine design.

[NorDog]

It's like a multi-chambered (not cylinder, obviously) combination of a two stroke and a wankel.

[lethe]

Yay for smaller and lighter!
That means there would be plenty of space in older cars to fit multiple ones.
Let's say the little sauce pot makes 50hp, I can probably easily fit like 20 of these things in an old Caddy. 

[mitt]

Could it power a treadmill?

[CairnsDuc]

Could it power a treadmill?

Will it takeoff?

[pennyrobber]

Will it takeoff?

If there's a tail wind...