MYT engine

[esa5444]

Does it come in a V8 version? I can see how you connect 8 of these in a V configuration to a central driveshaft. It would probably not be as efficient as a single big one, nor any more compact that a regular V8, but it would follow the first rule of having a respectable vehicle.

Also, how do you cool that sucker? It would seem that with the "tiny" size, and especially the smaller surface area to volume ratio of this compared to a regular engine, keeping this thing at a reasonable temperature would be problematic.

[esa5444]

I have my doubts about diesel becoming a mainstream fuel for passenger vehicles in the future. Not for any technical reason, but rather the damned hippies. They pass the emissions laws, but when it comes to the technical issues involved, "don't know shit from shinola" is a pretty apt description. When they think diesel, they think of those big evil Peterbilts with smoke pouring from the exhausts, so even though turbo-diesels, for example, are more fuel efficient and just as clean as the same car with a gasoline engine, they are unfairly constrained by bullshit emissions laws that make putting them on the market damned hard.

[DwightG]

The heat PROBLEM though, is that haven't figured out how to keep the combustion chamber seals (can't really call them piston rings now can we) from lunching themselves. It's why they aren't a viable production engine right now.

Thing is, that's a materials problem not a conceptual problem; and if we can get the materials right... maybe.

FWIW, back when we had a problem in a hydraulic demolition hammer that used piston rings. Problem of galling, breaking, eroding from cavitation, etc. A lower temperature application (<240°F) but high pressure (10K psi +), high surface speeds, impact, etc. Pretty rough duty. We finally ended up using stellite to make piston rings and ran them on a hard chromed surface and they lived. Incredibly tough stuff. Kind of a pig to machine but doable. Worked in MG barrels in WII, might work in that application.

[Combat Controller]

All the hippies I know love diesel cars, because of Bio Diesel. Lots of them even own one.

[Termite]

I'd love to have a 2009 VW Jetta TDI.

[esa5444]

I'd love to have a 2009 VW Jetta TDI.

My dad just bought one, manual too. Nice car, but too small. It's a personal pet pieve of mine, but I don't like cars where I rub elbows with the driver when I sit in the front seat. Also, about 3 times out of 4, I hit my head on the door frame when I get in.
Of course, getting 230 foot-pounds out of 4 cylinders (it's a 2 liter, so they are relatively big cylinders) is pretty damned impressive. Supposedly it will do 0-60 in 8 seconds. I will believe it when I see it though. It's a front wheel drive and comes with crappy tires, so I don't think you can really get those 230 foot pounds to transfer to the road too well.

[cu74]

If it works as the inventor states it does, it could give us what we Americans want. ie: Let us drive a big ass car with good fuel economy. Might get GM going again. On the other hand, it would have a negative effect on the big oil companies. Less demand for gas would put a hurt on that industry.

My guess is that our government won't let it happen. I think they'd rather do nothing and try to deal with the current scenerio than try to deal with a possible oil industry meltdown.

Martini is pretty much spot on - there would be a short period of reduced motor-fuel "pain" but the bog oils would adapt quickly. The gasoline and diesel markets aren't as profitable as one might think. The lubes/plastics/chemicals/pharmaceuticals are more valuable. I can remember an oil company engineering manager saying that crude was too valuable to be burning for transportation way back in the seventies.