Hybrid single-cylinder engine
Hybrid single-cylinder engine – Is this the engine of the future? Indeed, the principle of this invention is very interesting: a four-stroke and two-stroke hybrid single-cylinder, which should combine the advantages of both configurations.
On the one hand, it offers low fuel consumption, lower pollutant emissions and a more docile character. On the other hand, greater performance for the same displacement. Intriguing?
The development of the new engine was carried out in Sweden by the engineer John Ellwood who created this curious mutation.
More details of the new hybrid engine
Namely, it is a single-cylinder that still has a useful phase in four to one, being intake, compression, combustion and exhaust. However, the induction is controlled by vane-type valves and the charge of the air-gasoline mixture, which is sucked into the crankcase before being introduced into the combustion chamber.
In this way, when the explosion occurs, the downward stroke of the piston is used to compress another gasoline charge of air and the pressure closes the reed valves, thus preventing backflow.
In the cylinder head, instead of the conventional valves, there is a belt-driven rotary cross-valve system.
In this way, the inventor guarantees that the system works well and that he created a single-cylinder prototype of 1298 cm³. The declared data for this engine are quite interesting: maximum power of 150 hp with a rotation speed of 6000 rpm, which for a single-cylinder engine of this size is quite a lot.
However, this is not his first experience. John started the research in the mid-1990s and the first example was a 500cc unit taken from an old engine. We’ll see what this motorcycle-loving engineer will show us soon.
