The CITS 2 stroke engine ...

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cheapracer
cheapracer
3
Joined: 17 Apr 2012, 15:20

The CITS 2 stroke engine ...

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I have had info on this engine for some time and I just checked that's it's now clear to post some details based on a patent having been approved.

It's a fairly simple design that the inventor believes solves some problems of the 2 stroke. It uses a crosshead type piston enabling the bottom end (crankshaft and rods etc) to be lubricated as a 4 stroke engine typically is with the obvious advantages of keeping oil away from the combustion process as well as using cheap slipper bearings rather than roller cranks. The crosshead piston design allows a separate chamber to be incorporated as part of the crankcase using the lower side of the piston to act as a pump (supercharger), induction being via a one way valve (typically a simple reed valve is nominated). On the downward stroke, reed valve closes and charge is delived to combustion chamber via transfer ports as can be seen.

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The inventor states that this allows pure air-petrol to be used without the usual oil mixed in that causes the pollution of a normal 2 stroke engine. He has mentioned how he lubricates the rings but was confidential and is not mentioned in the patent that I can see so I will not mention it.

One of his innovations to save on pumping losses and costs in a twin cylinder version is to allow the fore'mentioned supercharging chambers to be connected by a port (after the reed valves) containing a throttle valve that can be manually opened and closed to operate as the throttle. The air in these chambers is merely transfered from supercharge chamber to supercharge chamber rather than a vacuum being created at part throttle therefore saving on pumping losses. No normal air/fuel intake throttle valve is required as the throttle valve in this transfer port is opened for low revs and gradually closed to encourage air to come past the reed valves increasing induction - the "Pivot Petal" drawn below...

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Not just a drawing either, had a 100cc Yamaha based Kart engine running in this configuration.


What do I think? - as I told him ..

Being an older guy who has adoration for 2 stroke racing engines of the 60's, he falsely believes that crankcase compression is where it's at, he has about 4:1 currently - well this is 50 years later and it's well established that less than 1:5 is ideal to prevent the charge being blown too far up the exhaust port so a pressure wave (formed by the design of a 2 stroke exhaust) can return it effectively. Of course there will also be pumping losses but the other issue is heat, compress air to 4:1 and the heat has a dramatic increase, not good for anything and I believe that Nox will increase due to that(?).

The throttle'less system, while certainly has pumping loss improvement merits, also is a heat riser in an age where engine designers are trying to keep the combustion cooler to fight Nox.

He didn't much like me after that, seems to be a common trait with inventors :D

Oh and hello from the new guy, please don't like me now as it will save you time later :wink:

olefud
olefud
79
Joined: 13 Mar 2011, 00:10
Location: Boulder, Colorado USA

Re: The CITS 2 stroke engine ...

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About the NOx concerns, since 2cycle inherently mixes a good bit of exhaust with the fuel charge, wouldn’t this temper combustion temps?

I was in early Kart racing, am an inventor and tend towards being old. But you’re right in that most inventions generate improvements at the expense of some unrecognized dark side.

munks
munks
2
Joined: 20 May 2011, 20:54

Re: The CITS 2 stroke engine ...

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olefud wrote:About the NOx concerns, since 2cycle inherently mixes a good bit of exhaust with the fuel charge, wouldn’t this temper combustion temps?
Sorry, I'm not too smart on engine tech ... do lower temps lead to more NOx emissions?

OT: Welcome, cheapracer! I imagine your presence here will attract some from that *other* site ... (and thanks for the informative PM)

olefud
olefud
79
Joined: 13 Mar 2011, 00:10
Location: Boulder, Colorado USA

Re: The CITS 2 stroke engine ...

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munks wrote:
olefud wrote:do lower temps lead to more NOx emissions?
OT
I’m sort of taking the pro side of the invention since I’ve seen so many inventors struggle. They’re as bad as racers about putting their heart in their work.

NOx results from air literally burning itself, i.e. the air nitrogen being oxidized by the oxygen in air. However, it takes extreme temperature and pressure to form. High compression, lean mixture, too much spark lead are causes of NOx. 2 cycle engines tend not to have these conditions. Oil in the fuel degrades the octane rating and exhaust mixed with the fuel charge lowers combustion temperatures.

Also compression under the piston will not lead to heating of the fuel charge. The compressor displacement and the combustion cylinder displacement will be near equal. Thus the heating from the initial compression will be reversed as the fuel charge expands into the cylinder. These should be essentially adiabatic at engine speed.

Even if the fuel charge is heated, the problem is usually detonation rather than NOx.

Getting the oil out of the fuel charge goes a long way towards cleaning up a two cycle. Incomplete combustion would seem to be the next problem along with getting the scavenging to work over a broad RPM band. Like the Wankel, power shouldn’t be a problem but fuel efficiency may be
lower temps lead to more NOx emissions?

Tommy Cookers
Tommy Cookers
621
Joined: 17 Feb 2012, 16:55

Re: The CITS 2 stroke engine ...

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Good luck to the inventor ....... but (I'm thinking) .......

recent developments in outboard motors seem to have solved all the problems with 2 strokes anyway, ie no more oil burnt than a 4 stroke

regarding patents, isn't this design in some aspects similar to the Wulf engine that was a front runner to go in a Norton motorcycle about 25 years ago ?

a supercharged 2 stroke is a completely different animal ...

As you say ......
in the usual 2 stroke (crankcase) compression is inherently low, even in sporty road engines (motorcycle) induction is dominated by effects that only exist over a limited rev range, (counterintuitively, in this case keeping the crankcase compression quite low helps, by maximising the volume available for induction, this was the hot news in the field 50 years ago, ie MZ racers).
pumping losses (ie engine braking) are low however

but as a mass market (car?) engine for this century, I think the inventor is right to pursue full induction at all revs

surely a 4:1 CR of the 'supercharge' dictates a low compression 'over the piston', hence a low expansion ratio and poor efficiency ?
haven't similar engines used much lower supercharge CR for this reason ?

surely recent serious interest has all been supercharged .....

wasn't the recently superceded Ford Ka intended for a 2 stroke (that's why the engine bay was too narrow for any OHC, hence the retention of the old pushrod engine ) ?