The world of patents leaves us with new innovations every week that seem to solve common technical problems that the industry has been trying to decipher for years, even decades. Speed Stroke Engine is one of these requests, and basically focuses on varying the speed of the piston stroke, increasing the performance and efficiency of the engine.
Speed Stroke Engine: “reducing times to gain performance”
This is the main idea on which the study carried out by Brian Schmidtan American inventor who attempts to vary the speed of the piston stroke using a novel design based on a non-circular gear profile. As detailed on its Speed Stroke Engine presentation page in this way:
“You can spend more time per revolution on what is most important, taking time away from less relevant tasks.” According to arguments in this regard, this would be achieved “giving a dual purpose to the counterweight portion of a typical crankshaft, converting it into a non-circular gear profile, and combining it with an adaptive gear on an additional output shaft.”
This technology, a priori, would be equally valid in both two- and four-stroke engines, regardless of whether they were powered by gasoline or diesel. The goal of the system is to achieve greater overall efficiency (performance, power and consumption), while reducing the times of the internal processes given in the engine itself: intake, combustion and exhaust.
Furthermore, it ensures that the profile on which its patent is based is fully customizable, with “the aim of maximizing power and/or efficiency”. The complementary graph to the description of Speed Stroke Engine affects a reduction of up to 50% in the duration of the upward compression, increasing the duration of the power stroke (downward) by approximately 50%.
Clarifies: “It is important to note that the total transmission ratio with respect to the output shaft remains at 1:1.” Consequently “This also increases the length of the intake (down) stroke and decreases the length of the exhaust (up) stroke. As an added advantage, the piston dwell time can be reduced by designing the non-circular profile.”
If this were achieved, not only would the engine suck cold air at a lower speed, but it would also have more time “to capture power and less heat buildup due to dwell time.” Although the patent has not yet been approved, Schmidt is looking for partners to collaborate with in new phases of the project. Although media specialized in this type of technology warn that there are a series of technical principles that remain in the air such as friction caused by the system itself and the consequent premature wear of engine parts.
