Kiss Your Camshaft Goodbye

[ChevysRus]

Had a chance to review some High Tech stuff from a friend (under oath and if required by Law I will reveal the source ha ha )regarding a new test engine on the road today and may appear as early as 2004 or 2005 production on some models and will spread to all models eventually.

Seems the amazing engineering types have figured out a way to eliminate the camshaft and rockers and pushrods and all related wearable items from future engines. Valves will be operated by selenoids in the future with computer controlled vpercentage openings of intake and exhaust for a given RPM. No need to open the valves wide open at idle in future. More accuate control and absolute peak performance at all times (assuming the bugs get taken out of the system). Understand currently this engine is in testing and progressing thru the maze of evaluations needed before it goes into production.

Want more info, how about all current new cars and future cars being set up to run on 85% ethanol and 15% gas. Computer controlled timing slowed down for firing and burn. Total independence on foreigh oil coming to an end 2006 and beyond. Nice to know we will all have top fuel alcohol cars in near future ha ha ha .

Understand Minnesota already has 400 stations selling 85% Ethanol fuel and actually everyday testing under way with promising results.

No impact on future prices as only the starch is extracted from the source product for the production of ethanol.

Maybe this is old news to some of you, but it was an eye opener for me big time.

OK more to ponder and I am looking to buy stock in the ethanol companies tomorrow. By the way none of the big oil companies are involved in this endeavor (wonder why he said wistfully) . Only the big car companies are supporting the effort as they will gain mileage and emmission improvements from the new fuel allowing them to comply with upcoming regulations.

OK food for thought ha ha ha

[SoCalDMAX]

Yup, sounds entirely true, I've read stories discussing little bits here and there of what you just posted.

A neighbor invested in a company that was working on solenoids capable of taking the heat and abuse. My view was they were dreaming - trying to use existing tech to directly fire the valve. The valve stem was the shaft of the solenoid. AFAIK, the neighbor lost his A$$ on that investment.

I think it's doable, but new materials or a very innovative method of moving the valve must be used. The automakers are probably in the best position to develop this. BMW is crowing about great hp/torque numbers from their valvetronic system. Pretty crude compared to solenoids and the ability to control their duration and lift at every rpm.

IIRC, ethanol yields 50% of the mileage of gas, so we'll be burning more fuel/mile, if it's not burning that much cleaner, the EPA isn't making much progress. I laugh about all of the catalytic converters on my cars every time I see a jet take off, with a trail of black unburned fuel behind it. Obviously, the lobbyists were successful at proving to the idiot lawmakers who "really" makes all of the pollution.

I read an article about a guy who had reinvented the 2 stroke with very good economy, zero emissions and no need to premix oil. Using oil splash, high quality rings (maybe a coated bore), newly designed injectors that gave a very fine mist and a catalytic converter, he achieved something like 250hp, 45mpg out of a 2.0L (made up numbers) motor with no emissions. I wanted to see those injectors sold as replacements for the current ones on gassers, that alone could yield significant hp/mileage gains.

Supposedly, all of the major mfrs were lined up, paying $millions ea. to cooperate in the R&D. Haven't heard anything in over a yr on it.

A female friend of mine is a strong advocate of hydrogen fuel cells. They can make a great deal of power and could be very light weight. She made the point that the Hindenburg did not catch fire from the hydrogen; based on the color of the flame, it was the aluminized skin fabric of the dirigible that burst into flame, and the hydrogen helped fuel it. She argues that hydrogen is no more dangerous than gasoline or LPG. Without an ignition source, it's just another gas present in the atmosphere.

I'm still in awe of diesels. Plenty of power, easy to make more power. REALLY looking forward to being able to get 10% or 20% biodiesel at the pump. Better lubrication, smoother running, quieter power, YEAH BABY!!! :D :D

Ahem. Wife's calling me to come to bed. See ya tomorrow. ;)

Regards, Steve

[hoot]

It's called camless and guess what guys, it's Navistar and is earmarked to be in the Ford Powerstroke by 2006.

[stretch]

I haven't heard about any of the things you have dicussed. Perhaps I live in a cave tongue.gif I'm glad to see that the manufacturers are moving in the right direction and continueing R&D for alternative and blended fuels.The sooner we cut cord with the middle east, the better. My only fear is when it happens, they will drop the price of crude oil and it may make a resurgence, thus setting us back again into the stone ages of development.
Its amazing to me the things I learn about here on DP. Gotta love it !!!!! :D

[White Knight]

SoCalDMAX wrote.....
IIRC, ethanol yields 50% of the mileage of gas, so we'll be burning more fuel/mile....
------

The fellows with the short box, 8.1l (26 gal. tanks) will have to set a 55 gal. drum of fuel in back to get to the grocery store. Then when towing, will need two drums. ;)
Sam

[hoot]

Early this morning (6/15/2000), Sturman Engine Systems drove a truck with Sturman Proprietary Camless Engine Controls to the top of Pikes Peak; making it the first of its kind. "We made it to the top and back without shutting the engine off. This is a milestone event demonstrating the durability of the technology under extremely severe conditions." said Matt Snow, mechanical technician. With an entourage of excited Sturman team members, the Sturman Camless left the gate (7,400 ft.) at 7:00 am and made it to the top (14,110 ft.) a little before 8:30 am (38 mile round trip)

Using Hydraulic Valve Actuation, Sturman Engine Systems is able to completely remove the camshaft to create an energy efficient, low emissions, Inline-6 diesel engine. Reaching the summit with this truck (a modified International Class 7) was a huge milestone in the development of this revolutionary technology, proving that it's well on its way to the top - in more ways than one.

[Black Dog]

Don't think that Navistar is the only company developing this type of technology. Also don't hold your breath waiting for it to become technically and comercially viable.

[NorCalDMAX]

OH YEAH.
Been reading about this concept for sometime now. Saw it in a mechanical design periodical I get here at work about 2 years ago.

I would love to build a Race Motor for my car with No Valves and No Cam. I can set valve overlap with my computer. Set duration based on head flow without having to buy another bump stick.. UNLIMITED TUNING...!!! :D . However the gas burning efficiency has me a bit worried. The ethanol liberates very fast and will burn at much faster rate. Hence cars will have to come with a 200 gallon fuel tanks... :eek: I have guys that run methanol(ethanol is same chemical base just lacks a couple of other constituents) now at the track and it burns at a 3 to 1 rate over conventional race gas.

All I can say is Hot Dang...those innovators are at it again...I can tell you this though...It will have to be out for 5-10 years before I ever even consider or buy one...( I remember the EFI scenario with the big 3).I bet the software/solenoid reliability is just going to be a nightmare when the application goes to daily driving.

Regards

[grape]

wonder how much horsepower it would free up to get rid of the cam and all the other junk in there.

[jweber]

Ford Has been testing a engine for years that has no cam drive at all ,gears, cam ,rockers,push rods and no starter ,it uses electric solinoids on the valves. It has a crank position sensor and when you turn on the key the computer remembers the last to fire , opens all the valves except the ones on the piston just past tdc, closes those and injects gas and fire to start the piston down , then the next and so on until the rpm reach idle speed then everything works . To do a valve job you unplug and unbolt the heads and replace the units as one, no overhaul .

[rustypig]

I also read about this possibility a few years back. I was thinking "cool...less friction...more go fast power. Unfortunately the EPA seems to be the "driving factor" for all up-coming car models and engine designs coming out. I saw on the tv a couple of nights ago that hydrogen cars aren't going to be the magic bullet once thought. Guess the process it takes to produce/capture the hydrogen pollutes enormously, something like 10 times more pollutant vs that gained in less car exhaust.
I was rear-ended by a semi going 90mph once...good thing we were in a Volvo. I decided then I'd never drive a "rice box". I'd like to see the U.S. get independant of the foreign oil through technology as well, but not if I gotta drive a go-cart. I'm all for the bio-diesel myself. I think the 50 mpg direct injection VW diesels are promising. Couple direct injection w/camless design, running on bio-diesel, and just like the commmercial said "I think I'll have a V-8" (for my Suburban please).

[JRM]

hoda has had these engines for years in R&D.. cool stuff

[stephan vanderhee]

Hi there just surfing your site and read your topic, check out www.coatesengineering.com or the words off its a new cam system that does work. take a look ;) vanderhee@hotmail.com

[deckhand]

I seem to remember that Renault was using camless technology in Formula 1 about twenty years ago. Their valves were actuated pneumatically. Seems like hardly anything is ever really new. I doubt they had the kind of computer controls available today though.

[Redhawk]

Before I got religion a couple of years ago, I was on the Ford forum and they were saying the camless engine was to debut in the 2007 models, which might be more wish than fact. It all sounds more complicated than the usual cam/pushrod arrangement. While there was a lot of discussion about it, there didn't seem to be much enthusiasm for it. I think they were afraid that it couldn't be hotrodded.

[ 06-29-2002: Message edited by: Redhawk ]</p>