Scuderi Engine
Encyclopedia
The Scuderi Engine is a split cycle, internal combustion engine
invented by Carmelo J. Scuderi (1925 - 2002). Scuderi Group, an engineering and licensing company based in West Springfield, Massachusetts
and founded by Carmelo Scuderi’s children, is testing a working prototype of the engine that was officially unveiled to the public on April 20, 2009.
The Scuderi Engine is under development by Southwest Research Institute
in San Antonio, Texas
. . Scuderi Group released video footage of a naturally aspirated one-liter prototype of the Scuderi Engine firing on its own in the laboratory in October, 2009.
According to Scuderi Group, tests indicate that the Scuderi Engine shows gains in efficiency
and reduced toxic emissions
over conventional four-stroke Otto cycle
designs. The company also says that the Scuderi Engine could be used as part of an air hybrid system
, allowing recovered braking energy to be stored as compressed air. Laboratory tests of the prototype are said to match earlier predictions generated by computer models.
As of Aug. 2011, Scuderi Group said its patent portfolio included more than 476 patent applications worldwide, more than 154 of which have issued as patents in more than 50 countries.
The Scuderi Group has partnered with several automotive engineering companies to assist with engineering the Scuderi Engine's complementary components. German automotive supply company Mahle GmbH
is working on the piston
s, Swedish engine developer Cargine Engineering AB is assisting with the air-activated valves, Denver-based Gates Corporation
is engineering the belts
, and Germany-based Schaeffler Group
is contributing to the valve train assembly. The engineering division of Germany’s Robert Bosch GmbH
is working on the timing mechanism of the engine.
Various OEMs including Honda
, Daimler AG, Fiat
, and PSA Peugeot Citroën
have signed non-disclosure agreements with Scuderi Group. A Daimler AG scientist familiar with the matter told The Wall Street Journal
that the design has potential.
engine, each cylinder performs four strokes per cycle: intake, compression, power, and exhaust. This means that two revolutions of the crankshaft
are required for each power stroke. The Scuderi Engine divides these four strokes between two paired cylinders: one for intake/compression and another for power/exhaust. Compressed air is transferred from the compression cylinder to the power cylinder through a crossover passage. Fuel is then injected and fired to produce the power stroke. In a standard Otto cycle engine, the pistons fire every other revolution, however, the Scuderi engine fires every revolution. The Scuderi must have at least two cylinders.
In the Scuderi cycle, the power cylinder fires just after the piston has begun its downward motion (after top dead center, or ATDC). This is in contrast to Otto cycle design convention, which calls for combustion just before top dead center (BTDC) in order to allow combustion pressure to build.
The Scuderi Group says a thermal efficiency
shortcoming seen in previous split-cycle engine designs is eliminated in the Scuderi Engine through the process of firing after top dead center, which is an unconventional engine design practice. Firing ATDC in a split-cycle arrangement eliminates the losses resulting from recompressing the gas.
Internal combustion engine
The internal combustion engine is an engine in which the combustion of a fuel occurs with an oxidizer in a combustion chamber. In an internal combustion engine, the expansion of the high-temperature and high -pressure gases produced by combustion apply direct force to some component of the engine...
invented by Carmelo J. Scuderi (1925 - 2002). Scuderi Group, an engineering and licensing company based in West Springfield, Massachusetts
West Springfield, Massachusetts
The Town of West Springfield is a city in Hampden County, Massachusetts, United States. It is part of the Springfield, Massachusetts Metropolitan Statistical Area. The population was 28,391 at the 2010 census...
and founded by Carmelo Scuderi’s children, is testing a working prototype of the engine that was officially unveiled to the public on April 20, 2009.
The Scuderi Engine is under development by Southwest Research Institute
Southwest Research Institute
Southwest Research Institute , headquartered in San Antonio, Texas, is one of the oldest and largest independent, nonprofit, applied research and development organizations in the United States...
in San Antonio, Texas
Texas
Texas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...
. . Scuderi Group released video footage of a naturally aspirated one-liter prototype of the Scuderi Engine firing on its own in the laboratory in October, 2009.
Efficient energy use
Efficient energy use, sometimes simply called energy efficiency, is the goal of efforts to reduce the amount of energy required to provide products and services. For example, insulating a home allows a building to use less heating and cooling energy to achieve and maintain a comfortable temperature...
and reduced toxic emissions
Exhaust gas
Exhaust gas or flue gas is emitted as a result of the combustion of fuels such as natural gas, gasoline/petrol, diesel fuel, fuel oil or coal. According to the type of engine, it is discharged into the atmosphere through an exhaust pipe, flue gas stack or propelling nozzle.It often disperses...
over conventional four-stroke Otto cycle
Otto cycle
An Otto cycle is an idealized thermodynamic cycle which describes the functioning of a typical reciprocating piston engine, the thermodynamic cycle most commonly found in automobile engines....
designs. The company also says that the Scuderi Engine could be used as part of an air hybrid system
Hybrid system
A hybrid system is a dynamic system that exhibits both continuous and discrete dynamic behavior – a system that can both flow and jump...
, allowing recovered braking energy to be stored as compressed air. Laboratory tests of the prototype are said to match earlier predictions generated by computer models.
As of Aug. 2011, Scuderi Group said its patent portfolio included more than 476 patent applications worldwide, more than 154 of which have issued as patents in more than 50 countries.
The Scuderi Group has partnered with several automotive engineering companies to assist with engineering the Scuderi Engine's complementary components. German automotive supply company Mahle GmbH
Mahle GmbH
Mahle GmbH is one of the 30 largest automotive suppliers worldwide. As the leading manufacturer of components and systems for combustion engines and its periphery, the Mahle Group is among the top three systems suppliers worldwide for piston systems, cylinder components, valve train systems, air...
is working on the piston
Piston
A piston is a component of reciprocating engines, reciprocating pumps, gas compressors and pneumatic cylinders, among other similar mechanisms. It is the moving component that is contained by a cylinder and is made gas-tight by piston rings. In an engine, its purpose is to transfer force from...
s, Swedish engine developer Cargine Engineering AB is assisting with the air-activated valves, Denver-based Gates Corporation
Gates Corporation
Gates Corporation, based in Denver, Colorado USA, is one of the largest non-tire rubber companies in the world.In 1911, Charles Gates Sr. purchased the Colorado Tire and Leather Company located in southern Denver beside the South Platte River. He paid $3500 for a property that would soon become one...
is engineering the belts
Belt (mechanical)
A belt is a loop of flexible material used to link two or more rotating shafts mechanically. Belts may be used as a source of motion, to transmit power efficiently, or to track relative movement. Belts are looped over pulleys. In a two pulley system, the belt can either drive the pulleys in the...
, and Germany-based Schaeffler Group
Schaeffler Group
The Schaeffler Technologies GmbH & Co. KG is a privately owned major manufacturer of rolling element bearings for automotive, aerospace and industrial uses. In August 2008 the firm agreed to a staggered €12 billion acquisition of larger rival Continental AG, whereby Schaeffler will defer taking a...
is contributing to the valve train assembly. The engineering division of Germany’s Robert Bosch GmbH
Robert Bosch GmbH
Robert Bosch GmbH is a multinational engineering and electronics company headquartered in Gerlingen, near Stuttgart, Germany. It is the world's largest supplier of automotive components...
is working on the timing mechanism of the engine.
Various OEMs including Honda
Honda
is a Japanese public multinational corporation primarily known as a manufacturer of automobiles and motorcycles.Honda has been the world's largest motorcycle manufacturer since 1959, as well as the world's largest manufacturer of internal combustion engines measured by volume, producing more than...
, Daimler AG, Fiat
Fiat
FIAT, an acronym for Fabbrica Italiana Automobili Torino , is an Italian automobile manufacturer, engine manufacturer, financial, and industrial group based in Turin in the Italian region of Piedmont. Fiat was founded in 1899 by a group of investors including Giovanni Agnelli...
, and PSA Peugeot Citroën
PSA Peugeot Citroën
PSA Peugeot Citroën is a French manufacturer of automobiles and motorcycles sold under the Peugeot and Citroën marques. Headquartered in the 16th arrondissement of Paris, PSA is the second largest automaker based in Europe and the number eight in the world.-History:In December 1974 Peugeot S.A....
have signed non-disclosure agreements with Scuderi Group. A Daimler AG scientist familiar with the matter told The Wall Street Journal
The Wall Street Journal
The Wall Street Journal is an American English-language international daily newspaper. It is published in New York City by Dow Jones & Company, a division of News Corporation, along with the Asian and European editions of the Journal....
that the design has potential.
Design
In a conventional Otto cycleOtto cycle
An Otto cycle is an idealized thermodynamic cycle which describes the functioning of a typical reciprocating piston engine, the thermodynamic cycle most commonly found in automobile engines....
engine, each cylinder performs four strokes per cycle: intake, compression, power, and exhaust. This means that two revolutions of the crankshaft
Crankshaft
The crankshaft, sometimes casually abbreviated to crank, is the part of an engine which translates reciprocating linear piston motion into rotation...
are required for each power stroke. The Scuderi Engine divides these four strokes between two paired cylinders: one for intake/compression and another for power/exhaust. Compressed air is transferred from the compression cylinder to the power cylinder through a crossover passage. Fuel is then injected and fired to produce the power stroke. In a standard Otto cycle engine, the pistons fire every other revolution, however, the Scuderi engine fires every revolution. The Scuderi must have at least two cylinders.
In the Scuderi cycle, the power cylinder fires just after the piston has begun its downward motion (after top dead center, or ATDC). This is in contrast to Otto cycle design convention, which calls for combustion just before top dead center (BTDC) in order to allow combustion pressure to build.
The Scuderi Group says a thermal efficiency
Thermal efficiency
In thermodynamics, the thermal efficiency is a dimensionless performance measure of a device that uses thermal energy, such as an internal combustion engine, a boiler, a furnace, or a refrigerator for example.-Overview:...
shortcoming seen in previous split-cycle engine designs is eliminated in the Scuderi Engine through the process of firing after top dead center, which is an unconventional engine design practice. Firing ATDC in a split-cycle arrangement eliminates the losses resulting from recompressing the gas.