Same number of power strokes as six cylinder with significant weight savings
Otto cycle, Atkinson cycle, Wankel rotary, and traditional turbine engines power most of the things in our lives that burn dino juice. A company from New Zealand wants to add another option to the list.
Duke Engines (not to be confused with the Iron Duke of GM yore) was developed what they call an axial engine by bending the traditional inline motor into a circle. The arrangement allows the engine to have only three spark plugs for five cylinders while also making the same number of power strokes as a six-cylinder engine.
Duke says it means the engine weighs significantly less than other traditional internal combustion engines (though they don’t mention which ones) while also trimming down the number of parts needed in order to operate.
Is this the future? We doubt it. But it’s still cool to watch!
