Opposed Piston Engines

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After researching the history of the Boxer engine, it was noted that it should not be confused with the Opposed Piston engine.

I can't seem to find any cars with Opposed Piston engines within them except Rolls Royce. Is this a bad design? I still haven't fully understood how this engine works. It looks as if there are 2 crankshafts.

Is this a good design?
 
Probably the most successful,or at least saw more use in more vehicles was the Rootes TS3 - 3 cyl with a single crank beneath and 3 rockers per side.It was in use for about 25 years.The Napier Deltic was used in trains.

I grew up with the TS3 - my father worked on them,my uncle owned on,and then later I used to work on them too.Hearing one still sends a shiver up my back and the hairs on my arms stand up.Take a listen at full noise.
 
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What Rolls Royce car had such an engine?

I think history has determined whether or not this is still a viable design, and clearly it isn't.
 
IIRC, opposed piston was more used in marine applications way back when. At least that's what I was told in college by an old mariner.
 
No.

It's not a good design. In fact just by looking at the pictures, and I am also looking at an engineering diagram in NX right now, no. Not a very good design at all.

It looks like a boxer engine rolled inside out. Two crankshafts. Crankshafts are the heaviest parts of the kinetic portion of ICE. When you have two driven be different cylinder banks, the design necessitates either 1.) more cylinders or 2.) bigger cylinders to drive it with the equivalent force of two cylinders banks acting on a common crankshaft. I would think the opposed piston engine either was used only in very large engines, or was very inefficient, or both. Also, you are spreading the center of mass out wide. This would throw off the handling of the car and bank it twirl like a plank...instead of a pencil. The car would go great in a straight line, but go around a turn and the weight can overwhelm the tires. It would probably understeer its way to greatness.

But this is just my opinion. I haven't lived long enough to see and work with an opposed piston engine so I don't know how they work. It looks very complex and costly, and doesn't seem to provide any benefit. Maybe the boxer engine evolved from it, to make it more efficient to produce.

On a side note, I really want to like boxer engines but for some reason I cannot bring myself to like them. I have no clue why. Great design with balance in mind, but...haha oh well.
 
I loved the sound of the rootes (Commer) Boxer, but they tended to be oil burners.
The Napier Deltic was used in fast motor torpedo boats and early British Diesel trains, it sounded like a never ending Phart!
I think the opposed design DOES have future potential, it need not have duel cranks.

link
 
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Originally Posted By: dtt004
No.

It's not a good design. ....

But this is just my opinion. I haven't lived long enough to see and work with an opposed piston engine


The designers of the WWII Fleet submarines liked the design. They were used extensively in that application.

Google "fairbanks morse opposed piston diesel engine". There were probably many other applications of this engine type.

I can't see a reason to use one in a car, but maybe someone did.
 
Originally Posted By: unDummy


awesome!
thumbsup2.gif
 
Originally Posted By: Win
Originally Posted By: dtt004
No.

It's not a good design. ....

But this is just my opinion. I haven't lived long enough to see and work with an opposed piston engine


The designers of the WWII Fleet submarines liked the design. They were used extensively in that application.

Google "fairbanks morse opposed piston diesel engine". There were probably many other applications of this engine type.

I can't see a reason to use one in a car, but maybe someone did.


I was just getting ready to post that, having spent 12 years in the Submarine Navy, I can tell you Fairbanks Morse makes one bad diesel engine! The Navy still uses them.
They are very effiecent and quiet as far as large diesels go.
 
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If designed for a large, fairly constant speed stationary (and boats/subs are a bit like that), an opposed piston ported sleeve can do really well
 
Originally Posted By: Shannow
If designed for a large, fairly constant speed stationary (and boats/subs are a bit like that), an opposed piston ported sleeve can do really well


Do you think the reason that they are best suited for applications where a Large engine is required, is because the Engine shape? They tend to be very Tall or if horizontal, wide.
Try to make them smaller and the inner Con rods must be short (and work through large angles as a result)
Here is an interesting design:





But note the short inner con rods.

BUT, the stroke of the inner piston need not be the same as the outer!!
Never seen that, but it could be interesting.

I understand that opposed piston engines have very good Thermal efficiency (the combustion chamber can be close to spherical), but a rotating sleeve valve design could also help volumetric efficiency AND help emissions.

Maybe I've been drinking too much?
 
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Interesting design, the double rod and pin through the cylinder wall would be a tough gig.

Yeah, the double crank arrangement is pretty unwieldy.

Want wierder, and there can be "hunting" piston type designs which rely on the angled con-rod affecting piston height to provide an operating volume.
 
Originally Posted By: Doug Hillary
Hi,
like Silk I know the TS3 engines very well indeed - in New Zealand and here in Australia where they were a widely used Linehaul engine in the 1970s early 1980s


In the U.K. the TS3 was known as an engine that consumed a lot of lubricating oil.
Was that really the case?
Do you know why?
Was the TS4 ever in production?
 
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