5 ms·

Animated Engines

215 points by d4vlx 13y ago

bliti 13y ago
Which of the petrol powered engines scales best (those used in cars)? This is an open question to all. I'll take a swing at it. I've worked with 2 strokes, 4 strokes (including Miller Cycle versions), and rotaries. The two strokes hit a wall pretty quickly. They are very rev-happy, but their combustion leaves a lot to be desired. Most lack conventional valves and rely on ports to move the mixture around. You can supercharge them, but I've never been able to do so properly. Once the engine size starts to increase, their main advantage (RPM capabilities) start to diminish. Plus their combustion is not very clean, due to the lubrication being part of the fuel. They are fun when modified, but noisy. Ask my neighbor (who gets to enjoy the glorious sound of the modified 2 stroke in my weed whacker). The 4 strokes suffer from harmonics, weight, and packaging issues. But they can be supercharged without much problems. You can get at least 100 HP/Liter on a 4 stroke engine without much issue (when you build it properly, of course). Building a 1,000 HP 5 liter engine can be done by buying off the shelf parts. The problem is that when harmonics start dancing to the devils fiddle, your valves start to drop, and your pistons shatter like the dreams of those who bought ENRON stock. The rotary is my favorite racing engine. It doesn't drop valves (it lacks them). You can scale them by bolting on more rotors (12 rotor beast here: http://i436.photobucket.com/albums/qq83/Adam-Blackshaw/12rotor2.jpg http://i436.photobucket.com/albums/qq83/Adam-Blackshaw/12rot...). They rev like crazy and feature few moving parts. But they are hard to tune properly, and tend to run a bit hot if not maintained correctly. Mazda built, raced, and won Lemans in 1991 with a 4-rotor equipped car called the 787B. Which sort of proves that they are viable engines. The real problem is emissions. The rotary has not received as much R&D as the 4-stroke, and thus it is a bit behind. Further developments by Mazda have improved it, but I don't see it lasting too much with the future CAFE standards looming over the horizon. It is also not very fuel efficient, due to it using ports rather than valves. Though I'm curious as to how a direct injected rotary might improve all of these issues. Not sure if I will ever see it happen. Before you call me biased towards the rotary, let me tell you that I do not, or have ever owned one. I have worked with them, and got to enjoy it very much. My current favorite engine is the Porsche flat 6, because the damn things will take any boost you send their way.
- hcarvalhoalves 13y ago
  > (12 rotor beast here: http://i436.photobucket.com/albums/qq83/Adam-Blackshaw/12rot... http://i436.photobucket.com/albums/qq83/Adam-Blackshaw/12rot...). WTF... how many HP here?
  - bliti 13y ago
    I only linked to that image to prove a point. It seems that 12 rotor monster is simply someone having fun. However, I have seen 3, 4, and 6 rotor engines with my own eyes. I have also see the tail lights of a turbo 3 rotor (a story for another day). The rotary is simply the engine that scales closest to how you would scale a computer system. It even has ports. :)
- RobLach 13y ago
  I never understood why Wankel engines aren't paired with continuously variable transmissions so that you can keep the engine at a constant rotational rate. Many of the issues with Wankels (gas mileage primarily, as well as emissions) are eliminated when tuned to a specific RPM.
  - bliti 13y ago
    CVTs have only improved in the last decade (and only so much). The real big push for the rotary started during the late 60's. Transmission technology back then was lacking. Plus you did not have effective electronic engine controls.
  - slurry 13y ago
    The thing to remember about a CVT is that it's held together by a rubber band. Materials engineering has gotten very good at making stronger rubber bands that don't snap under hard use, but the application you have in mind sounds like an awful lot of wear and tear for a rubber band to undergo. And, if the whole setup is tuned very specifically on the CVT working properly and the rubber band goes snap, that could be a bad thing.
    - 13y ago
calroc 13y ago
They should include the Tesla Turbine. Only one moving part.
yaddayadda 13y ago
I love this, as well as the sister-site, 507 Mechanical Movements [1]. I'm surprised at how laborious the process is [2]. Is there not a way to automate this in a CAD program and export it (e.g. SolidWorks [3]); or is that limited to video, not a more interactive simulation? Are there any open source CAD programs that would support generation of such simulations? [1] http://507movements.com/ http://507movements.com/ [2] http://www.animatedengines.com/howto.html http://www.animatedengines.com/howto.html [3] http://www.solidworks.com/sw/products/3d-cad/cad-animation.htm http://www.solidworks.com/sw/products/3d-cad/cad-animation.h...
- Lerc 13y ago
  I was rather disappointed to see that they were animated gifs. I would much rather see them in a format where you can run them with independent speeds and framerates. I figure it would be better to represent the image as a bunch of shapes with changing position/rotation. In fact using these animations as a base It might not be too hard to automate the process to identify the shapes and the connections between them.
  - BrandonMarc 13y ago
    Given that the site has been around since the year 2000, assuming the images haven't changed, the tools widely available / understood at that were rather limited when compared with today.
  - mxfh 13y ago
    At least on the site liked in the OP they are sprite maps* saved in gif format not animated gifs. For example: http://www.animatedengines.com/jets.html http://www.animatedengines.com/jets.html The custom player takes the class of the div container (http://www.animatedengines.com/img/tprop_fl.gif http://www.animatedengines.com/img/tprop_fl.gif) "aeplayer aepframes_6" to determine the number of frames (6) and offsets the background-position vertically for each frame by the amount of the individual frame height which equals the div container height, thus appearing animated. *see this example with a sprite map in png format http://jsfiddle.net/simurai/CGmCe/ http://jsfiddle.net/simurai/CGmCe/
- 13y ago
deleted 13y ago
[deleted]
userbinator 13y ago
No 2-stroke diesel? (They make the most awesome sounds, IMHO. Especially the Detroits.)
foxylad 13y ago
Am I the only one who sees the images slowly floating upwards?
Crito 13y ago
The rocket engine section could be made more interesting by going into engines with turbopumps and gas generators.
kitd 13y ago
Fantastic. However, it needs the Napier Deltic engine ... https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/e/e4/Napier_Deltic_Animation.gif/220px-Napier_Deltic_Animation.gif https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/e/e4/Na...
TempleOSV2 13y ago
God says... stupidity cupidity naturally EDITIONS piece minded propound injustice dost rites least presiding everywhere belly continent unlooked brighter plant writer teachers everlasting semblance foreshowed divination ship Head forsakest wrote teaches discontent choleric contemporary saint native hadst coals mould skies taxes tilde rocks mindful drewest reporters joyously drunkenness tilde essay solve marts draws thus negligent scourges elevated scarce-remembered underline gratefully infancy Upon confidentially distinguished THE meantime false-named exhortation scarcely high hymns -what judged despair burthened ninth intermitting allay hard forward speaketh subduing worsted depth appearance retreat covetousness judged infused Please heeded dejectedness Glad forthcoming medicine burial mystically lover REMEDIES must awaiting drinketh females magnitudes rhetoric incorruptible Orderer prudent medium exceeding hasting Antony wash asterisk sucklings gatherest gainful losing lustful 03/19/01 US goading members spectator rent manage divinations eclipses gathered //promo moments studied thwart borne readily affect bad transition veil sentence Yea Dost pleased donations cloaked almsdeeds text affliction fruit-bowers pervious contentiousness indeed purged reformed Most student punish gladiators nourish pursuits murmur brackishness distributest sufficiently extollers irrevocable bawler Comforter preventing
cfesta9 13y ago
This is a wonderful education tool. Nice work.

215 points by d4vlx 13y ago

bliti 13y ago

Which of the petrol powered engines scales best (those used in cars)? This is an open question to all. I'll take a swing at it. I've worked with 2 strokes, 4 strokes (including Miller Cycle versions), and rotaries. The two strokes hit a wall pretty quickly. They are very rev-happy, but their combustion leaves a lot to be desired. Most lack conventional valves and rely on ports to move the mixture around. You can supercharge them, but I've never been able to do so properly. Once the engine size starts to increase, their main advantage (RPM capabilities) start to diminish. Plus their combustion is not very clean, due to the lubrication being part of the fuel. They are fun when modified, but noisy. Ask my neighbor (who gets to enjoy the glorious sound of the modified 2 stroke in my weed whacker). The 4 strokes suffer from harmonics, weight, and packaging issues. But they can be supercharged without much problems. You can get at least 100 HP/Liter on a 4 stroke engine without much issue (when you build it properly, of course). Building a 1,000 HP 5 liter engine can be done by buying off the shelf parts. The problem is that when harmonics start dancing to the devils fiddle, your valves start to drop, and your pistons shatter like the dreams of those who bought ENRON stock. The rotary is my favorite racing engine. It doesn't drop valves (it lacks them). You can scale them by bolting on more rotors (12 rotor beast here: http://i436.photobucket.com/albums/qq83/Adam-Blackshaw/12rotor2.jpg http://i436.photobucket.com/albums/qq83/Adam-Blackshaw/12rot...). They rev like crazy and feature few moving parts. But they are hard to tune properly, and tend to run a bit hot if not maintained correctly. Mazda built, raced, and won Lemans in 1991 with a 4-rotor equipped car called the 787B. Which sort of proves that they are viable engines. The real problem is emissions. The rotary has not received as much R&D as the 4-stroke, and thus it is a bit behind. Further developments by Mazda have improved it, but I don't see it lasting too much with the future CAFE standards looming over the horizon. It is also not very fuel efficient, due to it using ports rather than valves. Though I'm curious as to how a direct injected rotary might improve all of these issues. Not sure if I will ever see it happen. Before you call me biased towards the rotary, let me tell you that I do not, or have ever owned one. I have worked with them, and got to enjoy it very much. My current favorite engine is the Porsche flat 6, because the damn things will take any boost you send their way.

hcarvalhoalves 13y ago
> (12 rotor beast here: http://i436.photobucket.com/albums/qq83/Adam-Blackshaw/12rot... http://i436.photobucket.com/albums/qq83/Adam-Blackshaw/12rot...). WTF... how many HP here?
- bliti 13y ago
  I only linked to that image to prove a point. It seems that 12 rotor monster is simply someone having fun. However, I have seen 3, 4, and 6 rotor engines with my own eyes. I have also see the tail lights of a turbo 3 rotor (a story for another day). The rotary is simply the engine that scales closest to how you would scale a computer system. It even has ports. :)
RobLach 13y ago
I never understood why Wankel engines aren't paired with continuously variable transmissions so that you can keep the engine at a constant rotational rate. Many of the issues with Wankels (gas mileage primarily, as well as emissions) are eliminated when tuned to a specific RPM.
- bliti 13y ago
  CVTs have only improved in the last decade (and only so much). The real big push for the rotary started during the late 60's. Transmission technology back then was lacking. Plus you did not have effective electronic engine controls.
- slurry 13y ago
  The thing to remember about a CVT is that it's held together by a rubber band. Materials engineering has gotten very good at making stronger rubber bands that don't snap under hard use, but the application you have in mind sounds like an awful lot of wear and tear for a rubber band to undergo. And, if the whole setup is tuned very specifically on the CVT working properly and the rubber band goes snap, that could be a bad thing.
  - 13y ago

calroc 13y ago

They should include the Tesla Turbine. Only one moving part.

yaddayadda 13y ago

I love this, as well as the sister-site, 507 Mechanical Movements [1]. I'm surprised at how laborious the process is [2]. Is there not a way to automate this in a CAD program and export it (e.g. SolidWorks [3]); or is that limited to video, not a more interactive simulation? Are there any open source CAD programs that would support generation of such simulations? [1] http://507movements.com/ http://507movements.com/ [2] http://www.animatedengines.com/howto.html http://www.animatedengines.com/howto.html [3] http://www.solidworks.com/sw/products/3d-cad/cad-animation.htm http://www.solidworks.com/sw/products/3d-cad/cad-animation.h...

Lerc 13y ago
I was rather disappointed to see that they were animated gifs. I would much rather see them in a format where you can run them with independent speeds and framerates. I figure it would be better to represent the image as a bunch of shapes with changing position/rotation. In fact using these animations as a base It might not be too hard to automate the process to identify the shapes and the connections between them.
- BrandonMarc 13y ago
  Given that the site has been around since the year 2000, assuming the images haven't changed, the tools widely available / understood at that were rather limited when compared with today.
- mxfh 13y ago
  At least on the site liked in the OP they are sprite maps* saved in gif format not animated gifs. For example: http://www.animatedengines.com/jets.html http://www.animatedengines.com/jets.html The custom player takes the class of the div container (http://www.animatedengines.com/img/tprop_fl.gif http://www.animatedengines.com/img/tprop_fl.gif) "aeplayer aepframes_6" to determine the number of frames (6) and offsets the background-position vertically for each frame by the amount of the individual frame height which equals the div container height, thus appearing animated. *see this example with a sprite map in png format http://jsfiddle.net/simurai/CGmCe/ http://jsfiddle.net/simurai/CGmCe/
13y ago

deleted 13y ago

[deleted]

userbinator 13y ago

No 2-stroke diesel? (They make the most awesome sounds, IMHO. Especially the Detroits.)

foxylad 13y ago

Am I the only one who sees the images slowly floating upwards?

Crito 13y ago

The rocket engine section could be made more interesting by going into engines with turbopumps and gas generators.

kitd 13y ago

Fantastic. However, it needs the Napier Deltic engine ... https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/e/e4/Napier_Deltic_Animation.gif/220px-Napier_Deltic_Animation.gif https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/e/e4/Na...

TempleOSV2 13y ago

God says... stupidity cupidity naturally EDITIONS piece minded propound injustice dost rites least presiding everywhere belly continent unlooked brighter plant writer teachers everlasting semblance foreshowed divination ship Head forsakest wrote teaches discontent choleric contemporary saint native hadst coals mould skies taxes tilde rocks mindful drewest reporters joyously drunkenness tilde essay solve marts draws thus negligent scourges elevated scarce-remembered underline gratefully infancy Upon confidentially distinguished THE meantime false-named exhortation scarcely high hymns -what judged despair burthened ninth intermitting allay hard forward speaketh subduing worsted depth appearance retreat covetousness judged infused Please heeded dejectedness Glad forthcoming medicine burial mystically lover REMEDIES must awaiting drinketh females magnitudes rhetoric incorruptible Orderer prudent medium exceeding hasting Antony wash asterisk sucklings gatherest gainful losing lustful 03/19/01 US goading members spectator rent manage divinations eclipses gathered //promo moments studied thwart borne readily affect bad transition veil sentence Yea Dost pleased donations cloaked almsdeeds text affliction fruit-bowers pervious contentiousness indeed purged reformed Most student punish gladiators nourish pursuits murmur brackishness distributest sufficiently extollers irrevocable bawler Comforter preventing

cfesta9 13y ago

This is a wonderful education tool. Nice work.