Scuderi aims to revolutionise engine technology
September 28, 2011
The Scuderi Group based in West Springfield, Mass., USA, has a developed a revolutionary engine which it claims will challenge not only existing internal combustion engines but will also bridge the gap in fuel economy and emissions with hybrid and electric vehicles.
One cylinder of Scuderi’s split-cycle engine performs
intake and compression, while the other handles
power and exhaust. The engine completes all four
strokes in one crankshaft revolution. (Courtesy
Scuderi Group)
Essentially, the SCUDERI™ Engine divides the four strokes of a combustion cycle between two cylinders – one cylinder functions as an air compressor, handling intake and compression, while the other cylinder handles combustion and exhaust.
By optimizing the split-cycle concept, the engine can drastically reduce NOx and C02 emissions and substantially improve fuel efficiency, compared to a conventional IC engine. The engine requires only one crankshaft revolution to complete a single combustion cycle and is projected to have higher torque, thermodynamic efficiency, and lower emissions than is possible with today’s engines.
The Scuderi Engine achieves its lowest rate of fuel consumption when utilizing a turbocharger in Miller Cycle configuration, which can be readily achieved by differential sizing of compressor and expander cylinders. The design is also optimised for air hybridisation (when a small air tank is applied to capture and reuse wasted energy).
The company states that its high efficiency engine design is based on new science that involves little re-tooling and minimal manufacturing costs, meaning no major upgrades are required for the worldwide transportation infrastructure as would be the case for non-fossil fuel engines.
By separating the compression cyclinder from the
power cylinder, the size of the compression cylinder
can be reduced to eliminate some of the negative
compression work and, by incorporating a turbocharger
into the engine’s design, exhaust gas-energy can
be recovered to achieve substantial reductions in
negative work. (Courtesy Scuderi Group)
“The ability to demonstrate consistent power and improved efficiencies with credible analysis of our engine is essential for the OEMs evaluating the Scuderi Engine,” said Sal Scuderi, president of Scuderi Group. The company recently released the results of a computer simulation study conducted by Southwest Research Institute (SwRI) measuring the performance of the Scuderi Engine modelled against the European class of “high economy” vehicles.
The data showed that a turbocharged/air-hybridised Scuderi Engine can achieve at least 65 miles per US gallon (77 UK mpg or 3.7 litres per 100 km) while emitting only 85 g/km of CO2. This compares to 104 g/km, which is the average amount emitted from a conventional engine in this particular vehicle class. The average fuel economy for a gasoline vehicle in the European high economy class is about 52 US mpg or 4.5 l/100km.
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