Valveshaft

[Amontgomery]

For the past few years I have been working on a new engine concept. Last fall I submitted it to BMW, Audi, Aston Martin, GM and a few others. All but BMW replied that I should have a patent before contacting them about putting it into production. The concept got passed through the first stage of BMW's idea submitting process and was denied in the second stage of the proposal, likely for the same reason that the others were, lack of a patent. Though the actually blueprints have been notarized to prove that I am the originator of the idea and the date on which I produced it, if conflict should arise.

Before I spend a lot of money on lawyers, forms, filing and other patent oriented stuff I would like to run this by people who may know more about this than I do and can point me in the right direction if I have any shortcomings in my design.

Basically my design removes the camshaft, lifters, springs, retainers and poppet valves from a head. Opens it up and only has one moving part per valve. Think about a plumbing ball valve, a ball rotating on a shaft in a block with a hole milled in both the ball and block that only aligns when the ball is oriented where the openings match. Take that idea and have a cylinder for each bank of an engine and each side(intake/exhaust) of each bank. Suspend that cylinder in a block milled to the exact size of the cylinder with enough clearance to rotate. In both the block and cylinder have a hole milled in both so that it matches up with no protrusions into the airflow. These shafts can be either controlled via timing belt/chain, a rotating shaft(with valveshafts running perpendicular to crankshaft), or the most revolutionary, with an electric motor for each one turning at an exact rate allowing the ECU or a tuner to control and adjust in ways previously unimaginable. One could nearly eliminate throttle bodies all together for the ultimate in throttle response.

In theory they should spin at 1/2 the speed of a traditional camshaft (it would open the valve twice in a rotation where a traditional camshaft opens it only once) with less(almost no) excess moving parts. This would allow the engine to turn much faster without problems associated with poppet valves. Duration and timing could be adjustable for each individual valve as well. There is no need for lift as would be refered to with camshafts as it is one plane of motion, no lateral or vertical forces are applied on the shaft at all. The block and head could even be perfected to the point where they are one piece, with hardcore internals the power capability would be unimaginable.

Sealing this valveshaft is one of my problems. I am thinking something like the apex seals on a rotary but I don't know how to reduce friction on the rotating motion of the shaft. I am really looking to Herr Wankel for inspiration on my seals on this.

Another of my problems is any fluid dynamic issues. I can only imagine that it would improve over the traditional poppet valve as it would be a straight open path into the cylinder, but I don't know about any other factors that might be detrimental to its operation.

There are many other benifits that I can see with my design. It seems like the natural progression of the internal combustion engine to me. It is lighter, revs faster, is hardier, the deminsions are smaller, easier to produce, flows better, gives insane boost response, and would be smoother than a lopey camshaft. I see it most utilized in small displacement, turbocharged, and possibly diesel engines(other alternative fuels).

I am writing this for a few reasons;
1) To see if anyone with more experience knows of any problems I am encountering.
2) To see if there is a company that has already implemented this idea, which I have researched and have found none.
3) To see if anyone might express interest in partnering with me in either producing this or pitching it to a large company with the resources to produce it.

I don't like to bring up the concept of money with regards to my design, yeah it would be nice to pay for some stuff on my car, pay off student loans, buy my wife a nice gift, ect, but the real reason I am doing this is out of pride and wanting to see my idea realized. If any help gets me anywhere and I do make any kind of money off of it at all, I will give whoever his/her due share.

If I have left off any other of my ideas it was not intentional, If I reply that I have thought of an improvement I am not being rude, I have been working on this design for well over 4 years and am finding it all but impossible to gather all of my thoughts here.

Thanks all.

 

[Nick M]

I don't remember who it was that I was reading about and spherical valves. Sounds like the same thing.

Google is just too good.

http://www.coatesengine.com/technology.html

He spun a factory Ford 5.0 up to 10,000 rpm some years back. He used that engine because it is a big bore, short stroke, oversquare engine. He did like 450 hp, up from the stock 205, with no other changes.

 

[Amontgomery]

Damn.

I came up with the idea when I was 17 so it was pretty much at the same time and it was pretty much the exact same as what he did. Except mine used a straight shaft instead of rounded valve sections and mine turned the valves perpendicular to the crankshaft with either gearing or ECU-controlled electric motors to meter everything precisely for each cylinder.

Is there too close of a difference between the two designs for me to even bother on following up on this?

 

[IJ.]

"Sleeve valves" there is nothing "new" it's all been done before.

 

[Nick M]

There is an existing patent. It came up on google also. I had read(not on the internet) about the Coates engine sometime ago. I don't know how old it is, or new, depending on you you look at it.

 

[MDCmotorsports]

There is an existing patent. It came up on google also. I had read(not on the internet) about the Coates engine sometime ago. I don't know how old it is, or new, depending on you you look at it.

I suspect this is why your auto mfg's denied your submission without patent.

 

[SupraMaster]

Regardless of what the outcome is, would you mind sharing your idea with us in further detail? Pics, research data, etc. If you would like to PM me, that's fine.

P.S. Just for the record, I am a certified genius, and would love to see your current work/progress.

 

[Amontgomery]

Sorry it took so long to reply guys. I have been in the dark ages for ten days, no internet, phones, or tv.

I suspect that is the reason that it was denied now that I look at the design. I was pleasently surprised at the results that the Coates engine attained, as it was incredibly over what I had expected, well over 100% increase in output. So I am far from disappointed, just at myself for not coming forward sooner.

I thought of it when I was playing with a piece of plumbing hardware oneday(a ball valve) but instead of using a ball I thought that a continuously rotating shaft would work well on an engine. As I started playing with the idea I realized a few other benifits(slower cam speed, lower center of gravity, more durability, ect) and tried playing with it on paper to see what it would look like and how to clear things like head studs and sparkplugs.

 

[Johnysupra]

This is actually an Idea that has been around for many many years. Its traditionally known as the "Rotary valve engine". Yes it is very efficient. One problem with it is wear though. As it wears it leaks. However it is very promising technology it just needs to be perfected. There are actually some heads available for purchase out there, but they are outragiously expensive. Anyhow heres a link. I just googled rotary valve engine real quick.

http://www.dself.dsl.pipex.com/MUSEUM/POWER/RotaryValveIC/RotaryValveIC.htm