Koenigsegg " Camless" Engine Coming To America

[enzo1]

Report: Koenigsegg Coming to America; Camless Engine On the Way

[RWebb]

cams are a lousy way to open the valves - but have a century of R&D behind them

pneumatic-controlled valves could be the next big thing in piston engines...

[enzo1]

Cargine

System characteristics
Pneumatically driven actuators.
Fully variable valve lift.
Fully variable lift duration.
Low valve seating velocity.
High opening force, capable of opening at high residual pressure.
Low energy consumption, less than 4 kW power requirement at 6000 rpm to run a 16 valve 2 liter turbocharged 4 cylinder engine. Normal driving consumption much less. This is well in line with the electromagnetic systems and well below the hydraulic. On driving cycle less than regular camshaft driven systems.
Cost competitive, well suited to mass production, with relatively few moving parts and relatively low demands on precision, compared to hydraulics.
Robust, since air leaks are less crucial than oil leaks and air is fluid at all relevant temperatures, as opposed to hydraulics where viscosity changes pose major problem which require special oils to work.
Designed to withstand 100 000 000 + cycles.
Does not require 42 V systems or generate potentially dangerous electric fields.
Compact packaging, require significantly less space than current camshaft arrangement and well in line with push-rod space requirement.
Weight reduction, reduces cylinder head weight typically 2-5 kilo per 4 cylinders.

[enzo1]

[romad]

They eliminated cams and valves 70 years ago. Seems the automotive industry is still playing catch up.

Sleeve valve - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

[Pazuzu]

Cams?

Valves?

Pshah. Get rid of pistons, then talk to me.

[Flieger]

Are they getting rid of cams or just using pneumatic springs? If the latter, desmodromic actuation should be just as good. And less fussy.

[enzo1]

wedish supercar manufacturer Koenigsegg told Car & Driver that they are engineering their twin-turbo V8 engine to run without a camshaft. The far-flung world of infinitely variable engines will soon be upon us.
While regular engines use a camshaft and a valve spring, Koenigsegg's camless engine will shoot the valve open with pneumatically driven actuators. It's expensive, it's loud and it's crude, but it's infinitely variable as well as significantly lighter than a camshaft. In the end, you have an engine that is 30% more efficient than what is in road cars (and nearly all race cars) today.

Working with Sweden's Cargine Engineering, Koenigsegg is on the cutting edge of engine tech, so it's no surprise they admit they're working through noise and reliability issues. The thrill remains that for decades this technology has existed only in the secretive world of Formula One. Now it's finally coming to the world of road cars, even if it is just for monstrously expensive Swedish hypercars.

A detailed explanation of pneumatic valves and camless engines can be found here at ScarbsF1.com.

[RWebb]

thx for posting this

[enzo1]

[lane912]

i want to go camless with the 356 engine!!!!
over kill- of course it is!

[Flieger]

I would think electromagnetism would be better than air. The F1 cars had a tendancy to go kablammo if the air tank pressure got a little low, especially the Toyotas. They used to have to top up the air pressure at each pit stop just in case. Electronic solenoids would not have that issue, but their inertia must be greater. Still, this is not a 22,000 rpm F1 engine.

I wonder what issues they face with lag due to compressibility of air, and losses in the air lines due to bends, as far as knowing when to send the pressure pulse vs. when they want the valve to open/close. Electromagnetism would have the impedance to factor in but at least the wire routing does not really matter, just the length.

[island911]

Cool!

I met Christian Von Koenigsegg a few years ago. Smart guy. Young guy.

Interesting that they are using turbos now. When I met him I asked why no turbocharging. He said 'turbo's back-up too much heat into the engine.' (an interesting way of looking at it.) I countered; yeah, but since [he's] feeling that clean emission were a struggle (earlier in the conversation) that the turbo's would give time for the exhaust gasses to stay hot, and move closer to complete combustion.

I guess that he listened to me. ...like I said, smart guy.

[intakexhaust]

My type of thread! Rotary valve is what I'd like to see evolved.

Some more on rotary valves from wiki (I'm not in total agreement on some of this but good for discussion):
Rotary valves are highly suitable for high reving engines, such as those used in sportscars and F1 racing cars, on which traditional poppet valves with springs can fail due to spring resonance and where the desmodromic valve gear is too heavy, large in size and too complex to time and design properly. Rotary valves allow for a more compact and lightweight cylinder head design. They rotate at half engine speed and lack the inertia forces of reciprocating valve mechanisms. This allows for higher engines speeds offering appr. 10% more power. The 1980's MGN W12 F1 engine used rotary valves but never raced. Between 2002 and 2004 the Australian developer Bishop Innovation and Mercedes-Ilmor tested rotary valves for a F1 V10 engine