Future of the Internal Combustion Engine?!?!?!?

[sykikchimp]

http://www.coatesengine.com/index1.html

Completely replaces the Valves train with spherical rotary valves.

pretty cool stuff.

Do you think it will become the standard?

[DuffMan]

They've had that website for a while now. It seems like a good idea, but nothing seems to really have happened with it.

[the head]

the initial coats head was designed about ten years ago they said back then it would be the greatest thing since sliced bread GM helped with the R & D it was going to be the head for the C5 LS-1
i don't think it has a whole lot of merit except for racing applications current valvetrains aare lower cost to manufacture and the tolerances do not have to be as exact
i don't know how well the coats design would respond to mass production due to the tight tolerances needed to keep the seal on the closed side of the cam

[sykikchimp]

higher tolerance's, but much fewer rotating parts.. Seems like a fair trade. I would think it would be cheaper..

[Rennen]

Thats pretty neat, I like when people think outside of the conventional engine such as wankel rotary and this. Considering all the noise the valvetrain in my E makes, I would love to have spherical rotary valves instead.

Does anyone know if they actually produced this Mercedes straight six:


-Matt

[the head]

no they did not produce that benz but it gives you an idea how long coats has been working on thier stuff look at the vintage of that benz

chimp
as you probably know in vehicle mass productin there is always a percent margin of error (tolerance) that a part can be smaller of larger than the inital design due to the wearing of patterns dies and castings i am not 100% on vehicle tolerances but i am guessing it is around 2-5% over the life of the tool,die,casting,ect i don't think you could have a tolerance like that on the coates head design i am guessing more like .25-1% that level of accuracy would require more accurate tooling not to mention more maintainance to tooling to keep it within spec ergo more maintianance employees and quality control specialists in the factory all these people need to be paid so cost goes up on a per unit basis to cover all the extra tooling maintaince and new employee wages
then you have the cost of the new machinery to begin with and in large scale manufacturing a machine will have to generate a profit for a company within 6 to 10 months and i seriously doubt with the needs for the production change any major auto manufacturer would take it in to mass production

but just my $.02

all in all a great design but i don't see it being mass production feasable great for high rev motors though i am suprised you don't see coates heads on F-1,CART or IRL cars

[sykikchimp]

Not to mention the cost of re-tooling their current manufacturing plants..


If just one manufacturer embaces this technology, then so will everyone else. It simply has too many positives.

Did you see where they slapped their head on a ford 5.0 and put down 215 EXTRA wheel hp from 260-475? simply unbelievable.

[the head]

i could see a low number builder Ferrari, Lamborghini, Panoz, Qvale, TVR, Lotus using this technology Ferrari has the servo actuated valves on the real high end motors but most of the others still rely on cams i wonder why none of them have used it maybe coates wants too much in royalties because you know they patented that sucker

[Rennen]

yeah, just like the wankel rotary engine was a take off sucess

The thing about that is besides the cost of retooling factories and bettering assembly processes for higher tolerances, the cars must survive in an environment outside of the factory. I live in ruralish Missouri and the good ole boys that work on cars 'round here won't touch a rotary engine, some wont even go near an "import" because its something different. I also seriously doubt you would be able to walk into autozone and ask for spherical rotary valves to fix your Coates engine.

I don't see it working well as an OEM venture, but it should have life in the aftermarket. I would love to be able to buy a head for my engine that makes it far more efficient and produce more power. And im sure drag racers would love to just bolt on new heads and gain 215 hp. I just think Coates is marketing to the wrong people.

-Matt

[fastpace]

I also saw this a couple of years ago and was amazed by it. I used to think of ways to improve internal combustion engines, but I haven't thought of anything in awhile.

[sykikchimp]

He's going for the BIG bucks in the OEM market.. even though it would probably be easier to get the technology into the OEM companies doors if it had some time on the street in real cars to prove it's (un)reliability

[Bill Roberts]

Most innovations that are worthy of consumerism must be race proven or industral use proven.

With the natural gas engines (50% of the BTU of Gasoline) they have been industry proven for long run applications for steady state...but that is such a waste for the technology. If they would dominate a 24 HR LeMans and time in time again be the leader...then it could filter down to consumerism as long as the honorarium is not too steep for the idea/design/patent....Auto manufactures like to keep high tech "in house".

Then again, like all other great ideas ...some proven...someone will shoot it down and the majority will believe the shootdown and not the facts that back it up.

The ones that shoot it down do it purely for eletism, no facts behind their disbelieve (like an A$$ dyno..if they did not try it)

Take my engine shock for example: Folks were wanting it, it got shot down...now total cancellations...except like 7 that believe and realize no risk, totally reversable and it works so damned good that it is a scary thing...I had it really looked over..those that know...KNOW...those who don't thing so..Will never own it..and that is fine with me..I like having a honey hole that dominates...especially since I know..and those that want it..know how to get it.

I think it took two negative posts to kill 13 people that wanted it and committed and decommitted due to being questioned.

Normal 101 Politics.

Not a new idea...just a good application that is cheap and reverberates not down the drive line. I did not stand to profit at all...that was the same of the shootdown. Shooting Zilvia donations in the foot.

Plenty left, I invested...maybe I need to hook up with the bimmer crowd..they would like it!


So innovations are dissed, everyone wants to stay in a mode of "it can't work" and those who care, enjoy.

I hope Coates makes it somehow..it is all POLITICAL


Just R&D.... spoiled.

[sykikchimp]

Most innovations that are worthy of consumerism must be race proven or industral use proven.

With the natural gas engines (50% of the BTU of Gasoline) they have been industry proven for long run applications for steady state...but that is such a waste for the technology. If they would dominate a 24 HR LeMans and time in time again be the leader...then it could filter down to consumerism as long as the honorarium is not too steep for the idea/design/patent....Auto manufactures like to keep high tech "in house".

I think this is correct.. that's must be why he's going after the industrial contracts. On his site they say they have a 25Million deal with some trucking company to build some engines.. obviously looking to stick their foot in the door.

The rest of what you said I don't think pertains to this topic at all. Sounds to me like your beating a dead horse.

[Bbandit]

interesting...
although i havent read all of em but i get the idea
new inventions are always good
especially for me being an undergrad with mech eng major
i have to learn more about this and see where it goes