[robertob]

How do they plan to seal all the edges of those balls? Also, how the heck do they expect manufacturers to crank out parts with the requisite precision?

Neat toy, but I'd wager a large sum that no-one will take the time to work out all the bugs.

Piston engines, for all their faults, are very, very well understood and cheap to design, manufacture and service.

That's why every other challenge has pretty much failed - swash plates, rotary valves, etc. Only the Wankel has challenged it, and that only after huuuuuuuge sums of money were spent working out the bugs.

 

[robertob]

quote:
How do they plan to seal all the edges of those balls? Also, how the heck do they expect manufacturers to crank out parts with the requisite precision?

Neat toy and a brilliant design, but I'd wager a large sum that no-one will take the time to work out all the bugs.

Piston engines, for all their faults, are very, very well understood and cheap to design, manufacture and service.

That's why every other challenge has pretty much failed - swash plates, rotary valves, etc. Only the Wankel has challenged it, and that only after huuuuuuuge sums of money were spent working out the bugs.

 

[robertob]

Good point about wear and friction - how do you lubricate it? Unless you run the balls in oil and seal the edges of the chambers, but that brings up the sealing issue again.

Isn't that why Honda gave up on oval pistons? Sealing the corners is nearly impossible.