Pinnacle Engines unveils ultra-efficient Cleeves cycle, opposed-piston engine

Pinnacle Engines unveils ultra-efficient Cleeves cycle, opposed-piston engine: "

Filed under: Emerging Technologies, MPG

Pinnacle Engines unveiled what it calls a 'breakthrough ultra-efficient engine' designed to significantly reduce fuel consumption and greenhouse gas emissions without increasing a vehicle's cost. Here's the tech behind Pinnacle's 'breakthrough' engine:



The mill is based on a four-stroke, spark-ignited (SI), opposed-piston, sleeve-valve architecture that Pinnacle says cuts fuel consumption by 30-50 percent (!) compared to a conventional gasoline engine. The mill's performance has, according to Pinnacle, been independently verified by FEV, Inc.



The core of Pinnacle's technology resides in its 'Cleeves Cycle,' named after James Montague (Monty) Cleeves, founder of Pinnacle. The Cleeves cycle can switch back and forth from the Otto cycle (constant volume combustion) to the Diesel cycle (constant pressure combustion) depending on operating conditions. The result, says Pinnacle, is an engine that's ultra-efficient and compatible with most fuels including gasoline, diesel, natural gas, propane and biofuels.



And from the mouth of Monty Cleeves came these promising words:

This engine technology provides the fuel economy and CO2 emissions of a hybrid at a price that the whole world can afford.

Pinnacle aims to commercialize this fuel-sipping engine technology by 2013 and has raised $13.5 million in venture funding from NEA, Bessemer Venture Partners and Infield Capital. Let's hope Pinnacle's so-called game-changing technology lives up to the hype.



[Source: Pinnacle Engines]

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Pinnacle Engines unveils ultra-efficient Cleeves cycle, opposed-piston engine originally appeared on Autoblog Green on Sun, 03 Apr 2011 17:05:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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