OPOC Engine

Wow saw an article on one of these engines in PopSci, very interesting! An incredible piece of equipment!

http://www.engineeringtv.com/video/Opposed-Piston-Opposed-Cylinder

not really theyve been around for a while if memory serves me right they were developed for aircraft. cant remember why they didnt get put into service.

definitely a cool idea, im glad theyr finally gonna do something with it. if memory serves me right its not as effected by altitude as traditional engine designs.

Yep been around for a while. I remember in school the major disadvantage was balance and firing exactly on time. Might be more doable now with the advance computer controlled systems.

The reason it was mentioned in my magazine was because some Chinese auto manufacturer will be using them in commercial trucks.

I think for it to truly be successful.. It will have to be very dependable and the longevity will have to be there. China and build quality don't really go together. ;)

I think this never really got off the ground because while the concept has been around a while, it never got the proper backing. And now engineers are looking past liquid gas powered internal combustion engines altogether.

reminds me of cam plate engines. those were awesome. maintenance nightmare though. wish they had made it still.

I haven't really looked too much at their operation but it doesn't seem like many moving parts to me. EcoMotors is the company this article was talking about. "In 2010, Bill Gates and venture capitalist Vinod Khosla invested $23 million in EcoMotors". The company predicts it is 5 to 7 years from commercialization, so we'll just have to wait and see.