One of many largest drawbacks of single-cylinder engines, particularly larger displacement ones is extensively agreed to be the vibrations. Till now, corporations have largely caught to utilizing counter balancer shafts as the popular solution to preserve them below verify however with QJMotor’s newest patent within the US, we would simply have a extra attention-grabbing and, doubtlessly, extra inexpensive solution to take care of them.
- Makes use of a smaller ‘dummy’ cylinder as a counterweight
- Less expensive than gear operated counter balancer shafts
Single-cylinder engine with a V-Twin-like configuration
A dummy piston within the second cylinder solely cancels out vibrations
Technically talking, the patent has been filed by QJMotor’s dad or mum agency, Geely Auto Group, and it demonstrates an progressive method to controlling engine vibrations in a single-cylinder mill. The patent drawing reveals an engine crankcase with two cylinder bore holes at an 80 diploma angle, visually resembling a V-twin engine. Within the patent photographs, the bigger bore on the correct comprises the precise combustion cylinder with a regular piston performing the 4 stroke (consumption, compression, combustion, and exhaust) motion. The dummy cylinder on the left bore has a piston that’s related to the identical crankshaft through a connector rod. Nevertheless, this piston has an air vent, which means this cylinder doesn’t act as a combustion chamber. It merely strikes up and down as a counterweight via the crankshaft’s rotation, canceling out the vibration produced by the ‘actual’ cylinder.
Lack of piston rings underlined as the most important enchancment
Cylinders and the pistons are cleverly offset too
The second piston lacks piston rings because it’s not sealing a combustion chamber, which removes friction and drag. The supply additionally underlines that the presence of the piston rings (and the friction and drag they produced) have been the primary flaw in earlier makes an attempt at this configuration. Each connecting rods share the identical crankpin as nicely, to minimise the scale of the complete meeting.
The cleverer half is that regardless of the cylinders themselves being angled at 80 levels, the pistons are angled at 90 levels. This wider angle is made attainable by housing the balancing cylinder in a separate part that’s bolted onto the crankcase with a flange, slightly than being machined straight into the block. And since this cylinder gives some clearance in opposition to the bore, the piston can journey alongside its offset path. This enables the efficient angle between the 2 cylinders to be wider than that of the casing itself. Lastly, for the reason that balancer piston has no standard consumption or exhaust valve, it will get cooling fins to scale back warmth construct up.
The patent particulars the aim behind the design to attain a correct balance-shaft system, however at a decrease value and fewer complicated design. The patent was printed by the US Patent and Trademark Workplace on August 27, and there’s no indication that it’ll make its method onto a manufacturing motorbike anytime quickly.
Supply: MCN