Opposed Piston Diesel Engines are Crazy Efficient

[LouNY]

I don't know how the torque runs on these opposed piston engines but the old two stoke diesels didn't have any low end torque They had to wound out to make power all the way up to 2200-2600 rpm when they pulled down to 1800 or under they would fall flat on their face and you had better grab a lower gear fast or drop 2 or 3. Those Detroit's didn't need oil added they had oil pumps and oil circulation.

 

[Raspy]

Be hard to get a two stoke past the EPA nowdays, efficiency doesn't count there.

The opposed piston Fairbanks engine has nothing in common with conventional 2 stroke engines. They are not crankcase scavenged or lubricated by the fuel.

 

[Raspy]

I don't know how the torque runs on these opposed piston engines but the old two stoke diesels didn't have any low end torque They had to wound out to make power all the way up to 2200-2600 rpm when they pulled down to 1800 or under they would fall flat on their face and you had better grab a lower gear fast or drop 2 or 3. Those Detroit's didn't need oil added they had oil pumps and oil circulation.

The Fairbanks engines are not the same design as the GMC 2 stroke. Plus, ship engines are never lugged.

 

[bcp]

Interesting reading on the FM OP engine.

Martin's Fairbanks Morse page

Bruce

 

[Raspy]

I was on a Coast Guard ship that had four of these interesting Fairbanks opposed piston engines. The upper and lower cranks were connected with bevel gears to a vertical shaft that connected the two crankshafts. Power was taken from the lower crankshaft. To check bearing clearance you pulled out the injector and inserted a 1/4" lead rod, rolled the engine over and measured the thickness of the lead after it was crushed by the pistons. They ran in either direction, so no reverse gear was needed. Started by an air start system with an air distributor, sort of like a gas engine distributor. These engines last a long time and are pretty simple with no valve train or valves.

We had a bearing problem somewhere in the vertical shaft system and tore one down while at sea. Imagine a 15' long crankshaft pulled at sea in a rolling ship. Then a major storm came up off the East coast and all **** broke loose. Fun times.

 

[sklunk]

Actually Achates Power is getting ready to road-test them right now:

Opposed-Piston Diesels Enter Limited Production - Fuel Smarts - Trucking Info

Achates Power – Fundamentally Better Engines

 

[ruffdog]

I was on a Coast Guard ship that had four of these interesting Fairbanks opposed piston engines. The upper and lower cranks were connected with bevel gears to a vertical shaft that connected the two crankshafts. Power was taken from the lower crankshaft. To check bearing clearance you pulled out the injector and inserted a 1/4" lead rod, rolled the engine over and measured the thickness of the lead after it was crushed by the pistons. They ran in either direction, so no reverse gear was needed. Started by an air start system with an air distributor, sort of like a gas engine distributor. These engines last a long time and are pretty simple with no valve train or valves.

We had a bearing problem somewhere in the vertical shaft system and tore one down while at sea. Imagine a 15' long crankshaft pulled at sea in a rolling ship. Then a major storm came up off the East coast and all **** broke loose. Fun times.

That's funny...I've had to go in on a Sunday to machine a bearing cap for a engine when the ship was sitting in the Atlantic.....maybe it was for you???? :drink:

 

[dodge man]

A little change of subject but I have worked on a couple of bridge jobs and watch pile driving. The pile driver is basically a single cylinder two stroke diesel. A crane lifts the driver up to get it started. It then comes down to drive the pile. At the correct time diesel fuel is injected and the driver coming down compresses it and fires. It then flies up and the process repeats. Pretty simple design.

 

[ruffdog]

A little change of subject but I have worked on a couple of bridge jobs and watch pile driving. The pile driver is basically a single cylinder two stroke diesel. A crane lifts the driver up to get it started. It then comes down to drive the pile. At the correct time diesel fuel is injected and the driver coming down compresses it and fires. It then flies up and the process repeats. Pretty simple design.

They were using something like that to bust up concrete on the interstate.....yes, simple.

 

[Doofy]

In 1970 I bought an Evinrude 429cc snowmobile that had opposing cylinders. That thing ran like a raped ape at full throttle. Not so great in deep snow because it also weighed 429 pounds.