Pick Rotary Engine
A design for an internal combustion engine, two pistons placed on polar opposites around a fixed axis spin inside a chamber. Two gates create four chambers isolating each stage of the Otto cycle. All four stages occur per one-half revolution. Stacking these chambers along a common drive shaft at different angles allow the air-fuel mixture to be loaded into the adjacent chamber by means of a sliding gate valve.
Advantages:
- mechanical simplicity
- two power strokes per revolution
- modular design
- pure rotary motion
- high power-to-weight ratio (expected)
- high engine speed (expected)
Disadvantages:
- sealing between chambers and pistons
- hot and cold gate valve float
- risk of pre-detonation
An alternative to this design would be to place the hot and cold gate inside the piston and have them follow a cam profile along inside the chamber. Centrifugal forces should improve sealing at the gate apex and reduce valve float while increasing the rotary inertia of the engine.
Watch the Pick Rotary Engine turn