It is done well and points out the right questions about how does a
mixture heated to 850 degrees C not detonate. A more pregnant question
should have been, why is it not already burning in the intake
manifold?
Or was it?
In the article the engine shown is a V-2. From years ago I remember it
as part of the Small Block Chevrolet
and the test car being a Mercury Capri. In the story, two other 4
cylinder cars are mentioned. In the patent drawing, it is a 4 cylinder in
line engine.
My thinking is that it had to be high pressure mechanical fuel
injection, direct into the combustion chamber, and it had to have an
adjustable curve so that the engine didn't knock like a diesel. The many
engineers who drove the cars tried desperately to get the engines to
detonate, by leaving stop lights in top gear and full throttle, but not one
was successful. So, it had to be injecting and ignition (if any) after TDC.
So for my explanation to work I need a location and drive method
for the high pressure pump. The distribution system may not have been
required, if the pistons had rods that tripped the injectors open like
the old CO2 model airplane engines. On the other hand, the distribution unit
for a Lucas fuel injection system used on Cosworth race engines is smaller
than my fist. I think the turbocharger, that he called a homogenizer to help
atomize the mixture and operated at 3 PSI was part of the ruse. I think her
replaced the low oxygen problem caused by a super heated intake with a
whopping big amount of boost. Every pound he could get is my guess. So
how exactly he did it is unknown to most of us.
In another article he was said to have mentioned once that he had to
use jet engine oil in his engines because of the heat, even in the pans
would coke up regular motor oil.
If anyone has any ideas, I would sure like to hear about them.
Lynn E. Hanover