I saw this, and it made me wonder what this forum would think of in terms of interesting/unique or just plain cool engine designs.
wow, that ford engine's very interesting http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_KkwAilVjAWI/SeLAjh9BFXI/AAAAAAAAAE8/SpkRoSATdyo/s400/bugatti_13.jpg W16
Commer (Rootes) made a supercharged 2-stroke diesel engine with a similar design back in the 50s. It outputted 105hp from ~3.3l.
This one is a failure, you could get the same power from an ordinary NA diesel with even less displacement. The new one packs as much power as a naturally aspirated V6 of the same size.
Any really old engine is going to look like a failure by today's standards. The question is, how does it compare to other engines of the same era? Also... do NA diesels even exist in automobiles anymore? I only ever see or hear/read about turbo diesels.
NA diesels did exist until 80s, they had quite some torque because they were relatively big (usually 1.9-3 l), but little power. For example, Mercedes 190D, launched in 1953, had a 1.9 NA diesel. Its output was 50 hp, so 26.3 hp/litre. The wonder engine mentioned by @Shingo Shoji had just 31.8 hp/l - and it's supercharged.
actually its got a supercharger yes, but its not boosted, it ran at atmospheric pressure. Its a 2 stroke, 2 strokes *cannot* run N/A. Even a 2 stroke weedwacker uses the piston moving into the crank case as a very crude positive displacement blower. --- Post updated --- Opposed piston tech is nothing new, similar devices have been used as very crude yet small electrical generators.
