New Single Cylinder Engine from BMW?

[cabanza]

Article also mentions a possible cyclinder to 350 cc.

BMW-Patent für Einzylinder mit Shiftcam : Boxer-Technik für den neuen Einzylinder?

BMW hat das Shiftcam für einen Einzylinder patentiert und weist auf einen neuen Motor für die weltweit recht erfolgreiche G-Reihe hin.

www.motorradonline.de

 

[ZoomerP]

Article also mentions a possible cyclinder to 350 cc.

BMW-Patent für Einzylinder mit Shiftcam : Boxer-Technik für den neuen Einzylinder?

BMW hat das Shiftcam für einen Einzylinder patentiert und weist auf einen neuen Motor für die weltweit recht erfolgreiche G-Reihe hin.

www.motorradonline.de

New packaging and application, but variable valve lift/duration schemes are decades old. Bringing advancements like this to the motorcycle market will probably be the last real development in production ICE power. It's a smart way to meet emission standards at lower output while still providing power at higher rpms.

 

[Danno]

Oh there is few left. Shifting crank centerline and variable stroke. Variable length intake and exhaust. And various ignition schemes..lazer and plasma. Free piston hasn't even begun. The steam engines kinda pushed mechanical systems long ago.

 

[ZoomerP]

Oh there is few left. Shifting crank centerline and variable stroke. Variable length intake and exhaust. And various ignition schemes..lazer and plasma. Free piston hasn't even begun. The steam engines kinda pushed mechanical systems long ago.

Maybe, but I don't know that we'll actually see many of those systems make it into production. 2035 isn't far away, and if the push for 'lectro power continues unabated, I see resources being put into EVs more than ICE. For instance, a free-piston generator in a hybrid car could make sense, but the question would be why bother with free-piston development when installing a higher capacity battery would greatly simplify the vehicle?

Playing with the valvetrain is relatively simple and well established. I expect to see more refinements like this new BMW than outright new tech brought to the ICE market. I hope I'm wrong, though. It's a lot more interesting seeing where ICE can go than increases in power density in whatever battery tech is the flavor of the day.

 

[south east okie]

I agree a" playing with the valvetrain" is relatively simple.

But I thought the "shift cam" was new technology, you know, changing the valve timing while the engine is running ??

 

[ZoomerP]

I agree a" playing with the valvetrain" is relatively simple.

But I thought the "shift cam" was new technology, you know, changing the valve timing while the engine is running ??

Nope. Motorcycles have had it for several years.

Variable valve timing - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

And Honda has been at it for decades with their cars, controlling valve timing & lift.

VTEC - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

First variable valve timing in a production was used in a Cadillac. In 1903.

Variable valve timing - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

 

[south east okie]

Now I know.

 

[Danno]

I played around with free piston for a year and left a trail of online searches. When I finally got somewhere I found all free piston patents had been filed by one certain individual. I dropped all work and purposely forgot.

But yes a free piston through magnetic fields seemed the ideal method of the least moving parts in a mechanical burn to electric output. And could be scaled to any size. From cell phone to powering a house.

 

[ZoomerP]

Now I know.

When it's done well, there's a fat hit of power along with a nice change in exhaust note at a specific rpm in the upper range, and the transmission is geared to allow keeping the engine in the power range. Fun stuff.

 

[Danno]

My 2020 wt1500 8ft bed 4.3 pushrod engine has variable valve timing. 27mpg on last 700 mile trip. No turbos and no hybrid. But I think fuel quality, tailwinds and air pressure helped.

The JDM bandit 400 had the most interesting vvt with 3 cam lobes. And the cams shifted sideways

 

[cabanza]

Maybe, but I don't know that we'll actually see many of those systems make it into production. 2035 isn't far away, and if the push for 'lectro power continues unabated, I see resources being put into EVs more than ICE. For instance, a free-piston generator in a hybrid car could make sense, but the question would be why bother with free-piston development when installing a higher capacity battery would greatly simplify the vehicle?

Playing with the valvetrain is relatively simple and well established. I expect to see more refinements like this new BMW than outright new tech brought to the ICE market. I hope I'm wrong, though. It's a lot more interesting seeing where ICE can go than increases in power density in whatever battery tech is the flavor of the day.

BMW has said that urban riding will be all electric. What does it actually mean in terms in models, I'm not sure. The little GS is popular enough to keep it going and while Europe will try to go all electric, there's the rest of the world. Even if Asia follows Europe, that still leaves a lot of people in a lot of places.

 

[ZoomerP]

BMW has said that urban riding will be all electric. What does it actually mean in terms in models, I'm not sure. The little GS is popular enough to keep it going and while Europe will try to go all electric, there's the rest of the world. Even if Asia follows Europe, that still leaves a lot of people in a lot of places.

I have my doubts about the 2035 cutoff, or whatever similar dates are set. I think we'll see reality force some flexibility, with engines like this one deemed clean enough and allowed to cover the gap until e-bikes are better able to meet needs.

 

[cabanza]

Another article on the topic from Cycle World:

BMW Working on ShiftCam Single-Cylinder Engine

BMW patent documents show the German company is working on ShiftCam variable valve timing for single-cylinder engines.

www.cycleworld.com

If BMW would bump up the cylinder size and HP, I'd be interested. I loved the old F650 series from the 90s and the F650GS from the early 2000s.