Contents
Overview
There were many two-stroke engines designed and patented by many people in the early 80s. But the first truly practical two-stroke engine is attributed to Yorkshireman Alfred Angas Scott, who started producing twin-cylinder water-cooled motorcycles in 1908.
Initially, these engines were used for lightweight applications like chainsaws and motorcycles. Later knowing their potential for high thermodynamic efficiency these engines were used for operating in weight-insensitive applications, such as marine propulsion, railway locomotives, electricity generation, and many automobile manufacturers used this in their vehicles.
Here are a few robust two-stroke engines
1. Kohler WynnFurst P1
The company began building engines in 1920. But in the ’70s, a Kohler corporate pilot, Jeff Miller after seeing a prototype engine that is being designed for military drones started to wonder if it could be adapted for race cars. Keeping that in mind he built a chassis for a 6-cylinder version of the 1972 engine and raced it. As a result, they won six SCCA National Championships in the D Sports Racer and C Sports Racer classes with few upgrades in the engine.
2. Rolls-Royce Crecy
This was a British two-stroke, 90-degree, V12, liquid-cooled aero-engine with a capacity of 1,593.4 cu. in (26.11 L). This engine featured sleeve valves and direct petrol injection. This was the most advanced two-stroke aero-engines ever built.
In 1941 Supermarine Spitfire Mk II P7674 was delivered to Hucknall and fitted with a Crecy mock-up but it was found that the Crecy’s maximum power output would be too much for the Spitfire airframe.
1942 North American P-51 Mustang came to Hucknall for engine installation trials but this was just abandoned with the studies.
In 1943 Hawker Henley L3385 was delivered to Hucknall for fitting with a Crecy this too didn’t work.
3. Fichtel & Sachs 2-stroke engine
This engine was equipped with Messerschmitt KR200, a three-wheeled bubble car designed by the aircraft engineer Fritz Fend. These vehicles were in production from 1955–1964. The engine had a capacity of 191 cc (11.7 cu in) and was positioned in front of the rear wheel of the vehicle, just behind the passenger’s seat.
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4. Suzuki LC10
LC10 was a series of very small three-cylinder, two-stroke engines built by Suzuki Motor Corporation in the 1960s and 1970s. In 1969, Nialco built a single-seater called the RQ which was equipped with the triple-carb LC10 engine and competed in the Racing Quarterly Minicar Racing Tournament. The car came in the fourth position.
5. Saab 2 stroke
This was a two-stroke cycle, two-cylinder (and later Straight-three engine) engine that was made by Saab. The first version of this engine was transversally mounted in the 1950–1956 Saab 92. It had a displacement of 764 cc (46.6 cu in). The engine produced a maximum power of 25 hp (19 kW), and the vehicle moved with a top speed of 62 mph. Later in 1954, the power was raised to 28 hp (21 kW).
6. Junkers Jumo 205
This was an aircraft engine and was designed with 12 pistons sharing six cylinders, piston crown to piston crown in an opposed configuration, and had a displacement of 16.62 l (1,014.21 cu in). Junkers Ju 86 bomber used this and was found a little unresponsive for combat and liable to failure at maximum power.
7. Wärtsilä-Sulzer RTA96-C
It is a two-stroke turbocharged 14-cylinder diesel engine. That was designed by the Finnish manufacturer Wärtsilä. The engine is the largest reciprocating engine in the world with, 13.5 m (44 ft) in height, 26.59 m (87 ft) in length, and over 2,300 tons in weight. It produces a maximum power of 80,080 kW (107,390 hp). And was used in large container ships that run on heavy fuel oil.
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