User:Mar14Co20/sandbox/The Brickley Engine

The Brickley Engine is a patented proposal for the design of an internal combustion engine using opposing pistons driving a central linkage mechanism which turns the crankshaft with a single connecting rod. This proposed design reduces the distance of the surface areas of oil being sheared inside the engine must travel by reducing the number of traditional components of the engine, and therefore reduce engine friction. Reducing the internal friction of the engine should increase the fuel efficiency of the proposed engine as compared with the current design of one connecting rod per piston. The Brickley Engine was invented by Mike Brickley, an engineer from Austin, Texas. The US patent number for the proposed engine is 7,219,647.

History
By conducting research on the mechanics of the steam engine and the Stirling engine, Brickley came to realize the significant relation between friction inside the engine and fuel efficiency. As the friction created by an engine decreases, the fuel efficiency of the engine increases. Based on this correlation,he created the design for the Brickley Engine in 2008 and patented the invention in January 27, 2009 as patent number 7,481,188.

Design
The design of the Brickley Engine differs to that of a standard four-cylinder engine because it implements a new force transfer mechanism that eliminates the need of many traditional parts in a standard four cylinder-engine, such as the piston skirts and multiple connecting rods .In this transfer mechanism,  there are two opposing pairs of pistons located on opposite side where each piston has a foward and a reverse stroke. The strokes of the two opposing pistons in each opposing pair are synchronized in both directions. These pistons are linked to a single connecting rod at a pivot point. As a crankshaft turns the connecting rod, the pistons complete a stroke and the engine's power is created.

Benefits
Implementing this design in modern vehicles can have multiple benefits as compared to a standard four-cylinder engine: With the improvement in the management of the forces created by the engine, the energy that would normally be lost in a standard four cylinder engine is converted into power. With the configuration of the Brickley Engine, it is calculated that the engine would improve fuel mileage and cut CO2 emissions by 15-20%. In addition, the Brickley Engine would theoretically use 50% less fuel than a standard gasoline engine.
 * The simplicity of the mechanics in of having a single connecting rod for all pistons uses less engine components. The removal of components directly reduces the amount of friction produced by 37% when compared to the current engine design.
 * With a direct connection between the cylinders and the crankshaft, the engine efficiently transfers the force produced of one cylinder to the opposite facing cylinder directly across from it.
 * With a more compact engine there is a decrease of surface area that the oil must travel between the central linkage system and the cylinders. By decreasing the surface area, the engine creates power more efficiently for every rotation of the crankshaft.

Challenges
Although Mike Brickley believes that the Brickley Engine would be a solution to the rising price of gasoline and the global warming crisis, the proposed engine faces challenges that keep the design from being implemented in future vehicles. Getting the automotive industry to accept the design of the Brickley Engine is complicated. The design of the Brickley Engine does in fact double the reciprocating mass, and consequently alters the engine balance. Some believe that by increasing the reciprocating mass, the friction inside the engine increases as a direct result and therefore, makes the engine seem no better than the current design. The automotive industry is currently searching to fix the problem of increasing gasoline prices in other ways. Currently the automotive industry is working to avoid gasoline as a fuel, and is looking into electricity as a source of energy for future vehicles.

Current state of development
The Brickley Engine was included in The New York Times Magazine's eight-annual "The Year in Ideas" issue (2008) where it was highlighted as one of the most notable inventions of the year. In 2009 after patenting the design, the Brickley Engine became a private project in the United States and was not available to many American companies. Even though Brickley stated he had communication with foreign companies researching similar technology, the Brickley Engine currently lacks enough funding and support to build a proper prototype that can be tested.