
IPFS
SMALLEST PETROL ENGINE
Written by Donna Hancock Subject: Just For Fun!It could be used to operate laptops and mobile phones for months doing away with the need for recharging. Experts believe it could be phasing out batteries in such items within just six years. The engine, minute enough to be balanced on a fingertip, has been produced by engineers at the University of Birmingham . Dr Kyle Jiang, lead
The breakthrough is an enormous step forward. Devices which need re- charging or new batteries are a problem but in six years will be a thing of the past..” Other applications for the engine could include medical and military uses, such as running heart pacemakers or mini reconnaissance robots. At present, charging an ordinary battery to deliver one unit of energy involves putting 2,000 units into it.
The little engine, because energy is produced locally, is far more effective.. One of the main problems faced by engineers who have tried to produce micro motors in the past has been the levels of heat produced. The engines got so hot they burned themselves out and could not be re-used. The Birmingham team overcame this by using heat-resistant materials such as ceramic and silicon carbide.
Professor Graham Davies, head of the university’s engineering school, said: “we've brought together all the engineering disciplines, materials, chemical engineering, civil engineering, and mechanical engineering. What better place to have the second industrial revolution in nano-technology than where the first took place, in the
heart of the West Midlands.
SOME PEOPLE THINK THEY ARE MACHINISTS ... AND SOME REALLY ARE!
V-8 and V-12 Engines in Miniature!
For all you out there who like big, honking V-8's and screaming' V-12 engines, check out these tiny versions that you could run on your workbench or kitchen table. These models were built by craftsmen the same way the big ones are made by machining billet stock and castings, but in miniature. These are not just models that look like engines, they are real running engines. Some of these photos were taken from the Joe Martin Foundation Craftsmanship Museum but many more images can be found elsewhere on the web, and engines like these can be seen in person at model engineering shows around the country. (Underlined words in the text are links to related sites.) Here are some really nice examples:
One of the more popular model V-8 engines over the years has been the Challenger. This one was built by Ron Colonna. Casting kits are still available for this 1/3 scale engine through Coles Power Models, although it is definitely not a beginner project.Several V-8 engines by Ken Hurst are displayed at a model engineering shows like the recent Western Engine Model Exhibition (WEME) in Vallejo
, CA . How about
that supercharger! Behind the first engine is his blue
Challenger V-8. The 103 cc engine sounds great running on a mixture of white gas and high octane racing fuel.

Here's a shot of Jim's tiny Corvette V-8 being test run. He is now working on a 1/6 scale Chevy 409.
A Cirrus V-8 by Profi M.E.
of the Ukraine
is based on the Merritt
Zimmerman design. The exposed rocker arms need to be manually lubricated before running the engine. Again, note the really nice finishes on every part.
2 Comments in Response to SMALLEST PETROL ENGINE
Donna I know the article is under the heading "Just for fun" but it's a pity you lump this farce (Smallest petrol engine) in with genuine miniature engines that DO Exist, and actually run, made by real craftsmen.
How about one of those little Chrysler Hemi, Corvette, or Ferarri engines being mated with a transmission suitable for powering a moped? A lot of those low-powered bikes are running on 49cc engines that are smaller than these, and I am certain they are less powerful also. These little masterpieces of engineering skill ought to get put into mass production and put to widespread uses.