18/01/2022, 20:48 Astron Aerospace Reimagines The Internal Combustion Engine

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Astron Aerospace Reimagines The Internal

Combustion Engine

Could this be the internal combustion engine's saving

grace?

Jan 17, 2022 at 8:00am ET

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By: ENRICO PUNSALANG

At this point, a lot of us are starting to come to terms with the

eventual demise of the internal combustion engine. With electric
powertrains and battery technology advancing at lighting speed in
recent years, developing, building, and ultimately owning an
electric motorcycle is now cheaper and more convenient than ever.
That being said, the internal combustion engine will certainly be
here for several more years to come—even after the proposed
2035 ban on new gas-powered machines. Several companies,
including some of our favorite motorcycle and car makers, have
been lobbying for gas-powered engines to remain in existence. At
the same time, it would appear that the good old ICE has yet to

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18/01/2022, 20:48 Astron Aerospace Reimagines The Internal Combustion Engine

swing its swan song. Well, at least, this is what Astron Aerospace
believes with its newest creation, the Omega 1.
The Astron Omega 1 is a one-of-a-kind design. Astron has divided
a four-stroke engine's four strokes into two independent chambers,
with a pre-chamber in between. Two primary shafts are stacked
vertically and coupled with synchronizing gears so that they rotate
at the same RPM in opposite directions. Four rotors are placed on
the two shafts and run in two pairs, one on the front end for intake
and compression strokes and the other on the back end for
combustion and exhaust strokes. A rotary disc valve and a pre-
chamber are located between the two sets of rotors.
If you're thinking what I'm thinking, that this motor resemblers a
Wankle rotary engine, you'd be right. However, Astron claims that it
doesn't suffer from sealing issues, and is a completely linear unit.
Now for those of you who aren't engineers, myself included, it can
be rather difficult to visualize all this. To help, Astron Aerospace
has made this extremely detailed video, showing just how it all
comes together, and how the entire system works. It's pretty
impressive, really. Furthermore, given its compact construction, the
Omega 1 can be built to different sizes in order to suit a variety of
applications. 
Do note, however, that Astron Aerospace has not explicitly stated
that this engine is meant for motorcycles. However, given its
theoretical versatility, it could certainly power two-wheelers if it
becomes a reality. According to Astron Aerospace, The Omega 1,
in its current form, tips the scales at just 15.9 kilograms and
produces a whopping 160 horsepower and 170 pound-feet of
torque. It idles at 1000 RPM and redlines at 25,000 RPM. Astron
says that the company has  created a working prototype and
claims that it can operate on a variety of fuels, with very low
emissions. 

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18/01/2022, 20:48 Astron Aerospace Reimagines The Internal Combustion Engine

No doubt, it will certainly be interesting to see an engine so small,

yet with so much power, become a reality. If Astron Aerospace's
technology makes it to production, it could very well change the
game, not just in terms of mobility, but energy usage in general. Of
course, all the figures in this article are merely claimed by Astron
Aerospace, and have yet to be tested in real-world application. As
such, I'm guessing it'd be best to wait and see what developments
Astron Aerospace continues to make in the near future. 
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By: ENRICO PUNSALANG
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18/01/2022, 20:48 Astron Aerospace Reimagines The Internal Combustion Engine

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