The Engineer’s August issue reports that research at Sheffield and Loughborough universities has been grant-aided in an Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council-funded programme to help Lotus Engineering develop a crank-less engine. Lotus hopes ultimately to use the technology in a hybrid vehicle, according to Dr Paul Stewart, lecturer in electronic and electrical engineering at Sheffield.

“It will be using a new concept in piston trajectory and control. It should make it possible not only to increase the efficiency of the engine, but also to run it on a variety of fuels, so hopefully it will be able to run on hydrogen, standard petrol and everything in between,” says Dr. Stewart.

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