Converting the ignition of a fuel-air mixture into usable mechanical energy lies at the core of a dizzying number of internal combustion engines developed over the course of more than century. Although typical piston engines with a cylinder head and valve-train are the most common by far, and even rotary engines are quite well-known, the opposed-piston engine design is significantly more obscure. In a recent video by [driving 4 answers], this type of engine is covered and why it’s actually a pretty nifty ICE design with many benefits.
Above all, the design is mechanically far more simple, as it omits all the valves and timing-related hardware of the typical four-stroke ICE. Each ignition event pushes against two pistons at the same time, allowing for more of the kinetic energy to be converted into usable power, as well as enabling largely vibration-free operation in a more compact package, especially in the case of the Asender design that eliminates the second crankshaft of the Achates design. This makes the Asender rather similar to the 1914 Simpson’s design.
Despite these many advantages, opposed-piston engines have mostly led a quiet life in industrial and military applications, including tanks, submarines and airplanes. This is where the video also sees their continued use, but as a 2021 article in Autoweek suggests, we might be seeing more of these engines in everywhere from trucks to cars as well. Even if it’s only in hybrid cars where it would be in a generator role, there are many reasons why this ICE design would fit right into certain roles.
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