rob c Posted May 20, 2015 Share Posted May 20, 2015 SMALLEST PETROL ENGINE SCIENTISTS have built the smallest petrol engine, tiny enough to power a WATCH. The mini-motor, which runs for two years on a single squirt of lighter fuel, is set to revolutionize world technology. It produces 700 times more energy than a conventional battery despite being less than a centimeter long (Not even half an inch!). 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 investigator from the Department of Mechanical Engineering, said: "We are looking at an industrial revolution happening in peoples' pockets. 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. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
old man emu Posted May 20, 2015 Share Posted May 20, 2015 If it was used in a heart pacemaker and was running on E10, could it make you fail an RBT? OME 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
robinsm Posted May 20, 2015 Share Posted May 20, 2015 be a bug.er to do a valve grind on.... 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marty_d Posted May 21, 2015 Share Posted May 21, 2015 Think I'll stick with a 912 for my build... 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mAgNeToDrOp Posted May 21, 2015 Share Posted May 21, 2015 I recall this story doing the rounds a few years ago, is it legit? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SDQDI Posted May 21, 2015 Share Posted May 21, 2015 The pic is from the Birmingham uni website but I'm not sure whether the story has been 'fabricated' Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SDQDI Posted May 21, 2015 Share Posted May 21, 2015 http://www.birmingham.ac.uk/research/activity/mechanical-engineering/bio-micro/index.aspx Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
planedriver Posted May 21, 2015 Share Posted May 21, 2015 Was it the April 1st edition? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gnarly Gnu Posted May 21, 2015 Share Posted May 21, 2015 Petrol powered pacemaker eh? Seems a valid reason for exhausting hot gasses and fumes. Gnu's have a powerful microbiome. There was talk about powering stuff with micro-turbines a couple of years back, seems similar. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pmccarthy Posted May 21, 2015 Share Posted May 21, 2015 The pacemaker would have to pass an exhaust emissions check. Where would they put the sensor? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marty_d Posted May 21, 2015 Share Posted May 21, 2015 The pacemaker would have to pass an exhaust emissions check. Where would they put the sensor? Jeez, I know some blokes whose exhaust emissions could use some limiting. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pylon500 Posted May 21, 2015 Share Posted May 21, 2015 If you did a gas conversion on it, and ate beans, it would be self fuelling... 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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