Engine technology in DUKE

Duke Engines – 5 Cylinder 6 Stroke 3 Injector Valveless Axial Engine

There have been a number of axial engines designed over the years with some similarities between them, but these examples from Duke Engines of New Zealand show a very impressive and well developed prototype. Arthur, one of our readers, spotted the engine on display at the recent EAA Airventure in Oshkosh, Wisconsin and thought you might be interested. The engine has 5 cylinders, 3 injectors and zero valves.

Duke Engines reciprocator and crankshaft

The pistons are all attached by their connecting rods to a reciprocator which rotates as a result of the movement of the pistons and is itself attached to the crankshaft which rotates in the opposite direction. As the pistons move through their strokes, they also move past the ports, injectors and spark plugs, eliminating the need for valves. It's a very ingenious arrangement.

Duke Engines internal components

The axial engine has a number of interesting features:

• The counter rotating components generate very low vibration
• Only 3 injectors and plugs for 5 cylinders plus no valve train reduces the parts count
• It is designed to run on a wide variety of fuels
• Lighter and more compact than similar displacement conventional engines