Slithr

It looks like Mercedes will be first on the block with a production camless engine in the C class. Talk about your variable valve timing. We could see some interesting power curves in the next few years as this technology hits the street.

http://paultan.org/archives/2005/07/14/cam...-valve-engines/

brent_strong

It's about damn time. Can't wait for this technology to be "shaken down" and reliable. Should make for some really cool engines.

QUIKAG

I'll believe it when I see it. Apparently, it requires a brutally powerful electrical system in the car to even have a chance of running this set-up. If it were in a major publication, I would be more likely to believe this is coming out. But, it's from some lame website run by a guy who has no details whatsoever...

Now, I'm not saying this won't ever happen, but I was under the impression this technology was still several years out..

Slamnasty

I've actually wondered about this for a while now, and I hope this comes to pass. It makes sense on paper, but anyone familiar with the amount of effort required to open the valves on a typical engine realizes quickly just how much force and electricity would be required to counteract that amount of resistance positively.

If there was a way to reduce this amount of resistance by using lighter parts, then I could see camlessness as very likely.

Regardless, it's good somebody is trying to address this. I hope it works.

Clayman

I'll stick with everyone else and say I'll believe it when I see it. I'm all for the technology, and I believe it can be done, but there are a lot of things standing in the way of putting it on production cars. Even still, imagine what VTEC would be like without cams! You could have Lexus-like ride quality at low RPM's and then have a Ferrari F40 on the high side. Could make for some very interesting dyno plots if you wanted to screw with it enough.

Slithr

Looks like progress is being made on the electrical requirements as well.

http://www.xpower-mg.com/Powertrain.htm#13...it_SAE_Congress!

mastamind

No more cam swaps! Tuners would have a field day with this.

FO2K

It only requires a lot of effort to open valves because of the valve springs. It would be possible for the solenoid to open and close the valve, thus eliminating the need for valve springs.

This idea is not new, there were racing engines built in the 70's that used a second cam to close the valves. The system used very weak valve springs, which allowed longer camshaft life and the ability to get higher rpms without valve float.

I would expect to see the solenoid technology in racing applications long before it is introduced in a production engine.

Just think- no valve float! 12K rpm engines should not be a problem.

Slamnasty

Ya the valve springs are the resistance culprits, but that 70s reference is interesting. The other obvious benefit of electronics is that the engine weight would likely take a real nice dive without all the springs, valves and cams, even shorter drive chains and belts, cut out.

I think one of the biggest reasons this hasn't bee accomplished yet is the relative suspectibility of electronics to high heat. If circuit boards in a dashboard can fail over time because of heat, imagine how fast it can happen under the hood. PCBs don't last long over 200 F. Maybe the plastic electronics being worked on will help aid the development of the camless engine.

fx991

F02k, no disrespect, but i think slamnasty was stating that the fact with solenoid controlled valves, the opening and closing the valves. Often the valves have to undergo up to nearly 1000 lbf's the amount of electricity to compress the air/other fluid to the required pressures can be staggering.

What you're talking about with the dual camshafts, is actually still used in Ducati V-twins to this day, and yes it was a very clever way to get to higher RPM's without as much valve float.

In terms of actual racing, the only real companies that have the money to attempt this in racing is really F1/maybe Endurance Racing. But in the late Nineties Renault and Bennetton attempted the camless engine with solenoid opening and closing by magnetic coils and fluid. It had proved enticing but not enough development had come out of the engines. To this day noone has really researched and assembled camless engines to much hoorah. Here's a link describing Renault's tech.

But now that Mercedes has taken up the torch, it's great to see this tech again. Hopefully this can come into road cars in as soon as 10 years, that would be awesome! Good Read

Just to add to what Slamnasty just wrote, with the advent of ceramics in micro-electronics, perhaps this could be the link to help the electronics cope with the underhood heat?

F1 Engines_Valve Technology