International Journal of Scientific Engineering and Research (IJSER)

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ISSN (Online): 2347-3878, Impact Factor (2015): 3.791

Duke Engine: An Overview of Present State of Art

and Future Potential
Sidharath Joshi
Mechanical Engineering Department, Shoolini University

Abstract: During the past three centuries, there has always been an emphasis on development of a kind of engine that has superior

efficiency, less polluting and good power generation. Among them, a recent innovation is duke engine. It is an advanced stage of simple
4 stroke IC Engine which is capable of producing high speed with low vibrations, has an axially arranged arrangement with five
cylinder and three injector systems. This engine has a negligible first order vibration and is also expected to have low vibrations in
higher order running. Being compact in size, there is more reduction in weight and on the other hand, it is capable of generating heavy
torque. This 3rd generation engine has the ability to run on different combustible fuels and petroleum products at different octane level.
Thus it has potential in replacement for petroleum based fuels such as biofuels, compressed natural gas, liquefied petroleum gas,
suitable mixtures with Methanol/ Ethanol, Hydrogen etc. Due to utilisation of less components, there is reduction in manufacturing and
production cost that could lead to great economic value. This engine delivers a superior torque at high power density and a counter
rotating cylinder leading to cancellation of gyroscopic forces. In this review, an effort has been done to highlight various aspects of
Duke Engine.

Keywords: duke, mechanical, internal combustion, power, engine

1. Introduction
The internal combustion engine is a heat engine that
converts one form of energy (chemical energy) into
mechanical energy. Inside the cylinder of the engine, due to
combustion or oxidation with air the fuels chemical energy

is converted into thermal energy. The temperature and

pressure of gases is raised by this thermal energy within the
combustion chamber and high-pressure expands against the
mechanical mechanisms of the engine [1].Classification of
Internal-combustion is shown in figure a.

Figure 1: Classification of Internal Combustion Engines

Source- Rajput 2008[1]

2. Historical Aspects
The rapid depletion of fossil fuels and rising of oil prices has
led to increase the efficiency of IC engines output. During
the 19thbeginning of century, there were a lot of
developments in IC engines and in 1860, J.J.E Lenior
practically introduced first engine with the power generation
of 4.5 kW and mechanical efficiency of 5% [2]. In,1867,
Otto- Langen further improved the efficiency to 11% by
designing a type of atmospheric engine with the power
stroke propelled by atmospheric pressure acting against the

vacuum [2]. In 1870s,there was a great focus on

development and modification of encouraged four stroke IC
engine which Nikolaus August Otto and Langen to develop
first internal combustion engine that compressed the fuel
mixture prior to combustion for far higher efficiency than
any other engine developed that time [3]. Although, in 21st
century many modifications were made in axial engines and
a new compact engine was made There are many axial
engines and several modifications were made in these
engines and that are summarized in Fig 2.

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ISSN (Online): 2347-3878, Impact Factor (2015): 3.791

Figure 2: Various axial engines

A third generation engine namely duke engine came up with
numerous advantages in terms of size, power, pollution and
overall efficiency.
Axial engines
These are the engines which are alternatively known as
barrel or Z-crankengines in which pistons are arranged in
such a way that the reciprocating motion is achieved and
supplied to the output with their axes parallel to the shaft.
The name Barrel refers to the axial engines which are having
cylindrical shape [1].
Duke engine
Many modifications were made to improve the efficiency of
four stroke engines, one example is modifications of Forced
Induction that creates more power without an increment in
the size of engine [4], Here, Carburettors are replaced by
Fuel Injection due to which there is better throttle response,
easier starting and increased fuel efficiency.
Billions of combustion engines are running worldwide at
this time and this era is not going to end right now. A recent
modification is Duke Engine. In 1993, the idea of this engine
came into the mind of NOEL DUKE, who further tested it in
University of Auckland dyno(1998) and named V1 (996cc)
engine. In the year 1999, Daihatsu Charade installed this V1
engine. The Daihatsu Charade is a super-mini car produced
by the Japanese manufacturer Daihatsu from 1977 to 2000
which considered by Daihatsu as a "large compact" car [5].
Perhaps many developments were made in 2000s i.e., V2.1
(933cc), V2.1(4500rpm), V2.2 (6500rpm) and V3 (3-litre)
[6-7]. These improvements were generally in terms of
design aspects and fuel injections perspectives. In the year

2011 at UoA dyno,V3i engine was successfully tested on

both petrol and JetA1.
Configuration and Working
Noel Duke and his team have described the engine as a fourstroke internal combustion engine which has five cylinders
and has a capacity of three litres. The duke engine reforms
the linear arrangement into circular orientation creating an
axially arranged configuration. It works on basic principle of
Wobble-plate as shown in fig 3. A wobble-plate working is
similar to a swash plate which is a device used in aircrafts,
example is helicopters that translates input via the helicopter
flight and controls the motion of the main rotor blades [8].
The motion which is acquired can be simulated by placing a
Compact Disc on a ball bearing at wobble-platecentre and
pressing down at impact places around its circumference.
Although the wobble-plate and swash plate are not basically
same devices, a wobble plate does not go round; it is
mounted on the Z-shaped crankshaft by a bearing which is
articulated to the connecting rods by ball-joints. This
wobble-plate nutates like a nutating disc engine which is an
internal combustion engine comprising fundamentally of one
moving part and a direct drive into the crankshaft [9].
Hence, the wobble plate translates with the motion of a
piston into rotary which is further supplied to the output of
the engine. The standard pistons are mounted on a single
casted machine mono-block which rotates slowly around
and in-line with the shaft. These pistons drive a star shaped
element called reciprocator(shown in fig 3) which is
attached to it and allows all parts to move in sinusoidal
motion [4]. The wobble plate is attached with the coaxially
attached pistons.

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Figure 3: A reciprocator attached with wobble plate source dukeengines.com

A stationary cylinder head ring which is mounted by spark
plugs and slide passes forth that leads to a complicated valve
system which is utilized and the fuel induction and air
charge is supplied by this slide pass mechanism. As the
system comprise of 3 sets of inlet port, spark plugs, exhaust
ports and relative manifolds [4], the system first gets charge
induction through these inlet ports giving induction or
suction stroke and then compressed before the cylinder
further exposed to spark plug for ignition of power stroke.
This power stroke give the momentum to the piston causing
the piston to move downward(fig 4). The system is attached
to the wobble plate which rotates in accordance with the
cylinder head movements causing the piston to reach the
exhaust port, hence, the piston rises thereby ejecting the
burnt gases and completing the working stroke of the engine.

Usefulness of Duke Engine

Modifications of the engines lead to a discovery of
enormous advantages and Duke engine stands in good rank
considering in the forms of features of this engine. The
engine weighs nearly 101 lbs. or 48.4 kg [4] which is
comparatively very small as compared to other internal-combustion engines like 4-stroke with similar number of
cylinders (five) and weighs nearly 100-150 kg [4].
Sometimes due to heavy irregular torsion movements there
is a lot of vibrations so as to reduce it a heavy flywheel is
used but in duke engine there is very regular generation of
torque during power stroke because of

Figure 4: Working of duke engine

Source dukeengines.com
reciprocator attached with the wobble plate. Also, there is
partial cancellation of gyroscopic effect which is used in
balancing and is achieved from slow speed counter rotation.
There are no additional shafts used in this engine for the
mechanical balancing of the engine. This engine is very well
considered for the applications with power output of nearly
40kW or much more [15]. It will be very useful for marine,
aerospace and military agencies as compact vehicles can be
used in various applications. The exhaust temperature is
really very high as compared to other IC engines which

proves it to be an advantage for catalyst light-off application

i.e., diesel oxidation catalyst (DOC). Compact Aircrafts
boosted with this engine will serve a greater efficiency and
economy.
Many search projects in military assembled with a
combination of battery operated motor can be replaced by
designing a smaller engine of this type so that a heavy power
can be generated and even more compactness is achieved.

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Figure 5: Performance characteristics of various engines (modified from data sheet of

http://www.dukeengines.com/advantages/power-density)
This chart summarizes the performance parameters of
different engines (fig 5), and compares these engines in
terms of various parameters like, bore, lengths of stroke,
number of cylinders, power density and the specific power.
From the chart it is clear that the duke engine has good or
equivalent performance characteristics like other engines
with various advantages.

3. Limitations and Future modifications

There are some problems with the design aspects of this
engine, the first is the port timing. It is interrelated and not
independent from each other as nail port and therefore the
control of timing will be very difficult with the variation of
load. Also, the charge during the intervals between the
strokes is lost hence, reducing the working efficiency of
engine.
Due to simpler port mechanism, it is expected to have some
charge leakage that can be avoided by Mushroom ports can
be used here in the duke engine as it can reduce the charge
leakage. Mushrooms ports will have taper ending so that it
can reduce the meshing area of contact and hence will not
not flow out of the ending, also it will increase the velocity
of the charge particles that help in proper combustion in the
cylinder.
Pollution can be reduced by addition of diesel oxidation
catalyst (DOC) in the exhaust of the engine. Supercharging
of this engine will give a very high efficient engine. [10] An
engine of compact design i.e., a smaller wobble-plate can be
designed for even smaller work applications.

4. Conclusion
Overall economy of Duke Engine is less as compared with
modern conventional engines when we concern in terms part
or full load fuel performance, design aspects and

manufacturing aspects. Frictional losses that faced in

internal combustion engines are reduced due to reduction in
parts. Diesel oxidation catalyst will be very effective in this
engine because of generation of high exhaust temperature.
Addition of practical use of this engine in large scale will
change the different parameters like fuel efficiency,
pollution, heavy and costly designs etc. hence the operation
of this engine leads to a better living standard instead of a
simple polluting internal combustion that are in use
nowdays.

References
[1] Pulkrabek, W W.,1997. Introduction In: Engineering
Fundamentals of the Internal Combustion Engine.
Pulkrabek, W W (ed). Prentice Hall, New Jersey, pp
504.
[2] Rajput, RK, 2008. A Textbook Of Fluid Mechanics. S.
Chand Limited, pp 1059.
[3] Ralph Stein (1967). The Automobile Book. Paul
Hamlyn Ltd
[4] Nigensha. 2007. Car Graphic: Car Archives Vol. 5, '70s
Japanese Cars (in Japanese). Tokyo: p. 137. ISBN 9784-544-09175-5
[5] "Technical Innovations Honda's CVTs for ATVs". OffHighway Engineering Online. Retrieved 2008-07-07.
[6] http://www.dukeengines.com
[7] Macomber aero engine". Pilotfriend. Retrieved 200807-04.
[8] Leishman. J.G., 2002. Principles of Helicopter
Aerodynamics. J. Gordon Leishman ed. Cambridge
University Press, New York, p13
[9] Meyer, Leonard , "Nutating internal combustion
engine", US patent 5,251,594, issued 1993-10-12
[10] Angle, Glenn Dale (1921). Airplane Engine
Encyclopedia. Otterbein Press. p. 468.

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