Any internal combustion engine, when idling, is providing little or no usable output of energy. Essentially, engines idle just to stay in a quick response standby mode. When in this mode, every portion of the cycle continues to occur in sequence.

At low speed, compression is the largest unavoidable consumer of energy. Friction is the other great consumer. Eliminating compression is out of the question, but reducing friction is much more easily accomplished. For generations, lubrication and bearings have been improved in order to reduce friction.

Conventional two-stroke engines cannot sustain operation very well at slow speeds because of the continuation of exhaust after compression has begun. Conventional four-stroke engines, like those found in almost every automobile, do lots of extra work to sustain the cycle while idling.

A LIM configured two-stroke engine idles far more efficiently than any other type of internal combustion engine, including gas turbine and turbo-fans. This has been demonstrated in our second prototype, which was converted from a Detroit Diesel 3-71 two-stroke.

LIM obtains the more efficient idle because there are so many fewer working parts, far less energy is required to keep the crankshaft revolving and the cycle repeating. Compression is still there, but there is no significant mechanical friction in the valve train. There is no camshaft, and the liquid cooling system is so much smaller. There is no pushing of conventional valves against conventionally heavy springs.

Because a smaller burst of power (less fuel) is needed to push the LIM type engine through the complete cycle, and less inertia from the power stroke is needed to get the entire job done, much lower idling speed is needed. So less fuel is needed for each combustion event while idling, and the slower speed means far fewer combustion events.

The amount of fuel saved while idling is considerably more than half!

The money saved will benefit every user of internal combustion technology whose new engines are LIM Cycle.

In addition, higher power density for swept displacement and lower weight (saved by the elimination of so many moving parts) will combine to maker lighter engines and vehicles a tangible reality which will further reduce fuel consumption and air pollution.

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