One of the earliest recorded cam engine concepts dates back to the 19th century, during the industrial revolution.
His work laid the foundation for later developments in internal combustion engines.
[4] In the early 20th century, there were many patents filed for different cam engine designs.
This was mainly due to the complexity of their design and durability issues with the cam and follower mechanisms.
The cam imparts a desired motion to a follower by direct contact.
The cam's shape determines the piston's stroke length, timing, and speed.
This ensures that the pistons are in the correct position to use the energy from the combustion process.
The careful design and synchronization of the cam mechanism are crucial for the efficient operation of the engine.
The cam profile directly affects the engine's performance, such as torque, power output, and efficiency.
This makes them a popular choice for early cam engine experiments.
However, the complexity of their design and the precision required in manufacturing can make them challenging to implement.
The cam follower moves along a track or groove on the curved surface.
Their design allows for the creation of motion profiles that can enhance the engine's torque output at specific points in the cycle.
In a two-stroke engine, the forces on the piston act uniformly downwards, throughout the cycle.
In the first Michel engines, the cam had two surfaces, a main surface on which the pistons worked when running and another ring inside this that gave a desmodromic action to constrain the piston position during engine startup.
The short dwell time that a crank produces does not provide a more-or-less constant volume for the combustion event to take place in.
Also, the quickly descending piston lowers the pressure ahead of the flame front, reducing the burn time.
This dynamic is why in all crank engines a significant amount of the fuel is burned not above the piston, where its power can be extracted, but in the catalytic converter, which only produces heat.
A modern cam can be manufactured with computer numerical control (CNC) technology so as to have a delayed mechanical advantage.
Other advantages of modern cam engines include: After extensive testing by the United States government, the Fairchild Model 447-C radial-cam engine had the distinction of receiving the very first Department of Commerce Approved Type Certificate.
The wobble plate is separated from the output shaft by a rotary bearing.