Gioacchino Colombo 's Rolling Engine

[xylstra]

True, not aviation but we're all petrol-heads here, right? If you are, especially the FERRARI fans amongst you then you will be well familiar with the name Gioacchino Colombo one of the great Italian engine designers. But of course, they all get old and eventually retire. ....well-lll, maybe not quite. In Colombo's case his sunset years were spent designing his unique 'Rolling' ("NO!!", not Rotary!) Engine, which he patented. That's pretty much all I know. Not good enough! I want to know more about this. Anyone? ...drawings, patent numbers, magazine articles, pictures, etc.

 

[sienar]

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[xylstra]

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Thanks so much for that sienar. It's forced me to lower my opinion of Colombo: what a horrible engine! The combustion chamber has an atrocious surface-area:volume ratio which means that thermal efficiency must have been abysmal. It must have drunk more fuel than a FERRARI.

 

[xylstra]

Found this on YouTube, supposedly a 'new' type of internal combustion engine - but looks more like a direct rip-off of Colombo's rotary engine to me! See what you think:

View: https://youtu.be/bScoItImaK4

 

[Nik]

ROFL !! That bears a remarkable resemblance to the big, water-sealed rotary vacuum pump our lab used . The motor was replaced each decade, but the 1950s pump housing endured with only essential seal and bearing replacements. We learned its 'sounds, quirks and foibles', plus their amusing remedies...

1) *This* noise meant you had to un-lock and open the sump's feed-water tap for ~ 30 secs, think filling loop on 'central heating' system.
1b) If key not found, see #3...
2) *That* noise meant a vapour lock, due excessive ingestion of volatiles: Quick, open all the lab's vac-taps to purge it...
3) Loud 'Turkey Flock' gobbling and gurgling warns ingested water has pooled in usual pipe-run dip: Feed enough to create 'inverted syphon'...
3b) Also work-around for 'key not found' per #1b. Recommend actioned with fewest witnesses...

For work beyond 'water gauge', we had several very nice, oil-free fluo-seal portable pumps...