### The Unconventional Heart of the INNengine e-Rex You've seen your fair share of unusual engines on Jalopnik, from the Trojan's cube-shaped, four-cylinder two-stroke to the Napier Deltic's triangle-18 diesel. However, the INNengine company's latest creation, the e-Rex, takes the cake – or rather, it takes the engine block and turns it on its head. This tiny, two-stroke engine is a masterclass in innovation, boasting twice the pistons as cylinders, and a unique thrust plate that's sure to leave you questioning everything you thought you knew about internal combustion. ### The Thrust Plate: A Revolutionary Design At the heart of the e-Rex lies a rotating disk, aptly nicknamed the thrust plate, which is home to eight pistons – twice the number found in traditional two-stroke engines. These pistons move towards each other, creating compression and, as they part ways, reveal ports in the cylinder walls for intake and exhaust. This ...
### The Unconventional Heart of the INNengine e-Rex
You’ve seen your fair share of unusual engines on Jalopnik, from the Trojan’s cube-shaped, four-cylinder two-stroke to the Napier Deltic’s triangle-18 diesel. However, the INNengine company’s latest creation, the e-Rex, takes the cake – or rather, it takes the engine block and turns it on its head. This tiny, two-stroke engine is a masterclass in innovation, boasting twice the pistons as cylinders, and a unique thrust plate that’s sure to leave you questioning everything you thought you knew about internal combustion.
### The Thrust Plate: A Revolutionary Design
At the heart of the e-Rex lies a rotating disk, aptly nicknamed the thrust plate, which is home to eight pistons – twice the number found in traditional two-stroke engines. These pistons move towards each other, creating compression and, as they part ways, reveal ports in the cylinder walls for intake and exhaust. This configuration is reminiscent of a Tilt-A-Whirl’s undulating floor, and Csaba Csere, Car and Driver legend and quantam-brained engineer, has dubbed it a thrust plate.
### The 1-Stroke Conundrum
INNengine’s patented “1Stroke” technology is a point of contention. While it may seem like a one-stroke engine, where combustion and exhaust occur in one stroke, and intake and compression in another, the math doesn’t quite add up. This design tackles combustion and exhaust in one stroke, followed by intake and compression in the next. The company’s reasoning behind this is to distance their design from the traditional stigma of dirty two-strokes that burn oil along with fuel, which the e-Rex and Rex-B don’t.
### The e-Rex and Rex-B: A New Era in Engine Design
The e-Rex and its smaller counterpart, the Rex-B, mark a new frontier in engine design. These tiny powerplants are not just novel for their unusual configurations but also for their potential to redefine the boundaries of efficiency and performance. As we continue to push the limits of what’s possible in the world of internal combustion, it’s exciting to think about the innovations that will emerge from this unconventional approach.
### A New Era for Engine Design?
The INNengine e-Rex is a bold step into uncharted territory, one that challenges our perceptions of what an engine should be. As we delve into the world of alternative engines and experimental designs, it’s clear that the future of internal combustion is far from certain. One thing, however, is certain – the INNengine e-Rex is a testament to human ingenuity and a reminder that, with determination and creativity, even the most seemingly insurmountable challenges can be overcome.
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