Detonation Gun Engine

[daiquiri]

I've just stumbled upon this article from Maritime Professional: http://www.maritimeprofessional.com/...un-Engine.aspx
Excerpt:

"A Canadian physicist and inventor Kazimierz Holubowicz puzzled over the low efficiency of the reciprocating engine operating under normal combustion conditions because he knew that the energy released by fuel exploding, is very much more than under normal combustion. The obvious problem was how to build an engine that would allow fuel to explode (detonate) without the engine exploding! He came up with a design that uses a second free floating piston in a very long cylinder. The free piston oscillates as the main piston is driven downwards turning the crankshaft with the exhaust in the upper cylinder expending most of its energy, harmful SOx and NOx products are dissolved allowing simple treatment and disposal. High torque, low speed and multi fuel capabilities are all attributes claimed for this engine as are low fuel consumption with zero CO and particulate emission. The linear torque vs speed characteristics of this engine make the use of a transmission unnecessary for several applications."

Since any similar article inevitably catches one's eye, I've searched for more info and came upon the web-page of the author: http://www.rexresearch.com/holubowicz/holubowicz.htm
where a more detailed explanation of the working principle, together with drawings, can be found.

Several things puzzle me here, though. I am a scepticist by nature when put in front of similar claims, so when I saw that the guy's explanation starts with "One day, busy with trying to develop a theory of anti-gravity..." and at some point comes to say "I think that all the thermodynamics of today's engines is a big B.S. developed by those who wasted $Billions in grants, to cover the lack of performance." - I get all the alarm bells set-off.

Add to this the fact that guy's name (Kazimierz) sounds so similar to Casimir (the name of the scientist who discovered the so-called "Casimir effect" - one of near-magical and still elusive physical principles) and it starts to sound like one of those April Fool's Day internet jokes.

On the other hand, this gentleman has talked about his invention on at least one important specialist conference, the 2011 Motorship Propulsion & Emissions Conference, in Copenhagen: http://www.propulsionconference.com/...erz-holubowicz - which should imply that he is being taken seriously by the industry.

I'd like to hear any opinions, first-hand info or additional comments from you guys.

Cheers

[pistnbroke]

I would have thought that if there was anything in this that Ricardo engines would be on to this and testing the idea with or without permission on one of there very adaptable single cylinder test bed engines...

[troy2000]

Originally Posted by daiquiri

I'd like to hear any opinions, first-hand info or additional comments from you guys.

Cheers

Well, the last sentence of that article says, "[c]urrently he has seven inventions under development one of which is a marine propulsion that also reduces drag of moving ship in water up to 90%."

I have trouble taking that seriously....

[daiquiri]

Originally Posted by troy2000

Well, the last sentence of that article says, "[c]urrently he has seven inventions under development one of which is a marine propulsion that also reduces drag of moving ship in water up to 90%."
I have trouble taking that seriously....

Oh, I have missed that part!

Then, how the hell did he become a speaker at the Motorship Propulsion & Emissions Conference...?

[pistnbroke]

Troy ..his invention makes the barnacles fall off ........ha ha Perhaps the noise of the gun engine gives them a head ache ......

[gonzo]

I am sure when Herr Otto wasted all the millions he got in grants from the Kaiser, it was all to make oil companies thrive. It was a conspiracy that allowed the budding oil companies to expand their operations worldwide. It's true, I swear.

[cthippo]

Originally Posted by daiquiri

Add to this the fact that guy's name (Kazimierz) sounds so similar to Casimir (the name of the scientist who discovered the so-called "Casimir effect" - one of near-magical and still elusive physical principles) and it starts to sound like one of those April Fool's Day internet jokes.

The Casmir effect is hardly "near magical". The effect was predicted by Einstein in general relativity and is caused by pairs of virtual particles popping into existence, traveling a short distance, and annihilating each other. This process requires a certain amount of space to happen and what Casmir did was to place two metal plates so close together that there was not enough room for these virtual particles to appear. The flux of virtual particles outside the plates could not be balanced by particles between them and so a small but measurable pressure was created pushing the plates together. This pressure is what's referred to as the Casmir effect.

This field of virtual particles is referred to as vacuum energy or zero point energy and while it has not been measured accurately, some theorize that there may be enough energy in the volume of an empty shoebox to power the entire planet.