Camless Engines ?

[Scott Winebarger]

http://www.autoblog.com/entry/1234000827063332/

Some of you might have seen this coming , but whats next?

 

[grapeknutz]

I remember discussing this some 30+ years ago in high school auto shop.

 

[ßill]

Hasn't Mercedes had a cam-less engine in their racing program for some time? Seems like I read about this about 10 years ago.

 

[JohnZ]

Hasn't Mercedes had a cam-less engine in their racing program for some time? Seems like I read about this about 10 years ago.

No, but they were the first (in 1955) to have a desmodromic valvetrain in the straight-8 300SLR race cars - one cam lobe opened the valves, and another lobe closed them - no valve springs. Ducati also had this system on their race motorcycles.

Formula 1 cars today don't have valve springs either, as the springs can't handle closing valves at 18-19,000 rpm; the valves are closed pneumatically by a computer-controlled closed-circuit 2,000 psi nitrogen system. Next year's Formula 1 engines change to 2.4L V-8's (from the current 3.0L V-10's), and will routinely turn 20,000 rpm. :W