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Omega 1 Is a Game-Changing Internal Combustion Engine, Too Good To Be True?

Electric vehicles are taking the world by storm and the internal combustion engine’s fate looks sealed, but there’s still life in the old gas-burning power plant. At least that’s what Astreon engineers think while showing a new ICE concept. They claim this is an almost zero emissions engine, despite burning fuel inside its combustion chambers.
Astreon's Omega One is a game-changing internal combustion engine 8 photos
Photo: Astreon Aerospace
Astreon's Omega One is a game-changing internal combustion engineAstreon's Omega One is a game-changing internal combustion engineAstreon's Omega One is a game-changing internal combustion engineAstreon's Omega One is a game-changing internal combustion engineAstreon's Omega One is a game-changing internal combustion engineAstreon's Omega One is a game-changing internal combustion engineAstreon's Omega One is a game-changing internal combustion engine
Instead of pistons, the new engine packs a couple of rotary gears that look a lot like aviation turbines. It’s also reminiscent of the rotary engine, but with a better design that eliminates the Wankel’s weaknesses. To oversimplify, we can say the Omega 1 engine designed by Astreon Aerospace takes the four strokes of a combustion engine and divides them into two independent chambers.

The engine has two shafts that rotate in opposite directions via synchronizing gears, with four rotors running in pairs on the two shafts. The first pair takes care of the intake and compression, while the second pair does the combustion and exhaust strokes. These are complemented by a rotary disc valve and a pre-chamber that are located between the two sets of rotors. This is where the fuel is injected.

The working principles of this engine are a little harder to understand for a layman like you and me. Luckily, Astreon showed us a detailed video to help us visualize the whole process. The video also details various engine parts and their role in the combustion process. With precision machining, this engine does not need any seals to keep the fluids inside. This incredibly simple design might be considered a threat to the electric vehicles’ future, promising a long life with very little maintenance required.

As the name of the company suggests, this should be the ideal airplane engine, being light and powerful, while also completely vibrations-free. However, it could also power a wide range of vehicles, starting with motorcycles and going all the way up to the heaviest types of machinery. According to Astreon, the new engine is capable of delivering 160 horsepower and 170 lb-ft (230 Nm) of torque while weighing only 35 lbs. (15.9 kg). It idles at 1,000 rpm but can go as high as 25,000 rpm under full load.

Of course, Astreon suggests you could daisy-chain two or more such engines for more power, and we assume they can also be built bigger. There are no sealing problems with this engine concept, unlike with the classic rotary engine. Astreon also promises it can run on various fuels with very low emissions. This sounds a little too good to be true, but we’ll sure keep an eye on this one to see how it will develop in the future.

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About the author: Cristian Agatie
Cristian Agatie profile photo

After his childhood dream of becoming a "tractor operator" didn't pan out, Cristian turned to journalism, first in print and later moving to online media. His top interests are electric vehicles and new energy solutions.
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