Prototype Platform

The 3.9L (4BT) Cummins inline-four diesel engine was chosen as the initial RLE platform design.

The Photo below shows our RLE Alpha Prototype, a Cummins 4BT converted to single cylinder being tested in the UT engines lab dynamometer, at the University of Texas at Austin (opens in a new tab). A similar Cummins 4BT converted to single cylinder but without rotating liner is used as a baseline in order to experimentally measure the RLE benefits.

Prototype Design

The CAD illustration below describes our RLE Alpha Prototype conversion to a single cylinder (active cylinder is #2) by removing 1, 3, and 4 pistons / con rods and with Cylinder #2 rotating. The design is such that all 4 cylinders can be rotating.