Look, a real Atkinson cycle engine. Honda Worldwide | Technology Picture Book | EXlink This might be the wrong forum for this, since there is no word of this engine type being put into a car. But it is available in a home generator and hot water cogen unit. Honda Worldwide | May 23, 2011 "Honda to Begin Sales through Gas Utilities of All-New Ultra-Efficient Household Gas Engine Cogeneration Unit Featuring World?s Most Compact Design"
I am curious as to the purpose of this exercise. If the engine has the same overall friction loss as a regular ICE engine, just redistributed to different moving parts, how has this accomplished anything? In fact, it has only added complexity to the design, thereby increasing the MTBF.
I'm sure there are details left out of the press release, or possibly poor proof reading. It is a first generation engine that Honda claims to have increased efficiency in the home cogen unit. By moving the friction produced in the piston, the most hostile environment in an engine, Honda may be able to incorporate friction reducing strategies that weren't possible in the piston in later engine generations. Or it simple allows more energy captured than an Atkinsonized Otto. The total friction is the same, but more of it comes into play on the Otto configuration before the crank shaft is turned. Simply put, where the friction is also important.
It did offer one, but the info isn't clear on whether it was a true Atkinson with the piston stroke lengths physically changed, or an Atkinsonized Otto like on modern hybrids, using valve control to simulate shorten strokes. According to Wikipedia, Miller cycle engines are the later.
