"decided to touch on such an interesting topic as the creation and meaning domestic motorcycle with three cylinders, which in the world practically did not have and still has no successful analogues. The motor of this bike was not widely used in the process of producing exemplary equipment of the USSR, but still got its significant place in the history of mechanical engineering.

Three cylinder engine

Like many other two-stroke engines internal combustion, which were developed on Soviet soil, the engine, which received three cylinders, was developed by a person who was not far from motorcycles. Being a master of sports, Karl Osins tried to leave something in the world of bikes noteworthy world experts.

So this type of engine is able to significantly increase the coefficient useful action used on motorcycle power units. Need it modern iron horses sometimes in order to develop high maneuverability when participating in highway-ring competitions. The three-cylinder moto engine, which will be discussed in the article, deserves special attention, first of all, from connoisseurs of the history of the domestic motorcycle industry.

It was created by a member of the Riga auto-motor club called "Daugav" back in the era of the space race. Moreover, from the start, the prototype engine, which received three cylinders as a gift from the designer, had a considerable working volume as for the times of half a century ago (350 cm3).

The power unit is designed specifically for the motorcycle and consists of 3 identical single-cylinder two-stroke engines internal combustion, having a loop purge. All of them are united by only one common crankcase. Moreover, he did this according to the already existing principles of three-cylinder motorcycle design, introducing many new original developments.

More about three cylinders on a motorcycle

The above Soviet three-cylinder engine has an unusual arrangement of cylinders. Note that the right and left cylinders are parallel to each other. They have a slight slope of 10 degrees vertically. The third cylinder (middle) is equipped with an angle of 15 degrees horizontally.

The technical characteristics of a bike with 3 cylinders are impressive. The diameter of each “pot” (cylinder) reaches 5.2 cm. At the same time, the piston stroke was 5.4 cm. Each cylinder has a volume of 116 cm3.

Note that each cylinder has an intake and exhaust channels. In addition, there are a couple of purge channels. Moreover, the purge spaces are located on a horizontal plane with an angle of 120 degrees to each other.

Initially, the designer endowed this three-cylinder motorcycle with cylinders taken from the M-1A bike. Subsequently, these "pots" were replaced by analogues with an aluminum jacket and steel sleeves pressed into it. Each cylinder had the same parameters and was attached to the crankcases according to the Soviet standard (using four studs).

Aluminum heads of all three cylinders have a spherical combustion chamber. The pistons, as well as their fingers and rings, were also taken from the engine of the M-1A motorcycle. The most important feature The connecting rod used in a three-cylinder engine consists of a diamond-shaped section of its rod.

Description of 3-cylinder motorcycle engine

crankshaft above power unit represented by a non-separable type of construction. This moto assembly consists of three separate shafts, fastened in a rigid way. Each crank pin has the same parameters. Balancing everyone crankshaft happened separately.

Three cylinder motorcycle engine typical checkpoint with four steps, working in constant meshing gears with a roller type of shifting. All gears, at the same time, are fixed on a pair of shafts. On one - in a rigid way, and on the other, these devices are in free rotation. The internal component of the hollow shaft is represented by a wedge and a roller.

All three cylinders, when using a pipe, were connected to a carburetor. Its throttle control can be carried out according to the standard of the USSR and other countries representing successful motorcycle brands, using a specially designed handle.

We also note that the three-cylinder motorcycle has a battery-type ignition. All electronics are battery, 3 coils, 3 independently adjustable breakers and one distribution coil.

This engine, consisting of 3 cylinders, was capable of delivering more power than any Soviet motorcycle of that time. And right up to the destruction of the Soviet traditions of motor-building in the dashing 1990s, a rare domestic bike could boast of a capacity of 35 horses. Moreover, the 3-cylinder engine created a high degree compression and reached a speed of 12,000 rpm.

A few years ago, many automakers offered 3-cylinder engines. Such units can be seen as an example of the downsizing that has now taken over the entire automotive industry.

But three cylinders is nothing new. The Japanese have long used similar engines in their small cars (for example, Suzuki and Daihatsu). This design provides a number of advantages: less weight, cheaper production and low fuel consumption. Sounds great, but the reality is somewhat different.

So the fuel consumption does not correspond to the declared, and more load significantly affect durability. Over time, the relatively high vibration and mediocre dynamics begin to annoy. Yes, there are motors that have virtually no problems. For example, Toyota's respected R 3 mechanics.

Toyota 1.0

Toyota 1 liter engine, produced since 2005, one of the best three-cylinder engines recent years. It was originally intended for the baby Aygo, developed in collaboration with PSA concern. It also went to the platform French: Citroen C1 and Peugeot 107.

The basic design was borrowed from Daihatsu. Toyota engineers upgraded the engine: reduced weight, increased compression ratio, installed a variable valve timing system and a chain-type timing drive. The result exceeded all expectations. Efficient, small and light (made of aluminium), the unit is ideal for a small city car. It later went to the larger second-generation Yaris. There are two versions of the engine on the market, symbolically differing in power - 68 and 69 hp.

It is worth recognizing that the high dynamics from liter aspirated not worth the wait. Aygo accelerates to 100 km / h in 14.2 seconds, but it reaches urban 60-70 km / h quite quickly. Fuel consumption with a calm driving style lies in the range of 5-5.5 l / 100 km. In the case of the large Yaris, things are not so rosy. The first hundred can be reached only after 16 seconds. Don't count on economy either.

But more importantly, the engine is relatively reliable. At regular maintenance and reasonable loads serious problems does not occur, and minor failures do not require high costs for elimination.

Volkswagen 1.2HTP

Debuted in 2001 3-cylinder german motor got a lot positive feedback. The engine is designed from scratch, made of light alloy, equipped with a chain-type timing drive and balance shaft. The power unit was offered with 2 (54 and 60 hp) or 4 valves per cylinder (60, 64, 70 and 75 hp). He had to tempt low flow fuel, good dynamics and good durability. Unfortunately, things turned out differently in reality.

Firstly, even with quiet driving, the average fuel consumption was about 7 liters, while the promised almost 6 liters. Secondly, the dynamics of the 6-valve versions, to put it mildly, left much to be desired. Yes, the more powerful 12-valve versions are slightly faster. But 14.9 seconds to "hundreds" on the Fabia II with 1.2 HTP is a "very average" result.

Thirdly, the reliability of motors assembled before 2006 was at a very low level. Ignition coils, chain and burnt valves brought notoriety. After refinement, the chain and block head became stronger.

The R3 1.2 HTP engine was installed in the "B segment" cars of the Volkswagen group: Skoda Fabia, Seat Ibiza and VW Polo.

Opel 1.0

This is the first three-cylinder that appeared in small German cars. He made his debut in 1997 under the hood Opel Corsa B. The engine was designated X10XE. Unfortunately, vibrations, low power (54 hp) and weak dynamics not allowed to collect flattering reviews. We also had to deal with quality issues. The most serious drawback was the timing chain, which quickly stretched and sometimes broke. In addition, oil leaks were observed, and electronics failed.

The first upgrade was carried out in 2000. The result is increased performance (58 hp) and durability. Updated engine received the Z10XE marking. But the situation changed dramatically only in 2003 after the release of the 60-horsepower version of X10XEP (Twinport). According to mechanics, the quality has improved significantly, and the number of problems has significantly decreased. The dynamics have also improved. Average consumption fuel was about 5.5 l / 100 km. In 2010, a 65-horsepower version of the engine appeared, and later - a 75-horsepower version.

The 1-litre Opel engine was used in the Agila and Corsa.

Volkswagen 1.2 TDI PD and1.4 TDI PD

Both are small diesel units with pump nozzles appeared in 1999. The youngest disappeared from the list of proposals after a few years, while 1.4 was produced until 2010. The 1.4-liter unit can be found in the VW Group models: Audi A2, VW Lupo, Polo, Seat Ibiza/Cordoba and Skoda Fabia.

Causes doubts and durability. Problems appear after 150-180 thousand km. Most often, the turbocharger fails and fuel pump high pressure and sometimes the electronics fail. But the most serious drawback is a critical increase in the axial clearance of the crankshaft. Dismantling and grinding are little justified due to imbalance.

Smart 0.6-1.1

The 0.6-liter R3 Smart debuted in 1998. The engine was offered in two power options: 45 and 55 hp. A year later, a diesel R3 appeared - 0.8 CDI 41 hp, and later - a gasoline R3 with a volume of 0.7 liters. Unfortunately, it soon became clear that the unit requires overhaul after a relatively short run.

The 1.1-liter deserves higher marks gasoline engine, which has been used since 2004 in Smart Forfour And Mitsubishi Colt. Later, the assortment was replenished with a 3-cylinder diesel engine with a volume of 1.5 liters. It is worth noting that diesel engines more expensive to maintain and repair.

Conclusion

Don't fool yourself. Three-cylinder engines are designed not only to burn less fuel(although in reality this does not always work out), but above all, in order to reduce production costs. Such power units are really cheaper to manufacture. Remember that R3 engines are not long-lived, and a mileage of about 200-250 thousand km leaves a serious imprint on the technical condition.

Automotive engineers decided technical problems that were persecuted in the 80s and early 90s. But even with new technologies and the introduction of turbines, three-cylinder power units may need more for a long time to become more popular.

Three-cylinder engines will experience a tangible problem precisely on American market, where cars with big amount cylinders. How buyers will appreciate these new cars that will be equipped with small power units, time will tell, but in any case, as we think, the path of these motors will not be easy.

For example, in the United States 25 years ago, cars from such car brands as Geo Metro, Subaru Justy and Daihatsu Charade were sold, which were equipped with three-cylinder engines. of that time did not allow these engines to be fully efficient. For example, the 1.0-liter engine that was installed in the Charade car (sold in the US from 1988 to 1992) had a power of only 53 hp. In order to disperse this small car up to 100 km / h he needed 15 seconds. The only plus here is the fuel economy, which in combined mode was required to travel 100 km, the consumption was approximately 6.2 liters.

Now, as an example, let's take the new modern car, for example, - 2014, which is equipped with a three-cylinder engine. The difference in technology here is obvious. You can immediately see how technology has advanced in 25 years. The Fiesta SFE has the same 1.0 liter engine as the Charade but has 123 hp. Its fuel consumption per 100 km is less than 5.2 liters. It is also worth noting that the Fiesta car weighs 360 kg more than its progenitor, and accelerates from 0 to 100 km / h faster, in just 8 seconds.

Here is another car as an example. This bmw car 2014 Mini Cooper, which is powered by a 1.5-liter three-cylinder turbo. This powertrain produces more power than a 1.6-liter four-cylinder engine. Also, a car equipped with a three-cylinder engine accelerates to 100 km / h 2.3 seconds faster than its predecessor and consumes much less fuel (5.9 liters per 100 km).

It's worth pointing out right off the bat that companies like Ford, and other automakers along the way, have been ignoring three-cylinder engines for a long time, all because of their straightforward reputation. Instead of this, automotive companies for a long time they focused on and. But the limit of technology was already close. Companies realized for themselves that without reducing the number of cylinders in the engine, it would not be possible to reduce fuel consumption.

Companies have also decided to reduce the number of cylinders in their machines.

Recall that the new three-cylinder engines have appeared on the Ford Fiesta model since the beginning of this year. According to the same automaker, it is known that the share of sales of cars with three-cylinder engines today is from 6 to 8 percent, which is a good indicator for the first time. The auto company expects that the popularity of three- cylinder engines will constantly grow and sales of cars equipped with these power units will grow by an order of magnitude.

Does size matter?

BMW manufactures its motorcycles with more, which today are placed under the hoods of Mini-Cooper cars. You can buy the same lawnmower but with more powerful engine than, for example, in Mitsubishi car Mirage.

Automakers began to use these three-cylinder engines in the first place, which certainly improved the handling and braking of the car. In addition, three-cylinder engines contain 20 percent fewer parts than the same four-cylinder engines. And since small engines are very compact in size, it improves the car in a crash. Free space under the hood due to a three-cylinder engine with head-on collision it with an obstacle, significantly reduces the risk of the latter moving into the passenger compartment of the car.

But main reason why automakers have turned their attention to three-cylinder engines, it is natural economy, that is, a significant reduction in fuel consumption with less investment in the production of building a car. And without any loss of power and torque for the engine itself.

Yes, the advantage of three-cylinder engines is undeniable. But now the question arises, how will consumers themselves perceive these power units. After all, the future of three-cylinder engines will depend on them.

And the thing is the following. Everything will depend on the perception of the buyers of the cars themselves. For example, if the engine runs rough, i.e. will be observed strong vibration on idling and the motor will not differ in special power, then naturally, consumers will immediately feel that the engine in the car is working unreliably poorly and will not want to buy such a car. But, if this motor will run smoothly and reliably enough and it will feel a certain strength and power, then buyers will not even pay attention to the fact that this car equipped with just a three-cylinder small engine.

For example, what the manager of the BMW car company (Mini division) told us. Buyers of Mini cars choosing this brand of cars are guided by three factors, namely, the design, power and economy of the car. Unfortunately, we must note that last generation Mini cars somewhat disappointed many fans of this brand of cars, as it consumes 6.2 liters of fuel in mixed mode per 100 km of run. Consumers, on the other hand, expected much more from these Mini cars, as everyone believed that such small car should consume much less fuel than it consumes. Therefore, the company made the only correct decision for today, to equip Mini cars with 1.5 liter three-cylinder engines that will consume in combined cycle work only 5.6 liters per 100 kilometers.

The only Mini to date to retain four-cylinder engines is the Cooper S.

According to BMW, a huge number of people who come to showrooms around the world today are looking for cars with low fuel consumption and low cost of ownership. To my deepest regret, bmw cars and Mini do not always and do not fully satisfy the demand of customers, and because of this, the Bavarian company loses many customers for itself, who today go to competitors who offer more economical cars By reasonable prices and cheaper maintenance.

Today BMW company works in this direction, trying to reduce the fuel consumption of many models of cars, with a significant reduction in the cost of their ownership.

"Sometimes we lose customers who go to competitors who have better fuel economy cars. I think we'll be more successful in the near future and be able to offer people what they're looking for."

Patrick McKenna
Mini

Advances in technology in the production of three-cylinder engines have made it possible to make engines reliable and of high quality, they work smoothly and quietly, just like four-cylinder engines. And this despite the fact that an odd number of cylinders in the engine complicates their technology.

The thing is that it is very difficult to balance the work of a three-cylinder engine, where two pistons move up at the same time, and the third moves down.

For example, let's take the Ford company, it solved the problem of unbalancing three-cylinder engines in this way. Ford's patented technology does the following, redirects the received energy from imbalance using the flywheel and front pulley, but BMW, Mitsubishi and General Motors use the technology of balancing the shafts that are installed in the engine. They rotate in the opposite direction from the rotation of the crankshaft, thereby removing the imbalance vibration.

The auto company GM offers its three-cylinder engine installed on the new model. This model should meet the expectation of customers who want to have a stylish, economical and powerful car small size.

BMW, in addition to Mini cars, uses its 1.5-liter three-cylinder engine on the new i8 hybrid model. This may be due to the increase in demand for hybrid cars. In the future, this engine will be installed in other less expensive hybrids.

Toyota last month announced the release of the new 1.0 family liter engines with three cylinders. But these motors will not be used on all models of the Japanese car brand.

Despite the widespread use of three-cylinder engines, experts do not predict their huge growth in popularity for a few more years. Yes, of course, sales of cars with three-cylinder engines will increase, but not so much that it can be said that they will completely displace four-cylinder power units from the market.

Economy and availability

Unlike traditional engines without a turbocharger, three-cylinder turbocharged engines have a number of advantages. The maximum torque is achieved with them at much lower speeds. And yet, turbocharged engines are much more efficient in terms of fuel consumption if the driver prefers a sporty driving style.

Of course, fuel economy in turbocharged engines varies depending on the style of driving, on the geographical factors of the area where the car is used, and of course on the type of car model.

The truth here is to note that a greater number of cars with three-cylinder turbo engines do not generate their maximum torque while the turbocharger is running. This is the only downside.

That's why Mitsubishi decided to equip its Mirage with a turbocharged three-cylinder engine so that the driver can make the most of the torque. But no one has yet repealed the laws of physics. The more powerful and stronger car the more fuel consumption it has. Engineers Japanese company decided to bet on reducing the weight of the car itself, all to reduce fuel consumption. For example, a Mirage car up to 100 km / h on a three-cylinder engine in 11.0 seconds.

As the managers say Mitsubishi that in the production of the Mirage car, the emphasis was not on increasing the power of the car, but on reducing the curb weight of the car, which thereby made it possible to reduce fuel consumption to 5.9 liters per 100 km in combined mode.

If, in fact, three-cylinder engines are actually capable of providing significant fuel savings without loss of power, and if they work like four-cylinder engines, then three-cylinder engines will sooner or later displace four-cylinder power units from the car market.

True, it should be noted that many of the car models equipped with three-cylinder engines are still lacking, with certain situations on the road, the required power, so drivers are forced to increase engine speed at such moments, which naturally affects the final fuel consumption. Therefore, it is premature to say that the future belongs to 3-cylinder engines.

BMW B38 engine- 3-cylinder petrol engine, which stands out for its exceptional efficiency and high performance. B38 is the latest milestone in the process evolutionary development and improvement of BMW gasoline powertrains and is part of the new generation of B-series engines.

Main BMW features B38:

• compact design;
• power;
• ease;
• profitability;

The B38 engine is mechanically similar to the engine, but in architecture it is similar to the diesel B37.

The BMW B38 engine is equipped with technology TwinPower Turbo, 4 valves per cylinder, twin-scroll turbocharger, direct injection High Precision Direct Petrol Injection fuel, variable valve timing, Valvetronic system, balanced shaft, special vibration damper, and CO2 emissions comply with the EU6 standard.

The compression ratio of the B38 engine is 11: 1, and this is more than in. The volume of each cylinder is up to 500 cc, power from 75 to 230 hp, and torque from 150 to 320 Nm, and it is worth noting that this engine is also 5-15% more economical than 4-cylinder ones.

In 2014 at the year at the International Competition ", bmw motor The B38 took second place, behind the BMW/PSA engine, in the 1.4 to 1.8 liter category.

Video about the BMW B38 engine

B38A12U0

This motor model is available in two versions: 75-102-horsepower and is installed exclusively on the 5-door F55 (from 10/2014) and the 3-door F56 (from 03/2014).

B38B15A

B38A15M0

This motor variation is installed on F20 and , / , () , () and MINI F56 (from 03/2014) and F55 (from 10/2014).

B38K15T0

This 3 cylinder Gas engine TwinPower Turbo was created from previous versions B38 and developed as part of the BMW EfficientDynamics strategy, combining all the advantages that you can expect from a powertrain for.

dynamics and high level performance is accompanied by outstanding efficiency, and is demonstrated by an average fuel consumption of 2.1 l / 100 km.

Changes in B38K15T0 in relation to previous B38 motors:

• the crankcase has been adapted for front-mounted coolant pump installation. This was necessary to save space for the generator. high voltage and air intake systems requiring more space;
• main bearing diameters and connecting rod bearings was increased to 50 mm;
• the cylinder head is produced in gravity casting, and as a result, it has a high density and high stability;
• shaft diameter exhaust valves was increased to 6 mm. This valve prevents vibrations that could occur due to the high pressure of the supercharger with the shut-off valve;
• the oil pump is lighter by 1 kg;
• stabilizer roll stability located on the front side of the oil sump;
• new belt drive. The engine is started by a high voltage generator. Conventional starter gears are not installed;
• bearings drive shaft in the housing of the mechanical cooling pump system have been strengthened by greater force in the belt drive;
• the air conditioning compressor in the belt drive is also not installed;
• new belt tensioners;
• the drive belt has been widened from six to eight ribs;
• adapted damper torsional vibrations when the pulley is off;
• first use of a water-cooled throttle body;
• charge air cooling is carried out using indirect air coolers, which are built into the intake system;
• the turbine housing of the exhaust turbocharger was integrated into the steel manifold;
• charging pressure up to 1.5 bar is achieved with a modified variable geometry turbine and controlled by an electric unloader valve;
• the turbocharger is cooled through the bearing housing;

Specifications BMW B38

(motor parameters)	B38A12U0	B38A12U0	B38B15A	B38A15M0	B38K15T0
Valves per cylinder	4	4	4	4	4
Volume, cc	1198	1198	1499	1499	1499
HP power (kW)/rpm	75 (55)/4000	102 (75)/4250	109 (80)/4500	136 (100)/4500)	231 (170)/5800
Torque Nm/rpm	150/1400	180/1400	180/1350	220/1250	320/3700
Compression ratio, :1	10,2	11	11	11	9,5
Bore/Stroke, mm	78/83,6	78/83,6	82/94,6	82/94,6	82/94,6
Average fuel consumption, l/100 km	5,0-5,2	4,8	4,7-5,3	—	2,1
CO2 emissions, g/km	117-122	109-114	109-126	107-112	49
Emission standards exhaust gases	EU6	EU6	EU6	EU6	EU6
Engine management	—	—	MEVD 17.2.3	MEVD 17.2.3	DME 17.2.3