"Champagne Engine" by Obrist: Two-cylinder with smoother operation than a twelve-cylinder engine

A compact two-cylinder motor in a car that runs more smoothly than a twelve-cylinder, the benchmark for smooth running in combustion engines: This invention is presented by the German-Austrian industrial group Obrist. The company likes to demonstrate the "Zero Vibration Generator" (ZVG) mini-engine with a filled champagne glass placed on top of it, because at no point does the noble liquid show any sign of movement when the two-cylinder is running. The "champagne engine" is used in the Hyper-Hybrid concept promoted by the group.

Mini-engine as a power source

The "trick" here: The mini-engine is not connected to the car's drivetrain at all, but serves exclusively for power generation and supplies an electric motor that drives the vehicle via a compact buffer battery.

"Hyper-Hybrid combines the advantages of electromobility with the simplicity of the familiar refueling process and thus solves the question of range inevitably associated with electric cars," explains Frank Obrist, who has been developing the Hyper-Hybrid concept with his team since 2011.

Because the car runs on conventional fuel (gasoline or e-fuels) from any gas station. According to the company, consumption is very low at around 1.5 l/100 km, and the range without refueling or charging is more than 1,000 km. Therefore, unlike purely electric vehicles, no new charging infrastructure is needed for this hybrid. Additionally, the large and heavy battery packs that are otherwise necessary in electric cars are eliminated.

Zero-Vibration Generator and Buffer Battery as Core Components

Since the 45 kW powerful and 110 kg lightweight "Champagne Engine" serves only to charge the car's buffer battery when needed and – if necessary – to supply power to the air conditioning, it does not need to rev up like a conventional car engine but runs, if at all, always in the optimal rpm range. The design principle of the engine is deliberately simple: Technically, it is a naturally aspirated engine with multi-channel injection and 1 liter displacement. The variable valve control typical of drive engines is omitted.

The two crankshafts work in opposite directions, so any vibration is eliminated. A rubber-damped gearbox on the second crankshaft minimizes noise generated by the transmission. An integrated flywheel compensates for all inertia of the rotating parts, including external forces outside the engine, including the oil system with the oil pump. As a result, and through complete encapsulation in a soundproof box about the size of a shoebox, the engine operates virtually silently and vibration-free.

Besides the "Champagne Engine", the buffer battery represents a second core component of the Hyper-Hybrid concept. The compact battery pack consists of two layers of cylindric cells arranged on top of each other in a vacuum maintained by a pump integrated into the battery. A 2 cm thick insulation layer ensures favorable temperature conditions. The entire mini-battery weighs only 98 kg, around 85% less than the battery pack in a Tesla Model Y, for example. Nevertheless, it gives the Hyper-Hybrid a purely electric range of over 80 km with its 17.3 kWh; enough for 90% of all daily journeys.

Climate-Positive Approach

The Obrist Group describes their concept as market-ready and rates it as an alternative to purely battery-electric mobility. While the Champagne Engine installed in the car does produce carbon dioxide when running on gasoline, it generates very little due to its low consumption. In return, the so-called CO₂ backpack of conventional electric cars, which results from the production of large battery packs, is almost completely eliminated in the Hyper-Hybrid. If the engine runs on sustainably produced e-fuels, the CO₂ balance can even be reversed: when producing the synthetic fuel, more carbon dioxide can be extracted from the atmosphere than is emitted during the subsequent combustion in the miniature engine. The Obrist Group speaks of a "CO₂-negative" or "climate-positive" approach.