24 cylinder Diesel with 12 blowers!

[Powder Extreme]

3,424hp Detroit 24 cylinder with 12 blowers. That oughta be just about enough!

Video: Ever seen a V24 diesel rock the dyno? — Autoblog

 

[DAN V]

Holy crap

That thing is amazing. So much chrome and the blowers are awesome. I would love to see the semi that thing goes into!

 

[JApol]

that much power and no smoke? Thats also impresssive.

 

[sabersix]

that much power and no smoke? Thats also impresssive.

He said that the engine is running on nitrous in the video. Is it still a diesel engine?!?

 

[RHestand]

He said that the engine is running on nitrous in the video. Is it still a diesel engine?!?

Yes. Nitrous oxide can be injected for add. HP/TORQUE as needed in conventional diesel engines.

My question is about the 12 blowers on the 24/71 Detroit two stroke diesel.

Correct me if I'm wrong, but from what I understand the blowers on a two stroke diesel (TSD) are only for scavenging the exhaust and do not add any boosted air to the cylinders. My questions are, how many blowers were on the stock 24/71, and is he making the additional HP by nitrous alone or did they figure out a way to make the blowers also add boosted air?

I'm pretty sure towards the end of production of the Detroit TSD they started adding turbo chargers, and I don't know how that worked.

Over the years I've read some very informative info. from diesel mechanics about TSDs on this site, so if you would, chime in.

TIA, Ray

 

[Diesel Dummie]

All the 2 stroke detroits with exception of the early, early ones had a blower, to compress the air, depending on the cubes of the engine and the cylinders(8v71,8v92,4v53) determined the number of blowers, the usual configuration is one blower per 4 cylinders, but some had one large blower or two smaller ones all depends, most v8's had the one large one and the V12's had two of the large ones. The blowers big worked much better than a turbo on the two strokes because of the rpm they turned to make power, the later years of the two strokes had both blowers and turbos, single or twin turbos feediing the blower(s). The later years made the most power but still were noise makers, the Silver 92 was the most powerful on highway engine they made, until the electronic years.

 

[Powder Extreme]

Ya, the blowers compress the air and force it thru. They need the gear driven blowers to get the whole process started. If it was possible to do so, once you start the motor using the blower and get it running, you could remove the blower and just run off of a turbocharger, but obviously that isn't feasible.

My Dad had a '75 Kenworth with a V-12 Detroit Diesel, twin supercharged and twin turbocharged. It put down 750hp to the rear wheels on a dyno. At that time it was highest verified horsepower truck in the NW. However, it would pass everything but a fuel station. 3. 5 mpg grossing 90,000lbs. He'd seen as low as 2. 5mpg but he was racing a Greyhound bus.

 

[rscurtis]

That engine could be capable of that much power, but not on that run. It didn't even break 1800 RPM IMO, and not for any length of time. If it was running at rated power in that video, you wouldn't want to be any where near it.



The reason for the 12 blowers is for show. Notice how they are slowed down to probably half or less of engine speed. Normally, Detroit blowers run at over twice engine speed.



As PE said, it could run without the blowers using turbo's instead. EMD 645 and 710 locomotive engines use that set-up, using an overrunning clutch to turn the turbo until the exhaust can take over. Coincidentally, they were both designed by Charles Kettering in the 1930's, the same guy that brought you the electric starter and the battery-coil ignition system.



AFAIK, Detroit never made a 24V-71, the biggest was a 12-71. This was probably a "Big Mike" creation, as he obviously has the means to do it. On the other end of the spectrum was the 1-71, a very rare and collectible engine from the late '30's.

 

[RHestand]

Ya, the blowers compress the air and force it thru. They need the gear driven blowers to get the whole process started. If it was possible to do so, once you start the motor using the blower and get it running, you could remove the blower and just run off of a turbocharger, but obviously that isn't feasible.



My Dad had a '75 Kenworth with a V-12 Detroit Diesel, twin supercharged and twin turbocharged. It put down 750hp to the rear wheels on a dyno. At that time it was highest verified horsepower truck in the NW. However, it would pass everything but a fuel station. 3. 5 mpg grossing 90,000lbs. He'd seen as low as 2. 5mpg but he was racing a Greyhound bus.

RE: Run off the turbocharger.

Two years ago at the(WI) EEA Oshkosh Fly In one of the vendors had on display an all alum. , 4cyl. horiz. opposed ported two stroke turbocharged diesel aircraft engine with no visible blower. They had one eng. on a display stand and another in a small four place private airplane. I think they flew it in there.

Anyway, unfortunately the vendor's tech wasn't there to answer my questions but I did spend some time looking it over while waiting for him to show up. (He didn't. )

I'm pretty much guessing, but I think they got it started by spinning the turbo electrically until the engine fired.

I'll be going back this year and maybe I can get some of my questions answered.

 

[RustyJC]

Large industrial pure turbocharged 2-cycle engines no longer use blowers. They obtain the scavenging air needed for startup by spinning the turbocharger through external means - these include compressed air (jet assist), a mechanical link to the turbo with overrunning clutch, etc. The electric assist you describe would fall under this category.



Once loaded and self-sustaining, scavenging air is provided by the turbocharger operating in conventional mode. This scavenging air can be supercharged (i. e. , compression can start in the cylinder with air above atmospheric pressure) because of the restriction provided by the turbocharger nozzle ring/turbine housing on the exhaust side.



Rusty

 

[Powder Extreme]

Well there ya go! I remember thinking when I was younger about how the supers on Dad's truck were such a waste, I was trying to devise some way of storing compressed air in an on board tank to start it and get rid of the supers. But, if that tank or the piping had some sort of a leak, there you sit, unable to start the truck.

Should have known somebody would have came up with it by now.

 

[RHestand]

Thanks Rusty, that's great information.
To sum up my posts, I'll have to say "I miss the sound of hearing all of the old two stroke Detroits. I know they were oily, messy engines W/O a lot of torque, but their unique sound, esp. when rowing through the gears will always be music to my (Hard of hearing) ears. That along with the sound of the old WW-II war birds like the V/12 in the P-51 Mustang and the 9, 14, 18, 27 cyl. radial engines used in a wide variety of the early aircraft. My family thinks I'm a little nutty when I hear one flying overhead, I jump up and run outside to see if I can get a glimpse of it.
Ray

 

[RustyJC]

Yep, the 2-stroke Detroits were probably the best engines in the world if measured by their ability to convert diesel fuel into smoke and noise! :-laf



Rusty

 

[Powder Extreme]

A big ole Detroit with straight pipes downshifting thru the gears with the jake on still brings a school boy grin to my face! Best sound in the world!