Alfa Romeo technological innovations

[Tubolare Zagato]

Could anyone make a "list" of technological innovations by Alfa Romeo over the years at racing and road cars? Thanks in advance!!!

[tome coelho]

I remember some, but I can investigate further...

The variable geometry Turbo was developed by Alfa Romeo and Avio on the 80's

The water part in competition was first used on the GTA SA, and invented by Carlo Chitti and then vulgarized (a small part of water mixed with gasoline to improve combustion by increasing Oxygen)

I believe that the Tipo 512, from 1940 with its central 12 boxer engine is a car 40 years in advanced. This configuration was only used again in the 80's. It was also the GP with the least stroke, 5.4mm

Also in design the Alfa Romeo advances had made the difference during the years, like the hidden rear door handle on the 156, now followed by the other constructors...

[ar1750gtv]

I'm not sure these were "firsts", but definately very early on production cars:

1. Rear Transaxel.

2. Variable Valve timing.

How many cars today have VVT?

[mtiso]

as far as VVT goes...
as far as I know:
BMW
Audi
VW
Porsche
Mercedes
Seat
Honda
Alfa
those I know for sure..... there might be many others though

[mtiso]

how about:

all aluminum engine block
water cooled sleeves
???

[JohnnyLunchBox]

"hemi" heads

dual overhead camshafts

5 speeds as opposed to the early ubiquitous 4 speeds

anyone....anyone?

[GianniB]

Check this out. Granted it's only for US patents from 1976 on, but interesting none the less...

[dretceterini]

the inventor of the hemispherical head was Roselli, the main engineer of the Bimotore, and who was in the aeronautical department for most of his time at Alfa

[conedriver]

"the inventor of the hemispherical head was Roselli, the main engineer of the Bimotore, and who was in the aeronautical department for most of his time at Alfa"


DRETCETERINI, I'm working from memory here, but wasn't the first use of the classic cross flow / hemi head / dual overhead cam layout on a 1913 Puegeot race car?. I was of the opionion that all later designs; Bugatti, Miller, etc were based on this. Did this preceed the Alfa aero work by Roselli?

[alfa_chan]

Nissan Pathfinder has the same design in the late 80s, early 90s??

Quote:

Originally Posted by tome coelho Also in design the Alfa Romeo advances had made the difference during the years, like the hidden rear door handle on the 156, now followed by the other constructors...

[dretceterini]

Roselli was the one to come up with domed, rather than flat top pitons and with the "curved" combusion chamber, circa 1905.

[alfaloco]

If you are fortunate enough to be able to talk to a WWII fighter pilot, he may tell you that certain high performance aircraft (e.g., the P-51 Mustang) had water injection technology for high altitude performance compensation.

Dave Jarman

[gtv2000]

Not only was water injection a common feature of WWII fighter engines (for instance, German Daimler-Benz engines on Messerschmitt used a methanol/water injection called MW50 - it did provide more oxygen at high altitude and allowed higher compression since water vaporization takes energy and thus temperature away from the air-fuel mix - see for instance http://w1.1861.telia.com/~u186104874/db605.htm , "Note on MW50" under the "performance chart"), but the GTA SA actually didn't use it. However, it's true that the system had been designed and experimented at Alfa on an earlier oil-pump supercharged engine, under responsability of Ing. Surace. It came back on the motorsport scene with F1 Turbos in the early 80s.

And indeed twin-overhead camshaft first appeared on the GP Peugeot designed by Henry in 1912. There was even there a precedent. I don't remember the name, but I have a picture of a huge (I mean 1.5 meter high!) boat engine from the very first years of the XXth century with DOHC!

The Alfa GP1914 not only had DOHC, but also 4-valves per cylinder AND twin-spark! You see what I mean...

Among the very innovations on production Alfas, one can spot the first alloy housing for final drive, on the 1900. When Alfa sent to Gleason in the US the 1900 diff case to have suitable gears fitted in, Gleason sent it back with accompanying letter saying" we are afraid you used the wrong metal for your final drive case", and Alfa had to insist they really intended to make it that way.

The other is indeed VVT, developped to cope with US emission laws without sacrifying the engine temperament. I would say first put into production in 1984, but that could as well be the first european-market application, with the first US model having been earlier. The US authorities calling Alfa to announce that at first try, the car was not eligible with the new norms, at the same time congratulated for having followed a way that didn't kill the original engine features.

On the racing scene, possibly was Jano the first to drive the (Roots type) supercharger with an intermediate gearing instead of directly from the crankshaft, back on the P2 in 1924. It allowed to adapt the supercharger speed to track requirement (er, a marginal improvement), but mostly it reduced losses and heating.

[othercarsaford]

I think wet sleeve internal combustion engines were around before Alfa started using them. For example, I know that Curtiss used wet sleeves in an aircraft engine as early as the end of WWI. Interestingly, Glenn Curtiss said he liked that design because of (a) its light weight, (b) its ability to operate at full throttle for long periods of time without overheating (i.e., in combat situations), and (c) it was infinitely rebuildable. However, its drawback was the expense associated with manufacturing the motor and its complicated design affecting its reliability. Sounds familiar, although I think our Alfa motors are very reliable as a design.

Also, diesel engines have utilized wet sleeves for decades.

[PSk]

Quote:

Originally Posted by tome coelho I believe that the Tipo 512, from 1940 with its central 12 boxer engine is a car 40 years in advanced. This configuration was only used again in the 80's. It was also the GP with the least stroke, 5.4mm