Mini driver

Researchers at Cambridge University are developing a 1mm- scale internal combustion engine that could be used to power miniature spy planes or ‘smart dust’, it is claimed.

The research is a joint project between the university’s Combustion Research Centre and the Centre for Micro-Engineering and Nanotechnology at Birmingham University.

The miniature combustion engine will have autoignition, with a compression engine that uses a pre-mixed mixture that ignites upon compression.

According to Prof Simone Hochgreb who is leading Cambridge’s side of the project, the technology would be similar in design to the much larger mini-engines that are used to power model aeroplanes. However, whereas mini-engines have a 1cm3 combustion chamber, the chamber for the new micro-engines would be no bigger than 1mm3 in volume.

Spy planes

‘One immediate application that comes to mind for the devices would be in tiny spy planes or smart dust,’ said Hochgreb.