The paper describes a continuously variable poppet valve actuation system which may be applied to internal combustion engines to render the valve motion controllable while the engine is running. The first phase of a programme to develop the device is described. The results of a rigid-body dynamic analysis are presented followed by a dynamic simulation of the mechanism using a proprietary finite element program. These give an insight into its operation and clarify some of the problems to be solved if the device is to be successfully applied.

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