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01-19-2007, 12:00 PM

Ryan Cousineau writes:

>>>>> But how about this concept:

http://www.starrotor.com/Engine.htm

>>>> After gazing at hundreds of "miracle engine" articles over the
>>>> years, I've decided to ignore any reports that don't include tests
>>>> of working models. The only one of those hundreds of designs that
>>>> gained any traction was the Wankel, and it didn't set the world on
>>>> fire.

>> Essentially one spark plug for multiple rotating combustion chambers
>> is what kills it. At the spark plug, temperatures in the 1000's degF
>> occur if the engine has any reasonable efficiency, while the intake
>> zone is below freezing (carburetor icing). Both areas remain a steady
>> state.

>> It's the reciprocation that makes it work. We use aluminum pistons in
>> a mundane engine block with steel valves that see temperatures from
>> freezing to flaming in one cycle. The average temperature when seen
>> through a boundary layer of gas is mundane. Meanwhile the Wankel
>> burns up! To make it work, compression had to be low giving poor
>> performance, requiring higher engine speed to make up for that poor
>> performance. The result is a short lived machine with poor fuel
>> economy.

>> The Wankel is dead!

> E pur si muove:

I don't understand your comment, "and also one moves"?

http://www.mazda.co.uk/Showroom/RX-8/

It will remain as a boutique experiment and appeal to those who seek to
be different. As a useful engine, it is dead for the reasons cited.
It has not made any advances in IC propulsion and remains a problem
that has not been solved.

Jobst Brandt

01-19-2007, 12:00 PM	#46 (permalink)
jobst.brandt@stanfordalumni.org Guest Posts: n/a	Re: OT Interesting video Ryan Cousineau writes: >>>>> But how about this concept: http://www.starrotor.com/Engine.htm >>>> After gazing at hundreds of "miracle engine" articles over the >>>> years, I've decided to ignore any reports that don't include tests >>>> of working models. The only one of those hundreds of designs that >>>> gained any traction was the Wankel, and it didn't set the world on >>>> fire. >> Essentially one spark plug for multiple rotating combustion chambers >> is what kills it. At the spark plug, temperatures in the 1000's degF >> occur if the engine has any reasonable efficiency, while the intake >> zone is below freezing (carburetor icing). Both areas remain a steady >> state. >> It's the reciprocation that makes it work. We use aluminum pistons in >> a mundane engine block with steel valves that see temperatures from >> freezing to flaming in one cycle. The average temperature when seen >> through a boundary layer of gas is mundane. Meanwhile the Wankel >> burns up! To make it work, compression had to be low giving poor >> performance, requiring higher engine speed to make up for that poor >> performance. The result is a short lived machine with poor fuel >> economy. >> The Wankel is dead! > E pur si muove: I don't understand your comment, "and also one moves"? http://www.mazda.co.uk/Showroom/RX-8/ It will remain as a boutique experiment and appeal to those who seek to be different. As a useful engine, it is dead for the reasons cited. It has not made any advances in IC propulsion and remains a problem that has not been solved. Jobst Brandt