Scrapbook of Experimental Rotary Engines
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This is a follow-up to my previous Experimental Rotary ICEs video. It shows the family tree & close-ups of the prototypes that haven't been cannibalized for spare parts. The earliest sketches for some of these models date back to the early '80s. Work has been carried out since then whenever time & $ permits. Thousands of man-hours later & with the benefit of hindsight, many of these designs are admittedly naive. However, they were a necessary part of the learning process. The work continues & the current designs are more refined.The latest model produces 1/5 horsepower on the dynamometer & it does so without requiring any lubrication, or a cooling system. Performance should improve with the next generation seals. Some models have been dry run (no combustion) for months at a time without any problems. The wear properties of graphite-on-polished-steel are truly unbelievable! The advantages of being able to modulate the vane engagement (for ganging up & throttle control) is very noteworthy.Three new designs are currently on the drawing board. One uses a single rotor & 2 vanes to compress & burn the charge. In another version, the vanes pivot rather than slide. A third design uses graphite lined metal rotors & vanes. The purpose of this program is to develop more fuel efficient engines. These videos are intended to inspire & motivate interested parties into building their own prototypes for the benefit of all. -Dave
Channel: Autos & Vehicles
Uploaded: December 31, 1969 at 5:59 pm
Author: RotaryICEman
Length: 06:39
Rating: 4.81
Views: 21135
Tags: alternative biodiesel combustion efficient energy engine experimental fuel gasoline hybrid hydrogen internal oil rotary
Video Comments
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RotaryICEman (December 31, 1969 at 5:59 pm)
Lubrication is not the only issue, but mitigating friction & wear is certainly the biggest issue that's holding back most rotary engine designs. I did experiment with some of the techniques that are used in air bearings as you mentioned, but they require great precision, cleanliness & mechanical stability. A big design challenge & a difference between air engines & ICEs is the large temperature changes & material issues (such as expansion) that arise from this.
RotaryICEman (December 31, 1969 at 5:59 pm)
Many are developing air motors & most are much further along than I could ever be; I'm just a guy in a garage. I feel that a more efficient ICE is more urgently needed. It's a more difficult task than developing air motors. Keep in mind that compressed air is not really a source of energy but rather a means of storing energy like a battery. In all likelyhood, the air will be compressed (not very efficiently) with energy that ultimately comes from burning some sort of fuel.
JakesArnoose (December 31, 1969 at 5:59 pm)
One more question. If model 15 ran well like you say, and the only issue was lubrication, would it still need lubrication if it were just an air engine? Could the air serve as a form of lubricant - like a tiny pocket of air slipping through the seals? Thanks
JakesArnoose (December 31, 1969 at 5:59 pm)
Thank you for your feedback. Very helpful. I really enjoy watching your videos. In light of the current energy/fuel crisis and global warming have you considered focusing your knowledge and skills towards a non combustion engine? All your designs would work so well with compressed air!!!
RotaryICEman (December 31, 1969 at 5:59 pm)
(continued) I did allot of testing using compressed air & it would be a very good design for pumps & air engines. There are springs between the 2 vanes pushing them outwards. Note that this region becomes a varying volume as it rotates & that it could be made much larger, opening up the possibility for a number of other interesting uses. Good luck with your design.
RotaryICEman (December 31, 1969 at 5:59 pm)
Model 15 is based on the old, classical, rotary vane architecture which is used in so many pumps. I later switched from internal to external vanes so that I could modulate vane engagement & so that I could replace the vanes & seals without a complete engine teardown. It was built out of steel, brass, bronze, and aluminum (before I adopted graphite) so it required 2-stroke fuel. It was a simple, quiet, smooth running design, but lubrication was a problem. (continued)
JakesArnoose (December 31, 1969 at 5:59 pm)
Hi RotaryICEman. Could you please tell me a bit more about model 15? Success? Failure? I am currently building a compressed air version of this principle.
RotaryICEman (December 31, 1969 at 5:59 pm)
I've abandoned Plexiglas & Lexan because plate glass is more stable & rigid. I've tested plastic, glass & metal covers with both graphite & metal rotors. The seals are spring-loaded graphite inserts. Only they contact the glass cover. They seal well (without a drop of oil!), but they don't wear very well, especially the corners. Any dust, or grit in the air can cause severe seal damage! Most people mix oil with the fuel which helps allot, but it's a dead-end solution.
justinbimmerman (December 31, 1969 at 5:59 pm)
Stupid question but how are you makeing a seal between the rotor and the lexan? Is it just tight tolerance?
RotaryICEman (December 31, 1969 at 5:59 pm)
I agree that things would progress much faster with a coordinated effort, but I've tried in the past, without success. It's very difficult to reach consensus among a group of people with different agendas, skill levels, etc. I think that the best that we can do is to share our ideas & test results, etc. in forums such as these. You should mention your design in my 'Model 32' video which gets the most viewership & also on the 'Open_RotaryEngine' group. |