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Date: Wed, 11 Apr 2012 12:58:32 -0400
From: Ernest Christley <echristley@att.net>
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To: Rotary motors in aircraft <flyrotary@lancaironline.net>
Subject: Re: [FlyRotary] Re: The 16X is A L I V E ! ! ! !
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So, I'm sitting here thinking about this, instead of thinking about the work that my employer pays for...but I can't
help myself.

I think it would be a worthwhile investigation to have an ignition laser positioned at the point in the rotor housing
where the leading apex seal would be when it is time to ignite the laser, and for it to run continuously.  As the
leading apex seal passes the lens, the mixture directly next to the seal would be set off first, pushing the mixture
away from the leading quench zone.  Ignition energy continues to be added to the chamber as the rotor flies past,
ensuring even the leanest of mixtures burn as completely as possible.  Finally, as the trailing seal approaches and the
exhaust port begins to open, the ignition laser is still firing as the trailing quench zone expands. That last bit of
mixture finally ignites, expands, and helps to clear the chamber.

I sit here in a haze of ruminations, knowing that flame propagations in an engine cylinder are some of the most
difficult of problems faced in the area of fluid dynamics, and that my prognostications are worth the bits that they're
written with.  But, I cannot see any engine design benefiting more from a laser ignition system than a rotary.  An
ignition line, vs an ignition point, could offer a slight benefit to a piston chamber's geometry, but I can't help but
to believe that it would be a total game changer for the rotary, since it promises to solve the single biggest
disadvantages of the whole concept.


Dwayne Parkinson wrote:
> Tremendous airplane engine indeed.  Why they bother putting them in a
> car is a complete mystery :)  
> 
> ------------------------------------------------------------------------
> *From:* Ernest Christley <echristley@att.net>
> *To:* Rotary motors in aircraft <flyrotary@lancaironline.net>
> *Sent:* Wednesday, April 11, 2012 10:07 AM
> *Subject:* [FlyRotary] Re: The 16X is A L I V E ! ! ! !
> 
> Dwayne Parkinson wrote:
>> I guess laser ignition eliminates the chance for fouled plugs, but I
>> wonder what other monsters lurk beneath the surface.  It's got to be
>> tough to keep a laser that's exposed to the harsh environment inside a
>> rotary engine in working order, but that's a challenge for the smart
>> people at Mazda.  Hopefully they can release the engine (oh, and I
>> suppose a car too if they really feel the need) this year.  Maybe at the
>> Tokyo Auto Show.
> 
> I can't see how the laser would ever get dirty.  The entrance to the
> combustion chamber would be covered by a lens.
> There would be no need for the plug hole that allows conveyance between
> chambers, and the apex seals would continuously
> be wiping it clean.  The electronics would all be solid state, and the
> only requirement would be proper cooling.
> Designing for high temps is old hat, but a little more expensive than
> what you find in consumer electronics.  Only a
> couple would be required per engine, and if designed properly, would
> never need replacing.  Best of all, the laser could
> be situated so that it shot a beam from one end of the chamber to other
> or across the chamber, igniting a flame front
> that is a line instead of a point source.  This offers the possibility
> of creating the swirl to get at the fuel that is
> hiding in those crevices next to the apex seals.  Get that to burn and
> the power and fuel efficiency goes up, exhaust
> heat and noise go down, and it becomes an even better airplane engine.
> 
> --
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