Lynn,
Do you have one of those Dyno sheets that starts at a lower rpm? Say below 4 or 5K? I mentioned the other day that if we don’t have the rpms we don’t have the horsepower. I would like to see what the HP looks like at the lower rpms. The torque is pretty flat for the rotary so we would have the same torque throughout the range. (at the prop times the PSRU ratio).
Bill B
From: Rotary motors in aircraft [mailto:flyrotary@lancaironline.net] On Behalf Of Lynn Hanover
Sent: Thursday, March 18, 2010 9:12 AM
To: Rotary motors in aircraft
Subject: [FlyRotary] Adaptor plate rivets
The rotary has poor torque output. It has three built in flywheels. The crank and two nearly 10 pound rotors, the longer crank and three for a three rotor. The engine cannot put a higher torque load into the adaptor plate than it can manufacture, plus inertial loading peaks. Minimal for a two or three rotor, profound for a single rotor.
Every clutch pack I have disassembled so far has those radial paths marked out in oily filth. It has never indicated a failing rivet. It is a glimpse into the world of crankcase breathing gasses showing up everywhere near any engine running at high power settings. Even real 1929 designs from Lycoming and Continental.
The disc is one element from a Tesla turbine, made more effective by the rivet heads and bolt heads and such. So, it produces a hurricane force wind on both sides of the disc that circulates in a kind of a donut shape. Dirt and dust from the ground, even safety wire clippings will be picked up by this wind, and in some cases will be expelled at such a velocity that over time, the inside of any surface exposed to the disc will become roughened like sand paper.
So, a supply of oil and wire clippings are provided by you, the dust and filth by everyone else, the centrifugal flow provide the radial markings.
Shifting a dog ring transmission without the clutch produces higher inertial loadings than anything you will find in this adaptor plate. Clutch centers are riveted as well but only on a 3" circle. Never had a loose one since 1980.
Crankcase gasses contain unburnt fuel, (why the oil supply seems to increase with time) oil vapor, and a mixture of water and sulphur compounds that condense as sulfuric acid.
This stuff is explosive and needs to be delt with. Same for piston engines. Never weld or grind anything near an open breather tube catch tank or oil separator. The pitiful 1/8" tube stuck into the oil filler tube in the stock Mazda engine is fine for the street, so long as long runs at high power are not used. So probably you want a bigger breather tube to an oil separator, if you like, and then to a catch tank to keep this crap off of the floor or ramp. Or, some can be piped to the intake manifold as in the street car.
This re breathing of waste products does no damage (OK very little damage) and requires no nasty hose hanging out the bottom of the cowl.
I would check each rivet head for loose and clean off the disc and move on.
But I could be completely wrong..........