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From: Chris Barber <cbarber@texasattorney.net>
To: Rotary motors in aircraft <flyrotary@lancaironline.net>
Subject: RE: [FlyRotary] Re: Engine cooling
Thread-Topic: [FlyRotary] Re: Engine cooling
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Date: Thu, 8 Mar 2012 20:51:37 +0000
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A data point, in his book "How to cool your Wankle" (great title....regardl=
ess of what you think of Paul), Paul recommends not using the thermostat an=
d relying on cowl flaps instead. I guess reducing air flow to the rad would=
 be similar.

Chris

________________________________________
From: Rotary motors in aircraft [flyrotary@lancaironline.net] on behalf of =
Ernest Christley [echristley@att.net]
Sent: Thursday, March 08, 2012 2:38 PM
To: Rotary motors in aircraft
Subject: [FlyRotary] Re: Engine cooling

Chris Barber wrote:
>
> Just some data points for discussion. PLEASE if you know some stuff that
> is rotary specific, or just wrong, CHIME IN!!
>
>
>
> Chris
>
> Houston
>
>
>
> Cooling Guidelines for V8 Engines in Aircraft
> by Bud Warren and Phyllis Ridings
>
> After much thought, Bud decided to install a thermostat in the LS1
> engine of the Ravin 500 to do some test flying. During cold weather the
> resulting engine temps have remained stable at 190=B0F at cruise, and
> near 200=B0F during climb out; just about what we see during the warm
> months of the year. This has corrected the check engine light coming on
> due to the engine remaining in warm up mode.

This approach makes me nervous.  It doesn't hit us much here in the souther=
n US, but things get colder as we move north.
 When it is freezing on the ground, it's very easy to get REALLY cold temps=
 at altitude.   If it is 0*F on the ground,
then the rule of thumb says that it will be -40* at altitude.

The problem described is that the engine isn't able to produce enough heat =
to warm the water with the amount of -40*F
air that is rushing through.  The prescription given is to force the water =
to stay in the engine longer.  This
necessarily means that the water will stay in the radiator longer. Now the =
thermostat opens even less, because what it
pulls from the radiator is ice water.  At some point, the water gets really=
 hard in the radiator and stops flowing
altogether.  The there is no flow from the engine to melt it.  The engine w=
ater keep recirculating and it eventually
overheats.

The Mack truck I bought in the late 80's had a shutter arrangement in front=
 that would close when it got to cold and
block airflow through the radiator.  I think a thin aluminum panel, possibl=
y controlled by a push-pull cable from the
cockpit, that slid in to partially block the radiator would be a much safer=
 solution.  It would also alleviate the
concern over broken thermostats.  The panel would require minimal support, =
as it could simply lay flat against the
radiator face.


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