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<< Lancair Builders' Mail List >>
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We all know how inefficient the fuel cooled piston/crankshaft engines we
have today are. With exhaust gas temperatures that make exhaust pipes and
turbos glow red in the dark it's obvious that most of the energy available
blows away in the exhaust; along with all the heat that must be dissapated
by engine cooling, this doesn't leave a great percentage of the energy
available in the fuel to drive the prop (or wheels of your car or whatever).
Rotary engines are much the same. Diesel engines are better but are
typically bulky and heavy although some of the up and coming designs are
better. Turbines are worse, but make lots of power in light weight fuel
hungry packages.
For an intermittent combustion engine all other factors being equal, the
engine with the greatest expansion ratio (the backside of the compression
ratio) is the more efficient engine. A turbo-charged Continental TSIO 550,
expansion ratio of 1:7.5 is not as fuel efficient as a normally aspirated
550 with an expansion ratio of 1:8.5. A diesel engine with an expansion
ratio of 1:17 is more efficient again despite having to do work to compress
and heat air to a temperature hot enough to ignite the fuel. There are
(large) stationary diesel engines with expansion ratios of 1:30 that have
fuel efficiencies around 50%.
There are lots of attempts being made to build useful engines with higher
expansion ratios. Saab of Sweden build a variable compression (ie expansion)
engine that at low power outputs has an expansion ratio of 1:14. At high
power outputs low compression is used because of the problem of detonation.
There are attempts being made to develope gasoline powered compression
ignition engines to get to the fuel efficiencies of diesel engines. But all
these attempts come up against the fundamental problem of detonation,
setting the limits for the expansion ratio and hence the fuel efficiency of
the engine. Even diesel engines, to become more fuel efficient need higher
compression ratios (doing more and more work compressing to become fuel
efficient!) Obviously the piston/crankshaft engine has fundamental limits
that limit it's potential fuel efficiency.
So an entirely different approach is needed. For some years I have played
with ideas and have developed an entirely new engine concept. It is simple
in design, has a low parts count, is light weight, is balanced and
inherently low in vibration, has a very high expansion ratio of over 1:200
giving very high fuel efficiency and very low EGTs, (those with knowledge of
gas law can no doubt give exact figures but my estimate is 150' C plus/minus
50'), is inherently low in internal friction, is modular and scaleable, each
stage producing power output for over 300 degrees of each rotation giving
deliciously high torque at propellor friendly low rpm. It is air start so
there is no heavy starter and battery needed, is multi fuel capable and with
careful combustion chamber design emissions can be kept very low. And to the
best of my knowledge (after much searching) there are no patents on anything
similar.
It is time now to turn this concept into hardware. So I am looking for a
person or persons with the interest and resources to make a partnership to
do so. If any of you out there have the interest please do contact me.
Robert rovermars@optusnet.com.au
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LML website: http://www.olsusa.com/mkaye/maillist.html
LML Builders' Bookstore: http://www.buildersbooks.com/lancair
Please send your photos and drawings to marvkaye@olsusa.com.
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