Interesting?

Of cours, you'd probably like to know what web site I was talking about wouldn't you?

Kevin, thats an interesting concept and it certainly works (well it does in the animation anyway). Could it be a pitch for some speculative investment? Don't forget they thought google was a joke, you might like to risk some of that rainy day money. I have some doubt with all that acceleration/deceleration taking place and like the original Wankle I will be interested in how they seal each chamber at a usable rpm. Then again I am a bit of a cynic and those google investers made millions. Just doesn't sit with me considering all of the money available for development in the automotive industry, I'm sure we have all heard of the ideas bought up and parked until the time is right to float in the market.

I hope someone can shed some knowledgeable light on it though, could reduce the oil shortage overnight. That would be an interesting "power swing" in the world. Thanks for the heads up, very interesting but will obviously only succeed in the USA with a name like that.

Regards Keith

Thats a really good point, if you stop the animation at the firing point each rotor is loaded by the firing pressure on opposite vanes, I can't see any physical resistance to it reversing. Maybe that it only runs above a certain rpm and therefore rotor inertia would resist the reversal, particularly as the other rotor appears free to move at that point until compression loads are met.

Beyond me, I'll stick to the pistons that go up and down or the compressors that go round and round.

Best regards

Keith

PS The page wasn't put up on the1st April was it?

That is **old** crap! Someone posted that engine in rec.crafts.metalworking some weeks ago. I took the burden to look when it was invented. It was about 100 years ago. If you want, I'll look for my own posting and give you a list of similar engines and the original this one was copied from.

Note: If the "inventor" got a patent, it only shows how litte the patent clerks know about their job.

Nick

Maybe he nicked the free-wheel of someones bicycle.

He claims it will run 70:1 compression ratio ! Yeah, right ! And all that power in such a small space means enormous temperatures and BIG waste heat problem, enormous streses, detonation, huge seal problems, you name it.

I think the claims are twaddle, but you might still like to build yourself one to confirm this.

Steve

Why the web page then Nick, were they trying to re-patent it because the original had run out? Guess their moderate claims weren't true then if it's been around that long and we aren't all driving one.

Best regards

Keith

Dam it Steve your bursting my bubble here. I have a little kitcar with an old crossflow in it and am looking to update it without having to ruin the bonnet line with bulges and cutouts. All the modern engines are much taller than the crossflow. I thought this might be the answer, back to the drawing board.

Regards

Keith

I think twaddle is a good word for it.

When he has a built, run-tested, real live motor on an independantly owned dyno, it might be worth another look. Or better than that, several of them in the hands of independant testers.

Air motors like the one in the one video don't suffer much from heat issues. I see too many moving seals in the combustion area, for it to run much better than a wankel that has no oil in it.

I see lots of seal and lube issues in addition to the heat output mentioned by another poster.

Cheers Trevor Jones

You neither can patent nor re-patent anything that has ben published once.

They just want to make money.

Nick

Maybe a motorcycle engine will suit. Plenty of compact units of circa

150bhp to choose from and every engine configuration you can imagine. Flat twins, flat fours, flat sixes, V2, V4, triples - you name it.

I have been wondering about a Ducati V twin in a Lotus Elise - far nicer to listed to than the standard 4 pot motor (and for me the sound is one of the most important parts). In-built sequential 6 speed gearboxes - just a wee bit short of flywheel weight - just like a race engine.

Steve

I'll need to give it some thought Steve there are certainly some very powerful and light bike engines about. Unfortunately, too many of them in the scrap yards after being written off. I've just sold a locost project that I was never going to finish and the "cool" thing to have these days is a BEC (bike engined car). While the performance is stunning in these light cars they seem to have a reputation for being a bit tiring to drive (the noise) for long periods. I have to be mindful that my two kids are currently insured to drive it so I need to ensure that will still be possible with 150bhp on tap. I was surprised when I insured the car they weren't particularly interested in the engine size merely the bhp, guess they must be catching on that 1100cc can pack some real performance these days. As zeb has suggested I will have a look at a wider range of bike engines than seems currrently fashionable. When you get your Elise I'll have the engine that youtake out, the K series is one of the smaller lighter car engines that I could fit without messing up the bonnet. As long as I fit it with different bellhousing, injection and ignition systems (=A31500 at least). Perhaps the old crossflow isn't running too bad. Thanks for the idea it certainly gives me more food for thought as I plan the winter engine change.

Best regards

Keith

Any Mazda rotaries available in the wrecking yards of your area? A 13B is only a bit larger diameter than the bit of science on that website, and makes good (maybe too good) power.

One of the twin turbo units out of a later RX-7... Scary in a really light car, and probably a bit of a shoehorn job to get it all under the hood.

Cheers Trevor Jones

Indeed - and even showing it in public can invalidate a patent application, at least in UK law.

However, if you materially improve an old idea you can in many cases patent the new inventive step.

David