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cirvin
Nobel Prize Winner
USA
1542 Posts |
 Posted - Jul 24 2003 : 9:36:52 PM
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Aaron, what are the advantages of a rotary engine? better milege, power to weight ratio, long life, simplicity, ect.
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Aaron Cake
Administrator
Canada
6718 Posts |
Posted - Jul 25 2003 : 09:45:51 AM
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Power to weight is the real advantage, though now with all the new complications...cough...technology in piston engines, that gap is pretty small. A 1.3 litre 2 rotor performs about the same as a 3.8 litre V6 in NA form. Simplicity is a big one. With only 3 moving parts (2 rotor), there's just a lot less to go wrong. This can also be a disadvantage, as it means that a failure might be more damaging then if the engine was a more complicated design (more parts makes each one less critical). Due to the smooth nature of the rotary, redlines are also much higher, and the torque curve is very broad and flat from about 2000RPM up.
Fuel efficiency...uh, definitly not an advantage. 
One of the major strengths is that the rotary responds VERY well to turbocharging. Because of the wide open exhaust port and straight shot to the turbo, much more energy can be transferred then in a piston engine. This means very little "turbo lag", and you can run huge turbines with ease.
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Advantages
