this post was submitted on 21 Aug 2024
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Wankel types are so fucking cool. Not a lot of engines out there that can come close to their power to weight ratio.
Maintenance is just a bitch…
If they had only gone to laser ignition and roller apex seals...
Huh… can you explain? Did they ever do research on roller apex seals?
Idk what you’re talking about with laser ignition, but I guess that the name is self explanatory… as in a laser pulse instead of a spark to ignite in the combustion phase….
But the roller seals are suuuuper fucking interesting. But that would bring its own issues. Sure you’d save the sliding of the apex seal against the chamber walls, but then you’ve got to deal with some sort of roller bearing exposed to the actual combustion process. Plus lubrication is still an issue…
Fun problem to think about!
I don't know what the other guy is referencing, but I've been keeping an eye on a company called LiquidPiston, who are developing a modified Wankel, and the seals are one of the problems they talk about tackling. This article from Ars is kinda recent and goes into it a bit: https://arstechnica.com/cars/2023/11/this-inside-out-design-solves-most-of-the-rotary-engines-problems/