Sorry for the format and the lack of pictures. Didn't have more time. My
daughter is bugging me with a term grade paper.
Maybe this weekend I could get the pictures and send them to you should
nobody has done it before.
Alfonso Lebron-Berges
The Development of
The Rotary Engine
The Time of The
Decision
Last Updated on May 21,1996
The photos we show here
are belong to "The Rotary Graffiti 1967-1987".
All the
documents are written by Kenichi Yamamoto.
One time or another in our lives, every one of us are asked to
make a decision that would change our life.
The order to make it practical use was waiting for me when I came
back to Japan from NSU company's visiting. That was a last sentence.
They said they let me handle people and an
organization, so let's plan the research section.
I think it was 1948 when I met an internal-combustion engine.
That was air cooling 2cycles single cylinder engine. At that time, the
2cycles engine was a main thing, and of course I only
had experiences of the prompt 2cycles single cylinder.
After one year later from I started get involved with the design
of engine, the air cooling OHV(over head valve) dual cylinders engine 's
plan was started by Mr.Tokinosuke Murao's
announcement (Mr.Murao was a technic executive director at that
time). That was epochal to lead the industry on that time.
Then, between from 1942 to 1953, I dug into the development of
the OHC (over head cam shaft) engines. The base of repeating movement
piston engine has been made.
This is how I worked on the new internal-combustion engines'
development. I was getting know the engines were "living thing" and it
is sensitive machine through the experience of failures
and learned from them and the challenging for next new idea.
"The rotary engine that had been denying the practical use even
though it was challenged by the engineers all over the world. Can I do
that even the original NSU company has difficulties?"
Insecure feeling to step into the unknown world at the age of 40.
The uneasiness that I might fail to meet the company's
expectation was big because I knew how much they want make it happen.
This wasn't just a research. We had to make an engine which
can be sold as a merchandise and it must be different from the
usual repeat movement piston engine.That was a challenge of unknown.
I had advised once to a
foreign country about repeat movement piston engine. Many engineers in
the world research it. There are many
kinds of texts too.
However, the situation change when it becomes about rotary engines. It
was a big bet for me and for the company.
In April 1962, the
rotary engine research section was established. Including me as a
director, there were 47 people, and their face
showed no uneasiness. I
even felt their volitions to challenge a new thing.
"Form today, I want you
to think about the rotary engine either you are awaken or sleeping and
consider this room as your own house. It
might be hard time,
but............" I remember I had speech something like this. From that
time "either awakenor sleeping" became our
watch word.
The end of this year, I
went to a short trip with the president. At the moment, there was a
movement of reorganization of automobile
industry because
liberalization of foreign investment was about to begin.
Therefore, our company
was under the condition of not to allowed to be off our guard. We had to
calm down the dealers' trembling, and ask
corporation for the
future.
The biggest appeal
point was "the rotary engine" which we just began to work on and didn't
know what is going to be. At the moment there
were strong criticizes
against the rotary engine and some researcher did campaign to tell how
impossible to make it to practical use, but
this engine was the
eye-cathcher to brought them a hope. All the dealers cheer us up with
clapping their hands and leave a hope for the
future to us.
"I can't go back any more after I told those dealers that we are
going to make it. This isn't only my personal problem but also the trust
of the whole company." I though I have to make it
happen no matter what.
We must progress. A young engineer's face came up to my mind
suddenly.
The Development of The Rotary Engine
Success, Confidence,
and Faith
Last Updated on June 10,1996
The photos we show here
are belong to "The Rotary Graffiti 1967-1987".
All the
documents are written by Kenichi Yamamoto.
There are always difficult problem in technic development,
especially in the field nobody had stepped in. Sometimes, you dismissed
so deeply because of technical matter. However, you can't
avoid this happen. I think we need to consider there is always
some way to get right.
My post was a director of the research section. In general, it is
executive position. However, my role can't be taken by me if I sit down
on the executive chair looking like an ordinary
executive. I needed to show the methods one after another. I
decided to back to be an engineer. I thought, planned, designed..... I
was a kind of field overseer. My idea didn't work not always
even it happened more than it did. I tried to make my people to
not be afraid of failing, and I also showed that I am not myself.
At the beginning of the development of the rotary engine's
practical use, the biggest problem was that charter mark.
The three apex seals always
stuck to inside of rotor housing and they spun extremely fast and
scratched its surface. Although the housing's
inside was covered by hard
chromium, the surface became so rough after few hours movement.
We tried many kinds of
material. We tried the metal which including gold or silver, and we even
tried cow's bone.
Also we tried so many ideas
on the form of the seal. A new method of measure vibration was developed
for the solution of charter mark
mechanism. However, the
roter housing that looked so miserable were accumulated in the research
room.
In autumn of 1963, the group
who had been researching the mechanism of the charter mark's occur come
up with the idea which is to redesign
the apex seals's shape and
change the peculiar frequency . We put horizontal holes on the side of
the metallic seal's top and put vertical holes on
the other side to cross
them. The engine which finished the test was being disassembled while
all of us were watching the results of the seal
called cross hollow.
Our silent changed to shout
for joy. That devil's scratches, the charter mark had been disappeared.
I still think that was the brightest moment
in the suffering development
history.
It is necessary to break the custom of the technic in the old
Japanese way to work on a new thing especially a difficult thing. It is
good to refer our research or to exchange opinions with the
engineers who are suffering the same problem in all around the
world. However, they can't create a new thing if they trace other
people's work.
After while, the seals were changed from metal to carbon. And the
first mass production of the rotary engine car debuted. I mean the cross
hollow didn't come up to the world but I think it
was a big occurrence to settle the custom that to challenge to
solve a problem by the technicians selves not to imitate others.
It was also the challenge to the old style for the engineers in
Japan. It is true that this custom produced unique technic and also to
make us challenge to create not only engine mechanism or
parts but a lots of the new method of measure or new producing
technic.
Before long, this apex seal had become to metal from carbon again
and it is still metal today. It was also a reason that to make the seals
better quality to run with small amount of gas, but the
engineers' faith that succeeded to change the surface of the seal
top into chill by the electronic beam method is another big reason.
The Development of The Rotary Engine
Corporation and
Agreement
Last Updated on June 10,1996
The photos we show here
are belong to "The Rotary Graffiti 1967-1987".
All the
documents are written by Kenichi Yamamoto.
People say there is no industry like automobile industry which
has a wide vision. Every kinds of technic and creative spirits are
gotten together to make a thing called automobile. Especially
its engine is an accumulation of high quality technic which
include material technic and producing technic.
There are many corporations which develop the design of
automobile's component only, and produce them. Their positions are
getting higher as it became more internationally and has more
variety. However, there wasn't almost no corporation who develop
the design and produce when it comes to the engine. It can be said that
engine technic equal automobile company.
However, when it become to the parts of it, many special parts
maker get help from the specialists in the company or out of it. The
engine's finish is depend on how much they got
corporation because it is needed very specialistic technic.
It isn't possible to succeed if only the technicians in the
research room was working on it without the help from the specialists to
challenge a new thing as a rotary engine. Therefore they
need a lot of people's corporation but the important thing isn't
how many people help but what kind of people. The other company's parts
maker has no responsibility to corporate for the
people who are out of our company because we had to succeed to
work on the rotary engine. Also i wasn't surprise when I hard there is a
comment that should they corporate us for such a
thing inside the company.
There must be the
head of the company's understanding and he must feel the same about
innovation as one specialist. We couldn't get
real corporation
if he didn't feel "I will do it" as one specialist and one professional.
Fortunately, the
rotary engine got so many special part maker companyies' corporation.
They are companies who produce engine's
seals, spark
plugs, electronic parts which includes ignitions, fuel, coolers, and
even engine oil. There is a some technician who
came up with a
plan of the method to measure or the tester, and he contribute as other
researcher in our company.
Inside our
company, in the each special technic section we work so hard every day
to do processing the tlocoid's curved surface of
the rotor housing,
seeking the inspection method, and establishing the technic in its
inside's chromium method, a plan of the rotor
or the housing's
mintage and the method of the processing of the special form of the
rotor gas seals. We work as we obsess.
In my mind, each
scene is remembered so clearly. Those days were also hard but it was
substantial. I could never forget about
Mr.Hiratsuka in
the development of the carbonabek seals which became the last key to
make first rotary engine car to came to the
world.
The rotor
housing's durability was approximately 5~60,000 km by using the cross
hollow style abeks seals. It isn't enough for a
automobile engine.
We have got the data that carbon is good according to the result of the
not metal material exam in the early stage.
However, some of
therm endured for a long time, and some of other got snapped or became a
small pieces and scattered from the
exhaust pipe.
It couldn't be used at all as an engine seals. The engines were
improved by inside or outside of the company's corporation. Other
problems are solved or almost solved, and we were almost
there for mass production. But we couldn't get solution for this
last problem. We had to get rid of this charter mark, otherwise all the
effort would be wasting. I was impatient.
It was 1962, when I
hard the news that Japan Carbon developed the new carbon which to use
for "Shinkansen"'s pandagurafu. It was
such a coincidence
when a engineer who was involved with this new carbon's development said
to me, "I am your wife's cousin." So,
I invited him my
house to have some drink with me.
I had an intention.
"It wouldn't be any solution if we don't develop the carbon which can
endure as a seal. It is depend on you whether
you let live or die
the rotary engine which is my life work." My persuade was like a threat
, but he agree with me. "O.K. I would
make the carbon to
work and I do that as my life work too." This was an agreement between
two engineers.
The special team
was settled at the Japan Carbon, and the development 's speed was
increasing. We also did the research to make a
better breaking,
and we developed the inspection method to choose from the finished
carbon by not destroying. While we are doing
like this, our
rotary engine was getting close to be able to endure for a practical use
and to be a merchandise. It was heaping the
qualifications as
an automobile engine.
In 1965, I
presented the report about the possibility of its practical use to the
development meeting. And In the early 1966, a
couple of dozens
prot type "Cosmo" was distributed to the dealers all over in Japan.
After a while, the policy to sale the first rotary
engine automobile
had been decided In 1967 May.
[ The
Development of The Rotary Engine Index ]
"Success, Confidence,
and Faith" <<== Back || Next ==>> "Trial and Challenge"
The Development of The Rotary Engine
Trial and
Challenge
Last Updated on Aug.28,1996
The photos we show here
are belong to "The Rotary Graffiti 1967-1987".
All the
documents are written by Kenichi Yamamoto.
It is natural to having an improvement toward it when a technique
has completed, then usually it goes into maturity and moving to a period
of stability.
In 1967 when Cosmo sports put on sale, which carried two rotor
engines for the first time in the world, the social condition was in
high-growth age at that time.
A national income was increased and there was a plan to magnify a
freeway. The world is just in the middst of motorization. The rotary
engine which combined high-performance with
stillness have seemed went well to have the name "rotary feeling"
own way.
But next the second difficulty had waited immediately for the
rotary engine which had just born. In USA the exhaust gas control had
began by the federal government in 1968. It was a
moderate thing to attack it for the people who was reluctant to
using rotary engine in practice.
They said "It'll be the problem about exhaust gas pollution after
this, but it is difficult to take measures to the situation with rotary
engines which have much Hydrocarbon (HC)"
or "The rotary engine with much HC will never drive in America,
permanently from now."
In short, abuse and slader started to crush that rotary engines
have no future.
But we have believed it is USA that have the market which have
pioneer spirit and greet a new techniques in good will, or find out the
merit of rotary engine indeed with advancing the
motorization more. It was also a thing to stimulate in conversely
for the technical experts who had conquired the trial, "impossibility of
practical use" and passed through the sparks of
fire, moreover, handled the engine that have to produce with
confirming the origin by themselves or find out a technical skill to way
out.
A conception had completed, in short, thermal reactor, a heat
reaction tool that to burn HC positively to make use of its
characteristic which have much HC but little NOx. It is an idea to
burn HC, the gasoline of the remainder after burning, completely
on the way of exhaust pipe.
More steadily development have kept on to practical this thermal
reactor and the development have done on material and structure side
that was unprecedented before. Among those
materials, there was a thing which have very superior heatproof
but when we pressed to shape, it cracked into pices.
As to boast the young technical experts who had literally devoted
himself entirely to succeded the pressing of this material that "I will
press even if it is a glass."
Like this, we could land the rotary engine car on USA in
October,1969 which was told that will not drive in America.
There was "exhaust gas pollution incident at Yanagi-cho crossing
in Ushigome, Shinjuku" after this in the country and USA there was "smog
pollution in Los Angeles" which was taken up by
mass comunication that "Los is cring !". Voices were getting
louder day by day that to strengthen the exhaust gas control.
It is too famous story that the air purity rule by a senator
maskey, in short the maskey rule which is calling in the world, have
approved at a federal congress on December in 1970.
It was only our rotary engine and Honda which have CVCC that
declared the possibility of achievement at a seat of EPA public hearing
about the application of a year postponement. I want to
add that the CVCC of Honda at that time also have a reaction, so
that it was very resemble thing in a sense.
Conversely after
that, the rotary engine which took measures at HC, have made its
predominance that consists in exhaust gas
purification.
Because, originally the NOx, which treatment is difficult with usual
round-motion piston engine, is rare. It have became
to say that "The
rotary is the favorite engine of exhaust gas measure" until about 1973,
this is very sarcastic story.
But the trial was
still continued. It is the first energy crisis which happened at the end
of 1973, rotary engines were going to rush
into the third
difficulty. Antipathy against rotary engines at the problem of exhaust
gas control were rising up as the flame of abuse
once again.
Rotary engines have
charged a disgrace of gas guzzler (a car which guaff the gasoline),
taking this energy crisis as opportunity. It was
hard and long days
for rotary engine, the five years since the energy crisis in 1974 till
1978.
This is an actual
feeling that the outbreak of energy crisis was too fast, to look from
the maturity of its technique on the history of
developing rotary
engine. Usually our development was intentioned, emphasis on drawing out
natual ability of rotary engine and
exhaust gas control
to get quarification as the car engine.
Many encouragement
letters have sent to me of course from the country but also from the
foreign countries. Even the suggestion about
the development of
rotary engine was incruded among those letters. They gave me their
experiences and suggestions which got from
their actual life
that spent own money to carry on unknown engine.
If we are the group
of technical experts challenge unknown things, in short the pioneer,
they must be the pioneer users. They are the
users who had
challenged a new field with us. I felt some human relation between those
people who have interests and expectations to
the innovation of an
internal combustion engine, which have not experienced before. If we
will spoil this, it will be branded that
"Don't try a new things in the innovation of an internal
combustion engine." We will be a precedent. We will contrary those
people's expectations in the world. And it will be a break of young
people's dream who have made an effort, There was a historic
mission.
Caused by the first energy crisis, our environment of the
management have grew worth rapidly. And it is true that there was a
intense discussion about the maintain of rotary enginen among
it.
Our management formation has making a decision, "Maintain of
rotary engine is the social responsility of the maker and it is also the
problem about fidelity to the customers who have
patronize rotary engine car already. Let's give up the disgrace
of gas guzzler as soon as possible."
In 1974 we formed a five year plan for the fuel expenses
improvement. This plan was called "Phoenix Project". It was adopted from
the name of phoenix that revives from ashes again.
All sorts of challenging forgot the profit and loss of technical
experts have kept going. Indomitable spirits, the word "Rotary Spirits"
was born unawares between them.