I just invented a new wankel rotary engine configuration designed to 
drastically improve the MPG of rotary engine powered cars. It uses the principle
of cylinder deactivation now popular on V8 engines used by Daimler Chrysler 
and others. The drawback of cylinder deactivation is the dead cylinders
are still reciprocating generating friction and absorbing some  HP from 
the active cylinders. Never the less cylinder deactivation does result 
in better MPG numbers.

Deactivating one rotor of a conventional two rotor engine results
in a very rough running engine.

This invention consist of a completely balanced stand alone one rotor engine
combined with a stand alone two rotor engine. Unlike piston engine configurations
rotary engines are always in complete balance. This configuration requires
one more balance weight than an equivalent conventional three rotor engine.
All three rotors share cooling and oil lubricating systems to maintain
a uniform temperature throughout.
 
The resulting three rotor engine avoids the deactivation drawback by stopping 
two of the front rotors during steady highway cruise and slow speed 
stop and go driving. Only the one rotor engine generates power in this
mode thereby reaping the BSFC advantages of a small one rotor engine closely
matched to the road load. When acceleration or hill climbing ability is required 
the front two rotors automatically start up and feed their power through 
the one rotor shaft by way of a over running clutch and then back into the 
transmission.

This engine has many of the MPG and emissions advantages of the hybrid 
without the hybrid's cost and weight of electric motors and batteries.

If a similar scheme were attempted on a V8 or V6 piston engine the resulting 
V twin would be unbalanced and vibrate strongly.

Paul Lamar
 
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