Subject: Engine dynamometer
From: Rotary Engine
Date: 11/20/2007, 7:59 PM
To: AARotary Engine


With regards to a dyno for testing engines from ~ 40 hp to perhaps as
much as 150 hp, would anybody have some experience and/or advise which
make and type of dyno is advisable. Pros and cons of various systems?

Also, does someone have pre-owned equipment that is for sale?

Any help, hints or advise is much appreciated.

Regards
Rolf

Water pump dyno's are most popular but they require a lot of cold
water. Mazdatrix has an 800 gallon tank as I recall. When the water
gets hot you must let it cool off.

The cheapest is a prop load dyno.

-- 
Paul Lamar ...No rotor no motor.


Rolf,
Those water dyno's are good, but not terribly cheap, as Paul says they heat
up. From what I've seen they require some significant cooling for sustained
use. A lot of water and a cooling tower.
If you find anything ( that's both cheap and easy to build) please advise
the group. I am looking for something myself and so far it's Paul's trailer
Dyno that meets that criteria.
George ( down under)


Not mine. I just copied Everett Hatch.

Paul Lamar ...No rotor no motor.



Paul,

I have been toying with the idea of using the RX-4 torque converter as a
load for dynoing the engine.  The movable impeller would be connected to the
engine side and the toroid housing with the torque arm attached  mounted so
it could rotate slightly. Introducing liquid into the housing faster then it
could drain out would increase the load.  Don't know how linear the unit
would be though. Having it go from slipping to complete lock-up instantly
would be no good obviously. Perhaps I could use a less viscous liquid
through it.


Doug in Japan

250 HP is a lot of heat to put into that torque converter Doug.
The red line on that old engine was probably 6500 RPM as well.

I am not saying it won't work.

Paul Lamar

Torque converters have a stall speed for ATF that will result in a huge
torque increase to the e-shaft as you try and go much beyond this. As a
young and dumb teenager, I would "brake-torque" a heavy Chevy with the
350 (190 hp) and a hydromatic 350 turbo - that is, hold the brakes and
then floor it in first gear. The engine would certainly rev well above
the stall speed of the converter, but the huge increase in torque would
not allow the engine to get even close to the max HP at 5,000 or so.
The ATF temps would go through the roof very quickly.

I wonder how it will perform to absorb 250 hp many times higher than the
stall speed for ATF - maybe the stall speed for water will raise it high
enough that it will not restrict your engine rpms. Let us know how it
works :-D

-dave


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