Subject: Hushpower autopsy-Mazda rotary mufflers
From: ACRE
Date: 9/10/2012, 7:40 AM
To: AAAA Put this in the To box


We'll I finally got some time off to check out my airplane
  after the
round trip from Everett to Medford. The heat cooked my left brake
line, and I suspected the muffler had too much back pressure, so I
resolved to investigate. Here's what I found when I removed my
Hushpower from the airplane. There is way too much heat coming
  off my
muffler- the powder coating on my engine mount is cooked near the
exhaust pipes, even though I coverd them with fiberfrax and
  placed a
SS heat sheild to cover the tubes from view of the exhaust. The
muffler was making like a baby rattle so I cut it open and this
  stuff
came out of the inlet side. I'll send more pictures of the innards.

What I have is an RV-4 with the radiators and oil cooler hung
underneath the plane in a scoop that is reminiscent of a P-51.
  I had
the muffler submerged under the fuselage. I"m thinking that it
  would
be better to have the exhaust pipes exit the side of the cowl, in a
reverse scoop that would vent a huge amount of heat from the
  cowl. The
muffler would be a straight 6 foot muffler like the one Paul
  outlined
about a week ago. It would be mounted along the side of the
  fuselage.
I hate to ruin the clean lines of an RV-4, but nothing would
  ruin it
more than having a mechanical failure due to excessive exhaust heat
bringing the plane down. My biggest worry about this rotary
  conversion
is excessive exhaust heat and how to manage it effectively.

Here is the muffler cut open. The red chunks are what is left
  of the
melted insulation material between the perforated inner case and
outer. The outer case showed signs of bulging. The perforated inner
case was split on the seam closest to the camera. The inner cone
material which is also perforated was mostly gone, but big
  chunks were
still left inside the muffler and undoubtedly were causing some
obstruction.

Here's the split in the inner perforated case. Not real confidence
inspiring.


Crap that I shook out of my baby rattle/Hushpower muffler.


Brian Trubee

That will work out OK but I would put it on the bottom like
  Mike did.
I think you could get the rad under the engine.

Either that or use a narrower rad and put it next to the rad
  under the
fuse.

Paul Lamar


If you ever replaced mufflers on a 2nd or 3 gen RX7 you would know
that Mazda built heavy, massive mufflers. I have a couple
  around here.
Wonder what the inside design is like? Maybe I should cut one open.
Marc Wiese

That would be interesting. Measure the sheet metal thickness.

Paul Lamar




maybe something like this coating both inside and outside of
  the exhaust
system would be useful to reduce heat.
   http://www.jet-hot.com/____coatings/jet-hot-extreme-2500/

chris smale

  Paul and Brian,
  It is great watching your "Big Pictures Minds" working together.
  Listening to ideas on turbo compounding, peripheral ports, etc.
    From my perspective of working on GE, Allison/Rolls Royce,
   and P&W
  turbines for 35 years here are a few ideas to add to the mix.
  I am suggesting using a 8" by 12" muffler called a turbo.
  Ideally for power to weight a turbine engine would be best for the
  hobbyist.
  The hardest part would be making the gear reduction, fuel control,
  governor and burner can.
  A turbo actually turns a normal engine (recip or rotary) into a
   turbine
  engine (An old perspective from Hugh MacInnes).
  We then have a compressor and turbine section with the exiting
   engine
  becoming the gear reduction, burner can, Fuel Control and Governor.
  ..... *and with your peripheral port it actually becomes a power
  recovery compound turbo by blowing directly on the rotor!*
  The exhaust is quieted by removing energy and heat.
  The real problem is controlling heat. We would need to use surplus
  compressed air to cool the exhaust. One place air could be
   injected at
  the exhaust sleeve.
  We would use a balanced system that could operate
   'theoretically" with
  no wastegate like the original GM Corvair. (using a extra large
   exhaust
  housing AR of about 1.34 or larger).
  Your thoughts,
  Barry


   Barry,

   Before we go too much further, we need a PSRU that can handle 500+hp.
We've already had flywheels [flex plate] disintegrate and my
   input shaft broke the
   lock pin.  I would consider installing a turbo, but in my opinion, the
   psru is the weakest link.

   Mark
   P-port 20b


Mark,  I have designed a PSRU around the Borg Warner 4407 planetary from
the transfer case of the same F350 truck that the E4OD six pinion comes
from. It is larger and includes a hollow shaft on the sungear. I
upgraded all the roller bearings  and added some length to the propshaft
for my pusher configuration. The drawings are in Rhino4 if anyone wants
them posted.
  On the subject of pusher installations I  have a question. What
is the best place or method to exit the exhaust. The current plan is to
dump it into the airflow after the wedge shaped duct exiting the bottom
mounted radiator and use it in an augmentor to aid ground cooling
airflow. I have no use for the turbocharger horsepower with a 4 rotor
but it appears necessary to reduce exhaust temperature and to mufflle
the noise somewhat. My concern is that is a lot of heat going through a
composite prop so I am looking for ideas how to exit the exhaust.
george grimes

That is overkill and heaver. Just fix the input shaft and flex plate.
The problem is not the gear set.

Paul Lamar

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