Hello,
From today's AVwebflash:
http://www.avweb.com/eletter/archives/avflash/2414-full.html#207980
"Diamond Aircraft's Austro Engines has bench tested a new dual
FADEC-controlled rotary aircraft engine, the AE80R, that aims to match a
weight of 60 pounds with a power output of 80 hp. The engine has been in
development for more than two years and builds on Austro's experience
with the AE50R 55-hp rotary engine but has differences in its internal
design that incorporates a "no loss lubrication system."
AE official release:
http://austroengine.at/en/news-und-press
If engine is fine and price is right... this is going to be the new
Rotax?
Cheers,
Petri
"Diamond Aircraft's Austro Engines has bench tested a new dual
FADEC-controlled rotary aircraft engine, the AE80R, that aims to match a
weight of 60 pounds with a power output of 80 hp. The engine has been in
development for more than two years and builds on Austro's experience
with
the AE50R 55-hp rotary engine but has differences in its internal design
that incorporates a "no loss lubrication system." The new engine is
targeting the LSA and ultralight aircraft markets, and may also see
use in
unmanned aircraft. Austro Christian Dries, chairman and owner of Diamond
Aircraft, which owns Austro, says the new engine "has no vibration" and
is a
good fit for weight-sensitive small aircraft."
"According to Diamond, the dual FADEC system will keep fuel
consumption at
its lowest possible limits and the engine oil system will result in
extremely low oil consumption, maximizing its efficiency. Austro Engine
last
summer pursued airframe manufacturers other than Diamond, seeking
potential
matches for its diesel engines, which it sees as a growing segment in
European aircraft markets. The company already offers diesel and rotary
style engines. Austro's recent production of AE50-series rotary engines
has
been close to 125 engines per year."
They are making a lot of claims but they are not telling us how they
are doing it. Hopefully they did away with charge cooling.
Paul Lamar
Hi Paul,"no loss lubrication system."indicates oil cooled rotors,
does it not?Charge cooled rotors limit power because of limited cooling
and charge heating.Might be ok when the competion is two strokes.Not
used engine stand yet.
Murry
Right! Charge cooling limits continuous HP but these are not charge
cooled
engines. I made a mistake. Cooling air is pumped through the rotor to
cool
it as 400 engines have been sold for motor gliders. 125 a year. The BSFC
is .52 which is notas good as the Mazda at .47. I suspect that
cooling blower
is sucking downabout about 8.5 HP. It is relatively simple and cheap.
The other thing about these engines is they use a needle roller rotor
bearing
and that limits the RPM to about 6000. A pressure fed bearing with oil
cooling should rotate at least as good as the Mazda 11,000 RPM.
That means more HP and a better power to weight ratio.
Paul Lamar
Paul,
EAA chimed in as well;
http://www.eaa.org/news/2013/2013-01-15_austro-tests-AE80R-rotary-engine.asp
So many questions...
1. What is their definition of a"no loss lubrication system"
2.Is it a spin on the 2-stroke type total loss AE and so many others
have used, i.e. are they recovering some, yet some
is burned? Or is it more like the Mazda system with a pan and pump.
Also from EAA's article; "The crankshaft of the new engine also uses
pressure oil lubricated slide bearings instead of ball bearings used
in the
AE50R. The AE80R descends directly from the AE75R (liquid and forced-air
rotor cooled), but the new engine features only an oil / liquid cooling
system."
3. What is their definition of a slide bearing?
4. I.E is this a plain old plain bearing?
5. Does this also mean they got rid of a bearing on the eccentric for
the rotor?
6. If they have gone the route of the Madza for total cooling, does
this close the door on the Garside Charge Cooled Blower type set up.
7. I am also curious if they are doing something else to get rid of
the heat , is their some other magic going on to
reduce friction ( i.e. like many racing programs have done) , i.e.
Cryogenic dipped Cranks, Isotropic Finishing, WS2
coatings?
My best,
Anthony
Good work for finding this info.
1. Sounds like a oil pressure lub system.
2. Previous engines mixed oil with the fuel to lube the roller bearings.
3. I can't read their mind but my guess is plain journal bearing :)
4. Sounds like it.
5. Roller bearing was done away with. The right thing to do.
6. Possible.
7. A lot of that stuff is BS :)
DLC is used by Mazda on the RX8 corner seals and in Form 1 cars.
From the DLC patent:
"A process is disclosed for generating a wear-resistant, diamond-like
coating on a substrate , as well as a wearing part provided with such
a coating, for example in a textile machine. Although the diamond-like
coating is quickly and economically produced, it adheres well to the
substrate. A uniform quality over the area exposed to wear is obtained
with this process, as well as a wearing part provided with this
coating. In a plasma-enhanced chemical vapour deposition process of
the coating layer from a gaseous atmosphere in a reaction chamber, the
deposition atmosphere is excited by electromagnetic radiation, and an
electric bias voltage is generated between the substrateand at least
one ground electrode . The disclosed process is characterised in that
the substratesare arranged in such a way that as many as possible of
the field lines between the substrate and the ground electrodes
perpendicularly cross the surfacespanned by the arrangement of the
substrates or the field linesextend perpendicularly to the spanning
surface at the end closest to the spanning surface."
I am going to Europe in May so I might stop at the factory and
ask questions and take pictures.
Paul Lamar
Paul, Thanks.
Why is getting rid of the roller on the eccentric a good thing? I have
read where OMC had to go to silver plated cage ( my guess is to prevent
galling ) because of heat and other issues.
I look forward to your reply,
My best,
Anthony
The small diameter needles are really zingging along RPM wise.
Large needle bearings do not like high RPM. Previous to now Austro
engines was selectively fitting needle rotor bearings.
That was expensive and limited the RPM and HP to weight ratio.
The much bigger Mazda will turn 11,000 RPM with journal bearings.
That was the Achilles heel of the Rotomax engine's as well.
I am amazed it took them this long to figure it out :)
Paul Lamar
Aluminum cylinders have been electroplated with "nikasil" which creates a
very hard surface that also facilitates good lubrication. High sulphur
content in low quality gasoline gradually erodes this coating and causes
compression to suffer greatly, and ultimately engine failure. However,
nowadays the sulfur content is much lower [gone even] in mogas, and
high-end car makers still use nikasil.
This makes me wonder if nikasil might
be a viable consideration for those who desire to fabricate their own engine
components [talented folks like George Grimes, Richard Sohn, and others],
and for those of us who would LUV to pay one of those titans to custom make
rotor housings ala Beckham superlight engine, or whatever. Anyone have any
thoughts?
Gene Kahn
Nikasil is not a plating process.
http://tinyurl.com/aju32du
"The wear-resistant coating, which preferably is of an iron-based or steel
alloy, is applied by one preferred method to the inner wall of a cylinder in
an aluminum alloy engine block by positioning a transferred arc torch within
the cylinder, striking an arc between the torch and a consumable rod, made
of an iron-based alloy or other comparable composite material, such that the
arc end of the rod melts, rotating the rod to eject a diametral spray
pattern of molten droplets from the arc end of the rod to the cylinder inner
diameter, and translating the rod and the torch generally along the central
axis of the cylinder such that the ejected droplets impact the wall of the
cylinder in a molten state to form an evenly distributed coating on the
cylinder."
It is hard to do on a non cylinder. Only Maule has been successful
on rotaries.
Paul Lamar
No loss oil system, could this be referring to the apex seal lube oil that normally comes from the sump oil?
Graeme Riley
The earlier engines did not have a sump. The oil required by the
roller bearings came from oil mixed with the fuel.
Paul Lamar
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