This subject came up with Alex and my visit to Tracy's place.

I think we are barking up the wrong tree expecting a four stroke
car coil to work with the rotary AC engine. When it comes to
ignition the rotary is miles closer to a two stroke 2 cylinder
engine. Any given rotor fires once per rev rather than once every
other rev as happens in a four stroke piston engine.

This affects the magnetic design of the coil as there is less time
available to charge it. The Mazda coil needs to charge and fire in
just a few ms at 7500 RPM while an Chevy LS1 coil has twice the time
in a V8. This is a heating issue in the coil.

The design is fundamentally different.

I have not discovered what coil Speed Source is using in their
3 rotor racing engine that turns to 10,000 RPM in a 24 hour race.

Here is the stuff on the RX8 coil failures.

Paul Lamar

Paul,, have they discontinued the "wasted spark" concept ??



I am sure somebody is using it but it does not make sense for coil-on-plug
systems like the LS1 or the RX8 rotary.

Why fire the plug on a V8 twice. Once on the compression/power stroke and once one the exhaust/intake stroke  It just sucks twice as much current
from the battery.


BTW just because the rotary fires once per rev does not make it a
two cycle. In no way shape or form is it a two cycle.

Very cleaver of Felix to build an engine with all four strokes in one rev.

Paul Lamar

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