http://www.aviationweek.com/Article.aspx?id=/article-xml/AW_09_09_2013_p12-609055.xml



“The quest for a small UAS engine that burns diesel or JP-5 fuel rather
than aviation or automotive gasoline has been underway since the 1980s.
The latest bump in this long road was the acquisition in July of
Thielert, manufacturer of the diesel engine for the U.S. Army's MQ-1C
Gray Eagle UAS, by China's Avic.

This has forced the Army and General Atomics to adopt Lycoming's
DEL-120 diesel—an engine that Lycoming did not show at Auvsi, instead
bringing its smaller, 63-hp EL-060 (a spark-ignition multifuel
two-stroke). One question is when the new DEL-120 will be able to
attain the time between overhauls needed for UAS use. The Thielert
engine became notorious in the personal-aircraft market for frequent
and expensive inspections and overhauls.”


Marc Wieie

The Thielert is an econ box car engine from Europe. What do you
expect ? :) Miracles? :)

Paul Lamar


Paul,

Years ago driving 18 wheel diesel trucks, we put additives into
diesel fuel to keep the engine performing in extreme cold. Question,
in nations where diesel is available and very little aviation
gasoline, could an additive be used in diesel so it could run in a
Wankel Engine set up for gasoline.  Paul have you heard of anyone
that experimented with fuel treatments to burn diesel or is its flash
point to low ?

George Curtis


Why do that? You can get car gas all over the world.


Paul Lamar


    When gasoline was 25% or more higher priced than Diesel fuel, I
heard of
  some young boys in Salou, Tarragona, Spain, having an air cooled engine
  Citroen 2CV that was fed on   gasoline until engine was hot, then, from
 an independent deposit, Diesel fuel was send  to the carb. It worked,
  don't know for how long.
 A SAE article was about Diesel engines coming soon to an airport next
 or close to you.
  C-W conducted research on the use of JP4 and other fuels by
 direct injection into a Wankel RCE combustion chamber, many SAE papers
 resulted.
 There are some small engine producers trying to enter the market,
 for example, D-motor www.d-motor.eu , Austro and probably others.
   Have a good time. Best regards. Salut †
                   Jose Gros-Aymerich
                     Madrid, Spain

That is not the price. That is the TAX.

None of the Wankels burning diesel were successful in reducing the fuel
consumption.  The compression ratio is too limited.

CW published many SAE papers for the benefit of their stock price.

Paul Lamar


Some old tractors had two tanks, one for gasoline, one for kerosene (which
is similar to diesel). You would start the engine on the gasoline and after
it was warmed up you would switch to kerosene, which at that time (early
50's) was cheaper that gasoline to the farmer. Bear in mind, although I saw
this in the 50's, the tractors were old THEN.

Bill Schertz