Paul,
I am a retired Navy SEAL and EZ pilot. When I was single I
completely overhauled an O-320 powered vari-eze (N15DV). 13 years
later, I am married with children and it is now time to start
building our "family" plane. I have always been wanted to re-power
the vari with a rotary, but with the new project, I want to build a
rotary powered Cozy IV. I recently read your article on compounding
the rotary. I have decided to start my project with getting the
power plant built. I want to build a p-port, compound engine that is
at least 300hp, fuel injection and electronic ignition (I have a
Lightspeed ignition on 15DV and love it!). Due to living in AZ I
also need to hang a A/C unit on it. I would also like to adapt/devise
a muffled exhaust system for it.
I have some questions and your knowledge and experience would be
helpful in making some decisions about my new project. I am unsure
if my project parameters are more suited for a 2,3 or 4 rotor
engine. How does compounding affect intake; is turbo/supercharging a
natural part of compounding the engine? Will it be possible to
"muffle" the output of the wategate on the turbine. Has anyone
completed a compound engine as you describe in your website
articles? I look forward to hearing your thoughts.
Please add me to the newsletter.
Cheers, William "Court" Bollinger Trident Tactical Services
Thanks for your service to our country.
It is not cheap to compound a rotary. The turbo compound unit I used
from a Detroit Diesel DD15 is not light weight and cost $2000
dollars. Only suitable for a test TC 3 rotor. Not a flight engine.
Too heavy. You need to find a suitable turbine from a small jet
engine that is about 18 inches in diameter and rotates in the range
6000 to 8000 RPM.
Then build something like this. Then you have a chance if you are
lucky with the blade angle. If it works you will get 300 to 350 HP
with a fuel burn in the diesel range.
You can hammer the SS sheet metal with a wood mallet and a sandbag.
Sun n Fun in April in Florida has a work shop that teaches that
skill. You will also need some tig welding skills. If you send the
parts me I can have them tig welded by my ace welder.
BTW I will be there giving some talks on the ignition and the uni
motor mount..
Frank Whittle built his early jet engines with these skills.
Paul Lamar
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You can make you own hollow self air cooling turbine blades with a tig
welder and a slitting saw. You make it out of SS 316 2 inch OD .065
wall and 3 inch OD .065 wall tubing from master car. Each inch of
tubing produces 3 hollow blades one inch long. 36 blades from each
foot of tubing.
Here is how. You must keep the EGT down to 1500 F. Cool the exhaust
if necessary.
Paul Lamar
Paul and friends,
Someone who has major skills in this area (particularly in fabricating
and welding exotic sheet metals) who might be able to bring this idea
past the concept stage is Scott Ehni, in Trinity, TX. He built a Zenith
701 from scratch, with all bucked rivets, and a superbly well integrated
turbine powerplant using a JFS-100 engine taken from an air start unit
from an A-7. Rather than build a turbocharger from scratch I would
expect Scott would be able to advise on an air machine surplus from some
military application that could be bought cheaply. You can reach him at
936-594-5525 or
ehpro@live.com He also has a well instrumented dyno in
his shop/hangar.
I am working on the exhaust issue. There is a lot to be learned from
mufflers developed for European quiet light aircraft requirements in the
past two decades, and good "prior art" in the muffler development for
the YO-3A airplane developed for Army surveillance flights in Vietnam.
David Josephson
Not turbo charger. Turbine.
Due to my instigation of turbo compound on Formula 1 engines
the fans are complaining they are too quiet. Turbo compound converts noise
to HP :)
http://www.rotaryeng.net/Oxford-640-4802.wmv
Make sure it can be easily inspected internally :)
Paul Lamar
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