rotary atkinson cycle engine

chhitiz

http://white-smoke.wetpaint.com/page/Rotary+Engine
does anyone know of this engine being used in production?

etudiant

Nowhere that I know of.
There are several such rotary engine designs floating around, none has come close to the Wankel in terms of market success.
There is a real need for a lightweight and powerful engine of this type in the aviation world, which is still using 1940s vintage piston engines, but nothing has been able to get certified for use.
In this case, the design seems to call for some pretty exact geometries and sliding seals, which are hard to make. There were sleeve valves used in some WW2 fighter engines which were not the most reliable.

chhitiz

what about the wankel engine?
it needs some exact geometries and is not hard to make practically. i think major problem is the sealing of surfaces of rotors against the housing.

etudiant

Circular housings are fairly easy, but straight slides are more difficult.
The Wankel sealing problems were managed, but not really solved. Fuel and oil consumption was an issue throughout.

chhitiz

what does that mean?