Design and preliminary testing of a rotary internal combustion engine

With the advent of legislation against pollution, and rising wage, manufacturing, and materials costs, the prime mover industry is presently intent on developing new economical, non-polluting methods of power. It was the hope of the author that the engine described herein would provide an advancement towards meeting the new requirements. The design and resulting prototype is an eight cylinder rotary internal combustion engine, weighing approximately sixty pounds, and operating on the tour stroke principle. Theoretical calculations were made to determine ideal horsepower, mean effective pressure, and efficiency. Ideal horsepower ranged from 38.7 to 62.8. A dynamic analysis of the pistons indicates that, neglecting external loads and friction forces, they caused no net work on the system. Initial testing of the prototype with combustion occurring indicated conceptual feasibility and good cycle characteristics, although poor sealing caused the compression ratio to be too low for sustained operation. With proper seals, the engine\u27s performance should approach the calculated values --Abstract, page ii