I don't know how long this design has been around, or if Mazda has ever taken a look at it, but there is at least one alternative rotary-piston engine design that claims to be an improvment over the Wankel in a number of ways. This URL has some information - http://www.machaon.ru/tetra/veselo.htm

Can anyone share an informed opinion about this? Thanks.

 

If I recall correctly, there's quite a huge number of variations on the rotary design, most of them patented by Felix Wankel himself. One design I read about was capable of mugh higher RPM's than the usual rotary, was more efficient, etc...only trouble is, you had to pretty much disassemble the entire engine to change spark plugs. Or something. I'll try to find that website, it was pretty cool.

 

Interesting concept. I'm not going to pretend that I understand it completely, but the first point made is that the inlet and outlet ports in a Wankel are opened to the same chamber at the same time. I think this is one problem solved by the Renesis, which is why it says multi-side port on the engine cover. Inlet and outlet are now complete separated. We'll see if RotaryGod sees this thread- he wrote quite a description of the Renesis, and I'm sure he'd have a ton to say.

 

I would love to see an animation of this Velseovsky rotary in action to see how the chambers work together through a combustion cycle. What is especially strange to me is that it appears that each chamber has a spark plug.

 

It doesn't look like this engine will actually spin to easily. RPM's will have to be low.

 

whats with those seals? there're not really apex-like for an effective seperation between the chambers?

its neat though,
cheers dr. and i hope baron finds that gouge on the wankel variations

 

oops, missed something----- New system of sealing blades positioned on a stator. The sealing provides for effective gas exchange and has reliability as that of reciprocating motor. ----

so the seals are sealed by the stator blade i'm still not sure how the other side would keep a good seal and still maintain pressure?

 

Ok, so you'll have to use your imagination a bit, as I was too lazy to show the seals moving in and out. At least, I think they are supposed to spring in and out, I don't see how else they could maintain contact with the rotor face.

The two things on the rotor are (if I understand correctly) the intake and exhaust ports. So it goes something like this:

1) Intake (as the rotor port lines up with the case port, which is not shown here

2) Compression (note how the intake port just barely passes one of the 3 side seals as compression begins, which seals it off)

3) Ignition (both intake and exhaust are behind seals

4 Exhaust (the exhaust port passes the seal just in time for the rotor to push the gas out)



EDIT: obligatory avatar version :D

 

Looks like it wouldn't rev that high, so wouldn't that mean that it wouldn't produce that much power?

Then again it looks like it would have more combustion, so it would be hard to tell. I don't know how reliable the seal mechanism would be though.

 

The first time I saw it, I wanted to laugh out loud because it looks so funny. But after the more I look at it, the more I like it.

We need an entrepreneur to market this thing and put it into vehicles. Who knows, it may even give Wankel's a run for their money?

 

I'm still trying to figure out how they port the gasses through the rotor. I must not be looking at this pup correctly. Anyways, if they are porting the exhaust through the rotor they are gonna have to have a coolant jacket in the rotor. That is a toughy!

Another hurdle are the sliding vane type seals. Their contact face goes from a positive angle of incidence to a negative angle of incidence.

I smell many $10's mil of development costs. It would be sweet though. Think of a Renesis with better efficiency. That means better mileage coupled with more torque and more power.

 

LOL, cant imagine what happens if Mazda is really using this bean shape rotar to RX8... u no, the shift ****, the seats, all the triangle design will become bean shape design. :D

but still, it sounds cool though.