From: Ed Anderson <eanderson@carolina.rr.com>
To: Rotary motors in aircraft <flyrotary@lancaironline.net>
Sent: Tue, June 14, 2011 6:04:47 AM
Subject: [FlyRotary] Fw: Pmag Spinner
What may surprise some of you, is that I have a "dark side" {:>).Hee, Hee!
One of the products I make and sell is an electronic ignition monitor for the Emag experimental electronic ignitions of growing popularity among the experimental crowd flying with Lycomings. One of the problems I had in development was I (naturally) do not fly behind a Lycoming, which mean I had to rely on my partner and a test engineer down in Texas to check out the units - that not only required expensive 100LL but also had to wait until they had the time avaliable.
NO LONGER. My partner lost the contest between his engine and a lawnmotor trailer hidden in the grass of a taxiway - so he donated the totalled engine. I took rear assessor case where the Emags are mount (just like a magneto), cut off the rear part of the engine to have all the gear shaft mounts and hooked up a 1/3 HP electric motor to spin them. I also have an auto vacuum puller hooked up to simulate varying engine manifold pressure.
Since things are a bit slow on the list I though I would send a few photos of my Emag Spinner.
Ed
Sent: Monday, June 13, 2011 9:22 AM
Subject: Pmag Spinner
Ok, folks
Here are some photos of the new Pmag test mechanism in the Anderson Electronic Enterprise work shop. Pretty self explanatory.
My partner, Bill Repucci, donated his old engine which got totaled in his encounter with an object hidden in the grass of a taxi way while taxing up over a hill.
I took the accessory case and gears and then cut off the back part of the engine case which retain the last journal location for the engine's crankshaft. I then filled in that 2.5" hole with a combination of thick wall (0.5") aluminum tubing, a bronze sleeve bearing and some pulleys. Hooked up a 1/3 HP motor and got an inexpensive fan motor controller (round dial on the right) to control the rpm of the motor. Hooked motor to gear drive with a pulley and have spun it up to 3100 rpm.
I have an auto vacuum puller - you can see it lying in front of the front panel (red handle) which permits me to simulate the engine Manifold pressure's effect on the Pmag.
The only remaining problem is the small motor surges in the rpm range I am most interested in 2000-2800. But, I will eliminate that problem in the coming week. I will probably replace the bronze sleeve bear as I just am not comfortable that it can take the loads at 3000 rpm for long. But, it'll do for now.
The bottom line is I can now test the EIC with confidence on a spinning "engine" without Bill or Kurt having to burn expensive 100LL - although they still provide the acid test - using the EIC in a flying aircraft.
Just thought you might like to see the results shown in the attached photos. Kurt has flown and reported the following data on the first use of the improved EIC
on his GlassAir with the fuel injected 360 (IO 360?).
MAP "Hg RPM Ignition Advance Displayed - Comment
29.92 0000 19.6 Static Timing Ignition advance BTDC
10.9 1140 26.6 idle
15.4 2060 33.6 Run up
29.2 2700 28.0 WOT for take off - note how the timing has retarded approx 33.6 - 28.0 = 5.6 deg under the heavy engine load
25.5 2550 28.0 Climb
25.0 2550 30.8 (25" Hg and below seems to be the magic number where the MAP causes more advance to kick in)
24.3 2550 33.6 Cruise (here with the engine not working as hard he now has the 5.6 deg back in the advance)
23.2` 2400 35.0 with even lower manifold pressure he gets more advance
23.9 2400 35.0
22.7 2500 36.4 Highest ignition advance during flight at Cruise at the lowest manifold pressure
Ed
Edward L. Anderson
Anderson Electronic Enterprises LLC
305 Reefton Road
Weddington, NC 28104
http://www.andersonee.com
http://www.eicommander.com