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From: "Al Gietzen" <ALVentures@cox.net>
To: "Rotary motors in aircraft" <flyrotary@lancaironline.net>
Subject: Rotary within a rotary
Date: Sun, 3 Feb 2008 08:10:40 -0800
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Forward:

A very interesting engine concept.  BSFC of .28 - wow.  Be sure to =
checkout
the animation.

Subject: REFLECTOR: Engine Answer?

We've seen so many too-good-to-be-true alternative engine technologies =
that
we roll our eyes whenever we see the next one. One that has potential to =
be
a bit different is the legacy engine effort, being worked on at Oak =
Ridge,
TN with technical support of Oak Ridge National Lab and University of
Tennessee and some decent (if inadequate) money behind them.  It has =
aspects
of a rotary engine and Wankel but is designed to run of heavy fuels, =
such as
kerosene.  Hallmarks:

*  An increase in efficiency of approximately 16% over an equivalent
crankshaft engine
*  Potential for greater than 1.6 hp/lb=20
*  Potential for 200 hp/ft3 of installed volume

While the efficiency improvement over a crankshaft/recip engine is =
modest,
its biggest asset for aircraft (which they have not even thought about) =
is
the energy density.  A 300hp unit would weigh 188# and be about 15" =
diameter
and about 15" long.  As can be seen from the website,
http://www.legacyengine.com/home/index.php?option=3Dcom_frontpage&Itemid=3D=
1

 they are as much into finding partners and investors as they are about
explaining the technology--not a good sign, but also not unusual for a =
start
up.  They don't intend to manufacturer the engine, simply develop and
license the technology. =20

Anyhow, I would give it a 2%-3% chance of ever seeing the light of a
commercial day, but if it did, even if it fell a tad short of its
performance specs, what an awesome aircraft engine--using heavy fuels at
that.