Quasiturbine Engine

[mjo]

Quasiturbine Homepage

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Why a Better Engine?

In their book about the Quasiturbine, the inventors have used a set of 14 engine parameters to show than none of the modern engine meets simultaneously all the optimum general demanding criteria. Engines fail to be "all in one" compact, low weight, low noise, zero vibration, high torque at low rpm, efficient on a wide power range... While having homogeneous clean combustion and being multi fuel capable... With our today's Beau de Rocha (Otto) mode piston gas engine, about half the gasoline used in the transportation sector is literally wasted to fight the intake atmospheric vacuum depression generated by the carburetor or injector manifold butterfly-valve (The engine-braking effect). This is half the pollution of the transportation activities!

Engines are at the end of the energy chain, and their pollutions affect the most immediate users environment. Better engines are keys to better environment, not only because of their own improved efficiencies, but also because any bit of improvement has directly amplified impacts on all anterior stages of the energy cascade and industry. This is the reason for Quasiturbine!

Quasiturbine Definition

The Quasiturbine is a no crankshaft rotary engine having a 4 faces articulated rotor with a free and accessible center, rotating without vibration nor dead time, and producing a strong torque at low RPM under a variety of modes and fuels. The Quasiturbine can also be used as air motor, steam engine, Stirling engine, compressor and pump. The Quasiturbine is also an optimization theory for extremely compact and efficient engine concepts.

The Quasiturbine is at the crossroad of the 3 modern engines: Inspired by the turbine,
it perfects the piston, and improves upon the Wankel. The Quasiturbine is universal in relation to energy sources: Liquid and gaseous fuel, hydrogen, steam, pneumatic, hydraulic... The Quasiturbine engine was invented by the Saint-Hilaire family and first patented in 1996. The engine makes use of a complex computer calculated oval shape stator housing, creating regions of increasing and decreasing volumes as the rotor turns. It is capable of burning fuel using detonation, the optimal combustion mode of the future... the piston cannot stand.

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[427Z06]

As Spock would say, "Fascinating." Hope the theory pans out in the real world.

Thanks for the link.

 

[MAJA]

Great link. I enjoy very much free thinking ideas such as this. I hope this idea works out, and would be more economical than the wankel. I am always interested in alternate ideas into turning "a fuel" into rotational forces needed to power a vehicle. Some day someone will hit upon the perfect idea. Maybe this is it. Anyone know of any other radical ideas that may work? I remember the barrel, or sine wave, design from a few years back, which Carrol Shelby was involved with, but which I havent anything about since.

 

[wileyE]

another one

 

[Shannow]

The problem with all of these designs is the massive sealing length that they need with relation to the working volume.

That was acknowledged by Wankel as his biggest single challenge. It brought the orbital engine undone, and similarly meant that vane type engines were not successful.

 

[ekrampitzjr]

Comments from a Wankel buff about the Quasiturbine, Rand Cam, and most other rotary designs:

1. The Wankel is about the simplest design that gives a four-stroke cycle, which means it responds to conventional accessories, emissions control systems, etc. Too many of these other designs are horribly complex internally and have numerous sliding, rubbing, and pivoting parts just festering to wear out.

In general, these designs would require complete disassembly to repair or even do maintenance such as change spark plugs. (The original Wankel epitrochoidal engine had spark plugs in the rotor faces, necessitating disassembly for access, and that was one of many reasons why the current design was adopted. The main reason for the change was that in the orignial design the entire engine rotated about the eccentric shaft. Long story.) Shannow is absolutely correct about the sealing length issue with these other engines.

2. To be practical, these designs would have to rely on sealing and materials technologies originally developed for the Wankel. Ha ha!

The Rand-Cam and Quasiturbine have been around for several years, and I'm not seeing too much about their successful development, let alone adoption. The Wankel still has a lot of room for development. You would be surprised at how much progress NASA Lewis (now Glenn) made in research with Curtiss-Wright/John Deere/Rotary Power International. It would seem better to me to spend more effort to improve this engine as Mazda has with the RENESIS. Just a little food for thought.