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#1
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Water-cooled Examples
To All,
In another thread regarding the growing shortage of air-cooled automobile engine that can be easily converted to serve as a power- plant for a home-built, I mentioned liquid-cooled engines as an alternative. This lead to an interesting exchange about various options but it also made clear that many home-builders are not familiar with industrial engines. If you will go to the URL below... http://www.gm.com/experience/technol...al_engines.jsp ....you will see the industrial engines offered by General Motors. Examine the two smallest engines. These are four-inline, water-cooled engines which may be had with a variety of cams making them suitable for a number of applications from pumping water (typically the cam most suitable for fitting a propeller), to powering a light truck (mid- range, multi-speed cam) or marine applications (usually using a cam that produces the highest rpm). Every automobile manufacturer of any size has an industrial engine division. This SHOULD be true for TATA ( in India) as well as China. Ideally, we want the engine that weighs the least and can produce at least 40hp @ 2800 rpm. To keep things simple, if the engine uses fuel injection, we would discard that in favor of an up-draft carburetor. If the ignition is part of a combustion controller computer system, it would be replaced with a simple electronic ignition system, allowing the engine to be manually started. These changes would reduce the engine's weight and may reduce its cost, depending upon how it is acquired. When examining the graphs showing torque, rpm and horsepower, keep in mind that we are driving a PROPELLER with the further assumptions that it is made of wood. Unlike a metal prop, which may be a hollow forging (!) that optimizes L/D, a home-made prop is typically made of wood, which means it must have a thicker cross-section to achieve the required strength. Not only is the wooden prop thicker, it will not be as accurate, increasing its drag. Since aerodynamic drag increases by the SQUARE of velocity, we want to use the lowest possible rpm. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- NOTE: It's possible that the economic difficulties that presently plague American auto makers may be to our advantage in that they are liable to produce smaller vehicles powered by smaller, more fuel- efficient engines that MAY be more suitable for conversion for use in light aircraft. -R.S.Hoover |
#2
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Water-cooled Examples
I have to agree with this. Water cooled industrial or auto engines
are becoming the best option. Our local building community has modified Rover aluminum V8's (Buick 215 for us old guys) and a number of Japanese engines. The success has been ok but these are expensive conversions with trick quality FI and Ignition systems supplied often by SDS. They are local as well and easily accessable to the homebuilders here. Thier website is an excellent source of conversion info, again high end but cooling and conversion issues are well researched with lots of tech articles. http://sdsefi.com/ the aircraft page link is at the bottom. I might differ with Bob a bit as I am leaning to affordable PSRU engines so I can get a powerplant from the auto wreckers. Maybe even use the auto systems for FI and computerized engine management. I want to get all my parts from the local auto store. I am drawn to the earlier systems like the first really dependable packages like the bosch systems in my parade of Volvo 240's or the outstanding record of the 90's Toyota cars and pickups. Direct drive would appeal to me more if oe could invert the engine. Wittman did it with an aluminum Olds v8 I think. How feasable is an inverted engine and the resulting dry sump problems? |
#3
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Water-cooled Examples
For fun I found Kubota specs for a small diesel.
http://www.engine.kubota.ne.jp/engli...4_v1505_36.pdf |
#4
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Water-cooled Examples
On Jun 3, 7:05*pm, wrote:
I might differ with Bob a bit as I am leaning to affordable PSRU engines so *I can get a powerplant from the auto wreckers. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------- I've nothing against a PSRU. I suspect any differences we may have would be in the definition of 'affordable' :-) ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------- *How feasable is an inverted engine and the resulting dry sump problems? ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- Inverting an engine is less difficult than most believe. The main difficulties are in the sizing of the scavenger pumps, especially when dealing with an engine having two banks. But flipping an engine and dry-sumping is far removed from the intended topic. -R.S.Hoover |
#5
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Water-cooled Examples
Veeduber a écrit:
In another thread regarding the growing shortage of air-cooled automobile engine that can be easily converted to serve as a power- plant for a home-built, I mentioned liquid-cooled engines as an alternative. This lead to an interesting exchange about various options but it also made clear that many home-builders are not familiar with industrial engines. In France: http://gazaile2.free.fr/diesel.php The engines are heavy automotive diesel. But here, the taxes are low on diesel fuel and more than 50% cars burn diesel. The #1 use a isuzu diesel on original airframe the #2 use a Peugeot diesel on "MCR01 style" fuselage. The airframe is built very light , the fuel burn is as low as 9l/h (2.4g/h) for 110kts of speed for the Gazaile 2. About the engine: more simple than Thielert but in fact, the homebuilder need to accept electronics for newer engines. The Engine control unit must be simpler than automotive ones. The engine limitation is torque, no rpm... From a 90HP automotive, we may expect 130 HP with more rpm and PSRU. I own a 90HP Toyota diesel in a Corolla, I may achieve 65mpg in best day and 50mpg in common days. This engine weight is around 120kg, not too bad... The other side is the "commercial" life for engines. If flat four VW was built during half a century, actual engine commercial life never exceeded 20 years. -- « Si tous les poètes voulaient se donner la main, ils toucheraient enfin des doigts d'auteur! » Philippe Vessaire Ò¿Ó¬ |
#7
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Water-cooled Examples
That is the problem with most diesels and affordable building in the
performance range that suits me. To date this is the lightest I can find. At least no PSRU would be necessary. One problem with affordable designs and materials is added weight. Fir for spruce, heavier wall mild steel tubing for 4130, heavier engines, PSRUs, etcetera. This steady stacking of weight is a serious issue with building cheap. My definition of affordable includes buying materials locally. If shipping, particularly from the US, or purchasing from Aircraft Suppliers are involved affordable is a lost goal. The most affordable option in North America remains buying a flying airplane like a Fly Baby after an educated inspection. In my case I bought a Fly Baby in Oregon and brought it back to Canada. If I price out 8:00x4 Cub wheels and tires, tailwheel, strong A65, McCauley metal prop, fuel tank, covering supplies, Sitka spruce, ..., my plane cost total landed in my garage was cheaper than a set of A65 cylinders. For fun I found Kubota specs for a small diesel. http://www.engine.kubota.ne.jp/engli...4_v1505_36.pdf Thanks for the research! But weighing 110 kg DRY for just 39HP it doesn't seem very useable, does it? |
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