The inventors of a new type rotary engine contracted with DARPA

Company LiquidPiston received funding for its project средства by DARPA . The project is an improved internal combustion engine rotary called X1 . At the head of a company operating in the city of Bloomfield State of Connecticut, are engineers, father and son, Nicholas and Alexander students.

The inventors say many unique properties of its products. For example, the thermal efficiency of the engine is 50% (compared to 20-30% of a conventional petrol engine). However, if you take the diesel engine, add the turbocharging and intercooling, we also obtain the efficiency of about 50%. But while the diesel engine will weigh a lot.

According to Alexander Shkolnik, a typical diesel generator 3 kW has dimensions 100h60h60 cm and weighs more than 70 kg. In this case, the motor generator based on X1 similar capacity will weigh 15 kg (engine itself - 4 kg), and it will be the size of 30x30 cm. In fact, this generator will fit in a backpack.

The inventors have tried to take the best from the different thermal cycles and reduce the loss of engine power. The theoretical limit of efficiency of the new engine - 75%, but while the engineers are working hard to achieve real target of 57%.