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This paper presents initial progress in the development of LiquidPiston’s ‘X4’, a 30 kW heavy-fueled rotary compression ignition engine prototype. The X4 is the newest version of the unique rotary ‘X’ engine architecture. This development is partially funded by the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA), with broad dual-use civilian / military applications including UAVs, generators, and for propulsion. The 30 kW size may be of significant interest in the automotive application as a range extender for Electric Vehicles. The final performance objectives of the program are aggressive: 45% brake thermal efficiency; > 1 hp / lb power-to-weight; and the engine is targeted to fit within a 10”x10”x10” box weighing <40lbs. A first prototype engine “core” has been designed, analyzed, prototypes, and completed its initial testing.

The demand for lighter, smaller, more efficient, and more powerful engines calls for a rethinking of the traditional internal combustion engine (ICE). This paper describes development progress of LiquidPiston's small rotary engine, the XMv3, which operates on a Spark-Ignited (SI) variant of its patented High Efficiency Hybrid Cycle (HEHC). This thermodynamic cycle, which combines high compression ratio (CR), constant-volume combustion, and overexpansion, has a theoretical efficiency of up to 75 percent using air-standard assumptions and first-law analysis. XMv3 displaces 70cc (23cc per each of three working chambers) and is gasoline fueled. The engine is simple, having only two primary moving parts, which are balanced to prevent vibration. The ‘X’ engine geometry utilized by XMv3 can be considered an inverted ‘Wankel’, retaining the traditional Wankel' rotary advantages of high power density and smooth operation, while also overcoming some of Wankel's inherent performance limitations.

This paper describes the development of small rotary internal combustion engines developed to operate on the High Efficiency Hybrid Cycle (HEHC). The cycle, which combines high compression ratio (CR), constant-volume (isochoric) combustion, and overexpansion, has a theoretical efficiency of 75% using air-standard assumptions and first-law analysis. This innovative rotary engine architecture shows a potential indicated efficiency of 60% and brake efficiency of >50%. As this engine does not have poppet valves and the gas is fully expanded before the exhaust stroke starts, the engine has potential to be quiet. Similar to the Wankel rotary engine, the ‘X’ engine has only two primary moving parts - a shaft and rotor, resulting in compact size and offering low-vibration operation. Unlike the Wankel, however, the X engine is uniquely configured to adopt the HEHC cycle and its associated efficiency and low-noise benefits.

The High Efficiency Hybrid Cycle (HEHC) is a thermodynamic cycle which borrows elements of Diesel, Otto and Atkinson cycles, including: Air compression to a high ratio, followed by fuel injection and compression ignition (Diesel). Constant volume combustion (Otto) Over-expansion (Atkinson) Optionally, internal cooling heat recovery via steam generation (Rankine). Simple air standard analysis predicts this cycle to be 17% more efficient than diesel and 19% more efficient than Otto. The construction of a prototype rotary engine implementing this cycle is also described in detail. The main engine components consist of a rotor in pure rotation and two reciprocating gates directly driven by overhead cams. This combination separates the working mixture into three separate volumes. At a given rotor position each volume operates at a different part of the cycle. For instance, intake/compression, combustion, expansion/exhaust are occurring simultaneously in separate chambers.

In this paper we discuss a rotary implementation of the High Efficiency Hybrid Cycle (HEHC) engine. HEHC is a thermodynamic cycle which borrows elements of Diesel, Otto and Atkinson cycles, characterized by 1) compression of air only (e.g. Diesel), 2) constant volume heat addition (e.g. Otto), and 3) expansion to atmospheric pressure (e.g. Atkinson). The engine consists of a compressor, an isolated combustion chamber, and an expander. Both compressor and expander consist of a simple design with two main parts: a rotor and an oscillating rocker. Compared to conventional internal combustion engines, in which all processes happen within the same space but at different times, in this engine, all processes are occurring simultaneously but in different chambers, allowing for independent optimization of each process. The result is an engine which may offer up to 57% peak efficiency, and above 50% sustained efficiency across typical driving loads.