starapex
Active Member
.9 horse power
In 1960 the KKM250 rotary engine with an installation weight of 48.4 pounds was installed in a NSU Prinz, a basic sub compact car already in production.
The KKM250 shown on page 105 of Jan P. Norbye’s book “The Wankel engine” produced 44 horsepower at 9,000 r.p.m. Page 109. This is over .9 horsepower per pound.
The KKM250 had roller bearings between the e-shaft lobe and the rotor so it would only partially utilize the two thirds backward motion of the rotor and convert it to torque on the drive shaft. Unfortunately NSU did not understand the principle they put in effect and did not make the roller size large enough.
The roller bearings and ball bearings in conventional systems are almost frictionless once they get up to speed as they do not slide they roll between the inner and outer races when one is stationary and the other rotates around it. The Wankel engine e-shaft lobe and rotor does not have a conventional system.
The .9 horsepower per pound of installation weight makes one wonder about the potential of the engine if the roller bearings were the proper size to hold the engine in synchronization.
Ken
In 1960 the KKM250 rotary engine with an installation weight of 48.4 pounds was installed in a NSU Prinz, a basic sub compact car already in production.
The KKM250 shown on page 105 of Jan P. Norbye’s book “The Wankel engine” produced 44 horsepower at 9,000 r.p.m. Page 109. This is over .9 horsepower per pound.
The KKM250 had roller bearings between the e-shaft lobe and the rotor so it would only partially utilize the two thirds backward motion of the rotor and convert it to torque on the drive shaft. Unfortunately NSU did not understand the principle they put in effect and did not make the roller size large enough.
The roller bearings and ball bearings in conventional systems are almost frictionless once they get up to speed as they do not slide they roll between the inner and outer races when one is stationary and the other rotates around it. The Wankel engine e-shaft lobe and rotor does not have a conventional system.
The .9 horsepower per pound of installation weight makes one wonder about the potential of the engine if the roller bearings were the proper size to hold the engine in synchronization.
Ken
