well not really. the apex seal and springs weigh 10.16 grams according to my scale. or .0224136 pounds.

however at a crank speed of 9000 rpm and rotor speed of 3000 rpm they exert a force against the rotor housing of 24 pounds!

24 pounds traveling 75 mph!

centrifugal force at work.

this 24 pounds going 75 mph is focused on a TINY contact surface.

of course this is calculated at a very high rpm some of us may never see... but even at half that we have quite a challenge as to lubrication.

just something on which to noodle.

 

I dont know how you calculated this but centripetal force (force toward center of rotation) is exactly equal to centrifugal force (force away from center) on a rotating object which is exactly why a rotated object's trajectory is tangental to rotation when released from rotation.

That is, why when you release a sling stone the object is carried purely by inertia tangental to rotation. If centrifugal force affected the sling stone at the release point the stone would go straight down into the ground.

Inertia carries it forward.

The combustion gas pressure behind the apex seal exerts the pressure against the rotor housing.

Inertia exerts the force against the trailing side of the rotor apex seal slot accelerating (compounded by frictional forces) and against the leading side of the rotor apex seal slot decelerating (diminished by frictional forces).

You were of a generation that was taught centrifugal force was a factor. I was of the generation taught centripetal force was a factor.

We now understand it is actually just the forces of inertia and friction measurably affecting rotating objects.

 

If anything, the pressure increases sealing, no?

The numbers of high performance internal combustion engines are always slightly astounding.