Rotary Trivia!
 

I really have no idea where to post this but it is a really nice 3 part piece of rotary trivia.

1. What well known manufacturer currently uses a one rotor wankel setup in its commercial line of automobiles.

2. How is the system used.

3. How is it powered, (hint 1: there are no traditional spark plugs (or glow plugs) and no traditional fuels (gas, oil, etc).

If no-one gets this soon, I will post additional hints from time to time and the answers in about a week or 10 days.

Hint 2, this may be the smallest wankel motor ever.

Jeff

dude, how am I supposed to know that from the top of my head. I can search, but I don't think so :p:

I don't know the manufacturer but I have a strong feeling the Wankel in question is used as an A/C compressor.

and i would say either honda or mitsubishi.

He said it is currently used in a commercial line of automobiles.
So basicallly... what car is currently sold with a 1 rotor engine?

My question, if it's one of the smallest rotaries ever, how can it power a car? Hmmm

Okay guys--nothing close yet
looks like its time for hint #3

The single rotor wankel is used in at least two places in the interior (driver & passenger cabin).

Good luck

Jeff

You're assuming that just because it's a Wankel that it is an engine. Wankels have been used as A/C compressors and air pumps before.

I think it's some part of the heating/cooling system.

Okay guys, its time for hint #4.

This wankel appears in a major German automaker's offerings.

Hope this helps

Jeff

Strange.

The smallest Wankel I know of is a R/C engine that'd fit easily in the palm of your hand (so small it doesn't have or need side seals!). Can't think of any kind of INTERIOR use for something even smaller than that...

Volkswagon I bet. They have had a past of rotary involvement and bought out NSU in... I think.. 1969?
My money is it's something to do with VW.

Shit, this is damn tough!

This is pretty small but no automotive application. Its still experimental.

http://www.me.berkeley.edu/mrcl/

Yeah, NSU is now one of the rings in the Audi logo :)

Yeah guys, starting to rock

FPrep2ndGenRX7:I LOVE the Berkeley mini-engine site so I will need to revise my earlier comment about this application being maybe the smallest wankel ever, it is still real small but maybe (from the photos) the Berkeley motor may be smaller.

Peejay: NSU is included in the Audi logo and tradition counts a bunch. Based on that, care to make a guess about the manufacturer?

Hint #5
Think Safety

Good work so far

Jeff

Hmm... possibly a seat-belt pre-tensioner?

If so I want t osee how it works.

VOLVO!! (?) :)

Peejay---You are sooooooo close and I guarantee that I will post a copy of a diagram produced by the company about it when this is all over. How come you didn't guess the manufacturer or was it just too obvious from my last post?

To all other gamers--Peejay is very close to the correct use and also very close to identifying the manufacturer, how about some work on the power system?

Felix--- Volvo?????Safety, absolutely but Volvo=German????? You really area Mazda kind of guy aren't you??==Well a Ford kind of guy anyway!!!! Just kiddin'


Jeff

Well you made it totally obvious that it's Audi...

1 point for peejay--Audi is the manufacturer

The use is associated with the tensioning of the seat belt.

power source hint #1- There are three distinct power units, one uses a special external ignition system while the other two ignition systems are self contained.

Jeff

I can't think of anything other than a seat belt pre-tensioner....

Since no one else seems to want to play...

The use of this "motor" for a seat belt tensioner which is pulled tight by the Wankel at the instant of impact. A pre-tensioner, as I understand it, keeps the slack out of the belt during normal conditions but allows the belt to extend and retract as needed. Peejay, if you used the word pre-tensioner to mean what I define as a tensioner, then take my humble apology.

Final hint: the power source uses a sensor to trigger the first explosion. Can you guess what triggers the remaining explosions and how many there are?

BTW, my source is sending me (via snail mail) a copy of the handbook describing and illustrating the use. I will post as soon as I get my hands on the bugger. I actually have seen the manual and it is quite interesting.

Jeff

A seat belt pre-tensioner tightens the seat belt upon impact....

Peejay- Sorry about the nomenclature problem, any guesses about the power source or triggering devices?

Probably "powered" by sodium azide or some such other airbag propellant.

While the exact makeup of the propellant is not disclosed, Audi states that the propellants are pyrotechnic charges.....

The first one is triggered electronically, the second and third are triggered as the hot gas passes the open end of the charge, exploding it and forcing the rotor on to the next and final pyrotechnic device which fires just as the second one did.

I should be getting the Audi diagram next week and I will scan it and post the scan as soon as I see it.

Hope you guys had fun


Jeff