JUST ANOTHER ROTARY?

The Shaw engine program at University College, Cardiff looks promising. The engine has all the advantages generally associated with a rotary design, but it is believed that the problems to be overcome are nowhere near as severe as in the case of some of the more exotic designs of the Sarich, the Anidyne, or the Rotom. It is compact, the first prototype, which was constructed over fifteen months ago, had a displacement of 546 cm**3 and an overall size of 350 multiplied by 285 multiplied by 185 mm, and produces smooth, quiet, vibration-free power. Gas sealing is accomplished by the use of conventional piston rings rather than special seals; this was one of the problems associated with the Wankel development. Specific fuel consumption is expected to be considerably lower than the Wankel both because of the better gas sealing and the compact combustion chamber giving high thermal efficiency.