Rotary engine below SULEV standard on ethanol
A month ago, Joel noted that Moller, the makers of the Skycar, found ethanol to be the perfect fuel for its Rotapower rotary engines. Today, Moller announced in a new press release that with ethanol, they're achieving remarkably low emissions.When adjusted for an automobile traveling at 70 mph the Rotapower's harmful emissions levels were significantly lower than California's Super Ultra Low Emissions Vehicle (SULEV) standards. Unburned hydrocarbons (HC) are at 2 percent of the SULEV limit; carbon monoxide (CO) is just 1.3 percent; and nitrogen oxide (NOx) is at 35 percent.
Sounds like we're going to be needing a new acronym... What's lower than "super ultra low?"
Related:
[Source: Moller]
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
derek 12:48AM (4/02/2008)
It is true that rotary engines burn oil, and can use synthetic oil, that is if you dont mind replacing your apex seals more frequently as synthetic oils do not burn the same as natural oil and cause more stress to the seals. If more effort could be placed on making synthetic oils burn the same way as natural oil then the issue of seal longevity would not be an issue.
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jon 11:08AM (9/16/2006)
SULEV vehicles already emit low amounts of pollutants than in the surrounding city air,
so basically, this new car is cleaning the air as it drives.
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Arnie 12:13PM (9/16/2006)
Well Jon, I challenge you to inhale from the exhaust pipe for an hour or so.
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Jimmy 3:20PM (9/16/2006)
Most impressive is that these emissions are "without using an exhaust after-treatment (no catalytic converter required)"
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Arpad 11:36AM (9/17/2006)
I was under the impression that the Mazda rotary consumed a certain amount of oil because of the way the cam was situated. A friend of my claimed that this is a necessary evil with rotaries. Anyone have any comments? If this is true, how can this possibly be SULEV unless there are some emissions that aren't considered in the rating?
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Joe 1:39PM (12/30/2006)
Arnie, If you mixed a little O2 in the exhaust you might be able to.
The rotary is like a two stroke in respect to burning oil.
Anybody have any info on this type of rotary.
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will barnett 9:45AM (1/16/2008)
there are any number of synthetic oils that can be used rather than natural oil so in essence oil isn't needed
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