Ignition and Combustion of Rotary Engine

- Effect of spark-plug arrangement on flame propagation -

Abstract

Owing to its flat-shaped combustion chambers, the combustion characteristics of rotary engines (RE) are quite different from those of ordinary reciprocating gasoline engines. In this paper, in order to gain a better understanding of RE combustion, ignition and flame propagation were observed in detail using visualization apparatus such as an optical RE and a rapid compression machine. Furthermore, this development focused on achieving faster RE combustion for reducing CO2 emissions. Combustion simulation, visualization, and dynamometer tests were conducted. As a result, the optimal spark plug arrangement leading to high thermal efficiency was identified.