ROTARY PISTON ENGINE

Press, Volume CI, Issue 29900, 14 August 1962, Page 17

ROTARY PISTON ENGINE

Promise Seen In Wankel

The Wankel internal combustion engine, which “may be a major break-through in the rotary piston type of engine” was described in an illustrated lecture to about 200 men in the Mayfair Lounge last evening by the lubricants manager of British Petroleum (New Zealand), Ltd. (Mr L. H. Mirams).

Mr Mirams said the engine was considered overseas as a major development. Work on it was begun seriously in 1957 and it was based on the work of Dr, F. Wankel, a German, who had worked on the engine during World War II and the years just after the war.

“In my opinion, the Wankel engine has more promise than the gas turbine engine for road transport purposes. It is a clever and serious attempt to produce an engine that could be a major breakthrough in power application,” he said. Mr Mirams illustrated his talk with a working model of the engine and a number of diagrams. The engine was a single cylinder four stroke engine, he said. The cost of the engine was one-fifth of the conventional piston engine and eighth of the weight for the same power and fuel consumption.

“The maintenance of the engine would appear to be low and lubrication does not appear to be a problem.” The N.S.U. Company, of Neckarsulm, Germany, which was developing the engine, was willing to give to an engineer for a nominal fee the right to make an engine, as long as it was used for experimental purposes, said Mr Mirams.

He said he was very impressed with the engine and also with the manner in which the N.S.U. Company was developing it.