Targeted for military, commercial and aerospace applications, the XTS-210 is about the size of a basketball, weighs 19 kg (42 lbs) and has a displacement of 210 cc. Works on multiple fuels including diesel and kerosene/jet fuel. The company is targeting around 20 kW (26.8 hp) and 29.4 Nm (21.7 lb-ft) of torque at 6,500 rpm.
These numbers are comparable to the Kohler KDW1003 E536A’s peak output of 18.8 kW (25.2 hp) and 63 Nm (46 b-ft) at about five times the physical size and more than four times the diesel power of the XTS-210. One LiquidPiston said. weight. Also, in the XTS design he uses only two main moving parts: the rotor and the shaft. You can see the breakdown for older versions in the video below.
So how do they work? -housing with leaves So take everything you know about Wankel and literally turn it inside out.
“They have a long, narrow, moving combustion chamber. We have a clean, round combustion chamber. You just need to make the combustion chamber smaller and you can drive it up to high compression. And it’s stationary. , so you can inject fuel directly anywhere: high compression ratio and direct injection, two key advantages of diesel.
“Then there are the apex seals. They are like piston rings. , does not bounce and can be lubricated directly from the housing.
“So we basically solved the major challenges that the old rotary had with combustion and refueling. Those refueling challenges caused both durability issues and emissions issues. By fixing it, we have solved the problem of the old rotary, and we have also upgraded the cycle, which is much more efficient.”
LiquidPiston X-Engine Takes Flight [Long]
LiquidPiston has been working on these X engines for nearly 20 years and a number of prototypes have already been tested in small planes (see above) and go-karts. Other prototypes include naturally aspirated versions with up to 40 hp and forced induction engines with up to 70 hp. They run these things on diesel, gasoline, hydrogen, propane, and for their ubiquity in defense and aerospace, they’re developing the XTS-210 on JP-8/Jet-A fuel at the moment. increase.
The company is working to commercialize the XTS-210 under a $9 million U.S. military contract, with prototypes expected to be delivered in 2024. This brings LiquidPiston’s total military contract value to over his $30 million. Another project is evaluating it for use in hybrid-electric VTOL UAVs, but its immediate use cases are expected to be in portable generators and UAVs.
“At present, there are basically no diesel engines in the 25 hp power class suitable for aerospace and mobile military applications, where size and weight parameters are particularly important. It provides significant end system capability and utility benefits for the military to ease supply chain and logistics burdens in an era where “power on the move” is becoming increasingly important. “
liquid piston
It’s a difficult time to work on a new combustion engine concept as electrification continues, but the military won’t be fully electrified anytime soon, and the design’s portability and fuel-rich capabilities of the LiquidPiston could make it into mass production. There is a nature. If proven efficient and durable in a wide range of conditions.
Source: Liquid Piston
