EXTENDING THE WANKEL'S FUTURE ON HYDROGEN FUEL

Proven in thousands of military drone aircraft, the lightweight and power-dense Wankel rotary still aims for a future…as a zero-emission range extender.

Could the Wankel rotary engine have a major future as a hydrogen-fueled, zero-emissions range-extender engine? Fuel cells are still under development and there are technical hurdles and production costs to overcome. Reciprocating engines are generally too heavy and complex for range-extender application, experts believe. Furthermore, hydrogen fuel - necessary for zero emissions - presents many difficulties when used in reciprocating engines. These issues are evaded in the rotary engine where the cool intake chamber is remote from the combustion zone.

“The overall objective is to create a range-extender power unit that exceeds the efficiency of the best fuel cells; with lower weight, higher TBO [time between overhauls] and at a fraction of the manufacturing cost,” said veteran Wankel development engineer David Garside. He expects that after 2030, the majority of the world's larger electric vehicles will be fitted with range extenders of this type.