Preliminary Results on Performance Testing of a Turbocharged Rotary Combustion Engine

The purpose of these experiments was to determine the performance of a turbocharged rotary engine at power levels above 75 kw (100 hp). A twin rotor turbocharged Mazda engine was tested at speeds of 3000 to 6000 rpm and boost pressures to 7 psi.

The NASA-developed combustion diagnostic instrumentation was used to quantify IMEP, PMEP, peak pressure and face-to-face variability on a cycle-by-cycle basis.

Results of this testing showed that at 5900 RPM a 36 percent increase in power was obtained by operating the engine in the turbocharged configuration. When operating with lean carburetor jets at 105 hp (78.3 kw) and 4000 RPM, a brake specific fuel consumption of 0.45 lbm/lb-hr was measured.