I've spent the last hour reading the various articles i could find on that
"little engine that could". I'm quite familiar with the Wankel Rotary
design, but this is awesome! I am suprised and amazed at this little bit of
potential. If this eventually comes out, and becomes cheap, and a cheap
hybrid system comes into the market as well for it.....this would seem like
an amazing conversion for many cars. That brings me to wondering why people
dont use more rotary engines for conversions, and not just in vanagons. My
understanding is that its a far superior technology in many ways, yet doesnt
only mazda use it? I've heard of a bus with a rotary in it, but am yet to
find a link to it.

A hybrid would be cool. Have you guys seen that link to the electric vanagon
project? I dont still have the link, but it was a pretty cool looking
project. Inovative thinking keeps the world turning.

-Craig
'85GL

On 10/4/07, Ron LK Johnson <adhocMedia@comcast.net> wrote:
>
> A quick follow-up to Mark's note - lots of nice links - thanks!
>
> Diesel hybrid systems for city buses do operate the diesel engine at
> peak power production - essentially running continuously  or near
> continuously at a constant rpm to maximize efficiency. There are
> several such buses in the Portland, OR fleet (TriMet).
> The diesel engine is connected to a generator that only feeds the
> battery pack - i.e., it is completely out of the drive train. The bus
> is driven by an electric system that is fed by the battery pack. In
> the case of the TriMet buses, the batteries are located on the roof.
> This arrangement allows for a much smaller diesel engine, reduced
> maintenance, increased engine life, reduced emissions, etc.
>
> http://www.regtech.com/
>
> Above is a link to company with a promising rotary diesel engine
> design:  40+ HP in a 6" x 6" package. The claim is the design is
> easily scalable. One of the applications papers on the site describes
> the type of hybrid system above that could be adapted to passenger
> vehicles owing to the small size of their diesel design.
>
>
>
> Ron Johnson
> Portland, OR
> '91 Weekender
> '04 Prius (& former '01 Insight owner)
>