Engineering news
Manufacturer the Proving Factory is to deliver the first of a new series of compact rotary engines for use in the marine, automotive and aerospace sectors this month.
The ‘ultra-compact’ rotary engines will be used for unmanned surface vehicles in the marine sector, a hybrid motorcycle and lightweight sports car.
The Coventry-based Proving Factory is producing the engines for Advanced Innovative Engineering (AIE), an engine-developer based in Lichfield, Staffordshire, that traces the development of its rotary engine designs to work done by Norton Motorcycles in the 1960s.
Components for the engines are being produced at the Proving Factory using CNC milling machines and tooling and they will be fully assembled at the site.
Manufacturing is challenging because the rotors in the engine spin at such a high rate and must be perfectly balanced. The high operating rpm also generate a lot of heat. The engine uses mechanical and thermodynamic processes to reject this heat, and the core components have to be produced to a high degree of precision and smoothness.
Richard Bruges, co-founder of the Proving Factory, said: “AIE’s design has real potential for a range of low-carbon applications. The UK is truly reclaiming its heritage as a manufacturing nation, with so many promising new technologies being designed here.”
Westfield Sports Cars is developing a carbon-fibre car that will use the AIE engine, which the company calls “incredibly light”.
Julian Turner, managing director of Westfield Sports Cars, said: “We are very excited to be able to bring this combination of technology into fun and affordable sports cars. This not only puts us at the leading edge of technology but also enables us to stay there as it provides a platform for our future vehicle development.”