English 
Spanish 
4 min read
5 comments
The company innovates with an improved rotary engine, overcoming the challenges of older models and offering five times more power than diesel engines.
The rotary engine, a landmark invention in the history of internal combustion engines, fascinates for its innovation, but also faces challenges, including high fuel consumption, reduced torque, polluting emissions and lubrication complexities. Given this, the Liquid Piston is working on developing the “X Engine,” a new approach to improving rotary engine technology in the automotive industry.
Check out all the details of the new X Engine rotary engine that promises to shake up the automotive industry
The X Engine is an innovative engine that works without pistons and operates based on a thermodynamic cycle known as the high-efficiency hybrid cycle (HC). Unlike the traditional engines, it employs a single rotor to perform both compression and expansion of the working fluid, providing improved efficiency and smaller energy reductions.
Liquid Piston, the company behind this technology, claims that the X Engine represents a significant leap forward in rotary engine technology, addressing issues of efficiency, lubrication and fuel versatility that limited conventional models.
- Toyota unveils Urban Cruiser EV, a new compact electric SUV that promises to transform urban mobility and mark a new era in the automotive industry
- State shocks drivers by seizing electric motorcycles, saying they put people in danger
- Fiat launches the Pálio pickup truck with 14 km/l, promising to win over Brazilians and end the reign of the Onix!
- Follow the leader: Volkswagen Polo conquers the throne of best-selling cars in Brazil in 2024 for the second consecutive year
The liquid-cooled, two-stroke XTS 210 model offers five times the power of a diesel engine of similar dimensions or weight, in addition to tripling the torque. This engine is specially designed for military, commercial and aerospace applications where high power density, fuel efficiency and flexibility in fuel type are crucial.
Compact and lightweight, the new rotary engine is about the size of a basketball, weighs 19 kg and has a displacement of 10 cm³. It is capable of operating on a variety of fuels, including diesel and jet fuel.
The company aims to achieve around 20 kW of power and 29,4 Nm of torque at 6.500 RPM. These figures are impressively comparable to the 18,8 kW and 63 Nm peak of the Coler KDW 13E 536A engine, which is five times larger in physical size than the X Engine rotary engine.
The simplified rotary engine in the automotive industry: just two moving parts
The innovative rotary engine stands out for its simplified design, which includes just two main moving parts: a rotor and a shaft. The triangular-shaped rotor fits perfectly into a housing with two logos, thus forming three combustion chambers.
These chambers pass through all four stages of the HC cycle (high efficiency hybrid cycle). The connection between the shaft and the rotor is made through a planetary gear system, allowing the rotor to rotate at a different speed from the shaft, thus optimizing the engine's performance.
One of the most notable features of this engine is its round-shaped stationary combustion chamber. This design offers a significant advantage as it allows you to achieve high levels of compression simply by reducing the size of the chamber.
The stability of the combustion chamber enables direct fuel injection, a feature that is not viable in traditional rotary engines. This innovation promises to considerably improve engine efficiency and performance.
Innovative features of the XTS 210 rotary engine
Liquid Piston's XTS 210 rotary engine stands out for two main features: an exceptionally high compression ratio and the ability to perform direct fuel injection. A crucial aspect of this engine is the design of its top seals, which play a similar role to piston rings in Wankel engines. In the Wankel engine, these seals are located inside the rotor, constantly moving at high speeds, which makes it difficult to maintain adequate lubrication.
However, Liquid Piston's new rotary engine takes an innovative approach: the seals are stationary, remaining fixed while the engine is running. This makes it easier to apply lubrication directly to the casing, solving one of the main challenges faced by the Wankel engine.
Alex Schkolnik, co-founder and CEO of Liquid Piston, said the company has managed to overcome fundamental issues related to combustion and lubrication that previously affected the durability and emissions of traditional rotary engines.
I didn't quite understand how this engine works, but it's similar to the one developed by Felix W.
These innovations take 300 years to get here…