The idea has been around for a while, but I haven't seen any technical data yet, so I still have doubts.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Badhobz
makes no sense... if you wanted an IC engine for a range extender, why would you pick a gas guzzling rotary instead of your skyactive lineup which has amazing fuel efficiency. Yeah rotaries are cool, but not in this application.
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There are advantages you are overlooking.
Ever looked at a 13B and wonder, "Wow, that tiny thing makes 200+ BHP?!" It actually works out to be about 1 cubic foot in physical volume. Now imagine a generator that will supposedly have about 1/4 of the displacement of the 13B. It can be very beneficial to packaging. People call it a "shoebox" for a reason.
And if you drive a rotary car, you will definitely notice the fact it's silky smooth, to the point that RX-7 and RX-8 both have a redline beeper from the factory. This is very beneficial for the comfort.
Fuel consumption is not a huge deal. Sure, a rotary is less efficient than a piston engine, but like CorneringArtist mentioned, it's running at a constant load as a generator only, which means it will still sip fuel rather than chug it like my RX-8.
Design the exhaust for that specific RPM the generator runs at and you will barely even notice it running.
The only real concern I have is how rotary burns oil by design. Burning 4-stroke is easier for maintenance but harder for emissions, while 2-stroke burns cleaner, but requires more attention.