PPRuNe Forums - View Single Post - diesel engines on small airplanes
View Single Post
Old 8th Feb 2011, 14:01
  #17 (permalink)  
Volume
 
Join Date: Dec 2001
Location: what U.S. calls ´old Europe´
Posts: 941
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
And not to forget, you should compare the torque over speed curve with the propeller curve and have a look at the torque over crankshaft angle curve. The first one demonstrates that a diesel always needs an adjustable (typically meaning constant speed) propeller, while the second one lets you estimate the TBO of your propeller blade bearings... close to zero! That´s why the Thielert needs a torsional damper. Diesels are doing incredible torque peaks at the time of fuel explosion while an otto burns the fuel smoothly. Of course there is a lot you can optimize with electronically controlled high pressure injection, but that adds plenty of complexity, sources for failure, life limited components, maintenance costs etc.
Volume is offline