To allow Piet to test and develop the external starter for PZ500, we decided to design, manufacture and build a simplified “square” engine for him. Here is the current CAD image of this engine with Piet’s initial starter interfaces on the right. Machining of the casings and simplified crank will start in a couple of days.
Consider that PZ500 runs an 18:1 compression ratio thanks to methanol, this is similar to diesel engines! Neels calculated a torque of 80Nm during the compression stroke, that’s about what you torque a 12mm high tensile bolt to, this is a big number and the engine must spin at 200rpm+ for starting. It’s pretty clear why Piet needs a testbed for his starter test and development.
P&C Technologies have stepped up to machine these parts in addition to the real engine casings, we’re very grateful for their enthusiastic support!