Meeting Minutes May 17, 2014

EAA Chapter 1167

Old Business:

• No discussion regarding a project for the chapter.

New Business:

• Doug told us about his discussion with an Illinois chapter President whom suggested a change to the meeting content each month. Move from so much Chapter business type discussion to problem solving discussions.

Discussion:

• We reviewed numberous internal combustion engine arrangement and discussed the merits, pros and cons of each:

• migrating combustion chamber engine

• rotory engine improvements

• two cylinder with a single piston

• opposed piston engine - two pistons in one cylinder

• 5 stroke engines that remixe the exhaust gasses into a central low presser cylinder that operates between two other normal 4 stroke cylinders.

• Duke "rotory" engine that looks more like a washing machine mechanism than an engine.

Problem Solving:

• Issues with clecos holding once aluminum skin rivet holes have been dimpled.

• Suggestion is to use #3 washers on the back of the rivet

• use a scotchbright pad behind the rivet to hold the washer in place with the bucking bar behind scotchbright pad.

• Issues with Battery Minder use.

• A new battey was ruined after unplugging the minder without disconnecting it from the battery.

• Suggestion that the rectifier bridge that would normally have protected the battery is bad.

• There were mixed experiences with the use of Battery Tender vs. Batter Minder. Most people are against using the Battery Tender (by the way, the one I used on my mototcycle worked great for years).

Tech talk:

• Coleman’s research project on solinoid operated intake and exhaust valves:

• Coleman was out sick so Doug related some information about the project. showed us some video of the swedish researchers results retrofiting the solinoid operated valves in an old SAAB.

• This turned out to be quite a controvercial topic. Objections surround additional complexity with the related reduction in reliability.

• There followed discussion about the efficiency differences between turbine and piston engines.
  
  
  

• We also noted that someone in Texas has picked up the devopment of wankel rotory engines for aircraft.

• There were some good discussions about the chemestry of removing water from the gasoline. It was noted that even though the water may have been removed the alcohol decay over time (in current pump gas) is still present creating the peroxides (leading to corrosion) inside the tank.

• Suzee mentioned a product called Starttron that can be added to fuel to eliminate the issues associated with alcohol or water absorbtion as well as alcohol decay.

• Ron asked about making a mold to create a generator cooling cover.

• We talked about using stariphom then cover it with bondo like material the use that to create the negative.

• Also talked about using the actual part coated in PVA mold release to create a negative to use for the mold.
  
  
  

Adjourned meeting.