3W-International has announced a new range of two-stroke, Twin Spark heavy fuel engines for the UAV industry. The range comprises 10 engines designed to increase reliability and reduce fuel consumption by 20%, compared with gasoline engines of the same class, claims the company.
The heavy fuel engines are equipped with a modified air intake system, fuel injection, patented 3W-muffler and patented pre-heating crankcase solution.
The majority of the range, featuring a cylinder capacity of 34ccm and more, is designed and produced in Twin Spark (TS) versions for reliability and safety. The TS engines enable the second ignition to run autonomously in the event of first ignition failure, allowing the engine to run further with reduced RPM between 100-150, depending on the type of engine. 3W engines also feature a microprocessor controlled ignition system to start the engine easily.
All models in the HFE engine range are said to run 20°C to 35°C cooler than gasoline engines. The fuel pre-heating system automatically reduces the fuel consumption when fuel passes the pre-heating unit. 3W HFE engines operate with 2-stroke gasoline mix, JET A1, JP 5 and JP 8 without recalibration of the system. For cold start, cartridge heaters are powered for 3-6 minutes, depending on the engine type, by an external power supply until the starting temperature of +65°C is reached in the combustion chamber. When the engine is running, the external power supply of the cartridge heaters is switched off, eliminating the requirement for an external power supply source.
The heavy fuel engines can also feature 3W’s automatic compression release valve to easily stop and restart the engine in the air if an onboard starter, or alternator and starter unit, is on board.
The company will be launching the range at AUVSI in August.
