Lorraine Algol
1930s French piston aircraft engine
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The Lorraine 9N Algol was a French 9-cylinder radial aeroengine built and used in the 1930s. It was rated at up to 370 kW (500 hp), but more usually in the 220–300 kW (300–400 hp) range.
| Algol | |
|---|---|
| |
| Type | 9-cylinder air-cooled radial aircraft engine |
| National origin | France |
| Manufacturer | Société Lorraine, Argenteuil, Paris |
| Major applications | Bloch 120 |
| Variants | Lorraine Sirius |
Design and development
The Algol was a conventionally laid out radial engine, with nine cylinders in a single row. The crankcase was a barrel-shaped aluminium alloy casting, with an internal integral diaphragm which held the front crankshaft bearing. Forward of the diaphragm there was an integrally cast cam-gear case for the double track cam-ring. The reduction gear was housed under a domed casing attached to the front of the crankcase.[1]
Flange-mounted steel barrels were bolted to the crankcase and enclosed with cast aluminium alloy, screwed-on, cylinder head with integral cooling fins. The pistons were also made of aluminium alloy and had floating gudgeon pins. The nine pistons drove the single throw crankshaft via one channel-section master rod and eight circular section auxiliary rods. The master rod had an integral, split type big-end. The crankshaft was machined from a single forging, with bolt-on balance weights.[1]
The Algol had a single pair of overhead inlet and exhaust valves per cylinder. The cam-ring drove roller tappets, mounted in the cam-case, which in turn operated rocker arms, fitted with ball bearings, via pushrods. The cam-ring was concentric with the crankshaft and driven via epicyclic gears.[1]
Most Algols were conventionally aspirated via a single carburetter[1] but at least one 1938 variant used a form of fuel injection, where fuel was blown into the induction system rather than the cylinder head.[2]
Variants
- 9A
- 9Ab
- 9Ac
- 9Ad
- 9N Algol
- 9Na Algol
- 9N Algol-Junior
- 9N Algol-Major
- 9N Algol-Amelioré
- Type 120 500 hp
- A developed version with supercharger and reduction gear giving 500 hp (370 kW) at 3,000 m (9,800 ft)[3]
Applications
Specifications
Data from Jane's All the World's Aircraft 1938[1]
General characteristics
- Type: 9-cylinder single row supercharged radial
- Bore: 140 mm (5.51 in)
- Stroke: 150 mm (5.90 in)
- Displacement: 20.78 L (1,268 cu in)
- Length: 1.347 m (53.2 in)
- Diameter: 1.275 m (50.2 in)
- Dry weight: complete 390 kg (860 lb)
Components
- Valvetrain: one inlet and one exhaust overhead valve per cylinder, operated with rocker arms, pushrod driven via roller tappets bearing on a double track cam-ring
- Fuel system: single Stromberg carburettor, heated by exhaust
- Fuel type: petrol
- Cooling system: air-cooled
- Reduction gear: 11:17
Performance
- Power output: rated 221 kW (296 hp)[4]
- Compression ratio: 6:1
