EPS reports that it is working steadily toward FAA Certification for its Graflight 8 diesel, whose list of innovations in engine technology continues to grow.

The Graflight 8 is a clean-sheet design developed by Michael Fuchs and Steven Weinzierl, who say that it “represents a total restructuring of the way diesel power is generated and delivered.” They have cut the fuel burn by thirty per cent and anticipate a 3,000-hour TBO for the liquid-cooled, turbocharged engine that is controlled by an electronic engine management system developed with Bosch. EPS says that the Graflight 8 is the only diesel engine that has passed ground vibration surveys with aluminium, graphite, wood-core, and foam-core composite propellers. The engine utilises a unique ferritic crankcase cast from a new steel/carbon alloy developed in Europe that is lighter and stronger than anything ever attempted in diesel design before, the company claims.

A key element in the design is the wide-angle V layout that was adopted to suit requirements for single- and twin-engine profiles. EPS has developed and patented a new firing order for the flat-vee that allows the Graflight 8 ‘to run as two four-cylinder engines’. Half of the engine could be disabled and the other half would continue to function, providing a unique ‘limp-home’ capability.

“We didn’t set out to improve on any of the existing technologies,” says Michael Fuchs: “They haven’t worked for the diesel. We synthesised a set of new technologies, based on knowledge gleaned from a wide range of players as well as our own experiences.”

The Graflight 8 is expected to complete certification in 2017. Further info eps.aero

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