POWERHOUSE COLLECTION

Sarich 'orbital combustion process' car engine

Object No. 2008/103/1

Perth inventor Ralph Sarich achieved fame by patenting a rotary engine that never went into production. Sarich and his engine captured the public imagination when the ABC television program 'The Inventors' selected him as 'Inventor of the Year' for 1972. In this engine a single piston moved in an orbital fashion within its housing, creating multiple combustion chambers without the stresses inherent in earlier rotary engines. It promised improved fuel efficiency and clean emissions at a time when public interest in environmental issues was growing. Backed by Australian resources company BHP, Sarich established a company to carry out further research and development. The engine suffered problems with cooling and lubrication, and work on it was eventually discontinued. The company then changed its aim to developing a clean, efficient two-stroke engine based on the novel 'orbital combustion process' (OCP) developed by Sarich. In a conventional engine, a carburettor mixes fuel with air and conveys this mixture into the cylinders. Many researchers have contributed to the development of electronic fuel injection to overcome the drawbacks of the carburettor, particularly since the 1960s when governments began legislating for reduced emissions and improved fuel economy. OCP is an air-assisted direct fuel injection system that ensures the introduction into the combustion chamber of a precisely metered amount of fuel atomised by compressed air. Whereas the use of OCP two-stroke engines in cars did not proceed beyond trials, the Orbital company later had major success with its direct injection technology as applied to both two-stroke and four-stroke engines in the motorcycle, outboard motor and snowmobile markets. Improved fuel efficiency and reduced emissions achieved by the technology have enabled engines to meet the demands of increasingly stringent environmental legislation. The company also continues to develop technologies, and carry out consultancy work, for the automotive industry. Ralph Sarich received several awards for his inventions and was made an Officer of the Order of Australia in 1988 for 'service to engineering'. He gradually sold his Orbital shares and left the company in 1992 to pursue other interests. Through investments in property, he became one of Australia's wealthiest people. The story of his orbital engine and the self-made 'little Aussie battler' inventor who took on the mighty international automotive industry was absorbed into the wider narrative that claims inventiveness to be a significant aspect of national identity. References Port, L. 'Australian Inventors', Cassell Australia, 1978, p 170-173 Orbital Corporation website Aprilia website Honours Australia website Debbie Rudder March 2008