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 |
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]
Data from Jane's All the World's Aircraft 1938[1]
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|---|---|
| V- and W- piston engines |
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| Radial piston engines | |
See also: Lorraine-Dietrich aero-engines | |