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The purpose of these experiments was to determine the performance of a turbocharged rotary engine at power levels above 75 kw (100 hp). A twin rotor turbocharged Mazda engine was tested at speeds of 3000 to 6000 rpm and boost pressures to 7 psi. The NASA-developed combustion diagnostic instrumentation was used to quantify IMEP, PMEP, peak pressure and face-to-face variability on a cycle-by-cycle basis. Results of this testing showed that at 5900 RPM a 36 percent increase in power was obtained by operating the engine in the turbocharged configuration. When operating with lean carburetor jets at 105 hp (78.3 kw) and 4000 RPM, a brake specific fuel consumption of 0.45 lbm/lb-hr was measured.

NASA has determined by experimental and analytical effort that use of advanced turboprop propulsion instead of the conventional turbofans in the older narrow-body airline fleet could reduce fuel consumption for this type of aircraft by up to 50 percent. In cooperation with industry, NASA has defined and implemented an Advanced Turboprop (ATP) program to develop and validate the technology required for these new high-speed, multibladed, thin, swept propeller concepts. This paper presents an overview of the analysis, model-scale test, and large-scale flight test elements of the program together with preliminary test results, as available.