An award was given at the SETC 2022 Society of Automotive Engineers conference in Himeji, Japan for the paper presentation of “Development of a Rotary Valve Engine for Handheld Equipment”. This paper was presented at the conference as a one of a total of 96 technical presentations to an international audience. The paper was a joint effort between VAZTEC, Husqvarna, and UNC-Charlotte and highlights the development of a 45cc handheld 4 Stroke rotary valve engine that matched a current production 45cc 2 Stroke engine’s power and RPM limits but with improved emissions. The novel rotary valve technology provides improved intake and exhaust flow, allowing this 4 Stroke engine to make power levels that are up to 50% higher than current 4 Stroke engines in this market.
