Hans Müller (engineer)

Hans Müller (* 1902 in Darmstadt ; † 1968 ) was a German engineer who specialized in two-stroke engines .

Life

Three-cylinder two-stroke engine in the Wartburg 1000

Before the Second World War , Hans Müller initially worked in the central test department of Auto Union in Chemnitz and from 1942 as head of the test department at the DKW plant in Zschopau . In Zschopau, among other things, he played a key role in the further development of the three - cylinder two-stroke engine designed by Oskar Siebler , which after the war was installed in an improved form both in East German vehicles such as the Wartburg 311 or the Barkas B 1000 transporter and in West German DKW models . In 1945 he moved with his wife to Andernach am Rhein and, in contrast to some of his colleagues, escaped a " service obligation " by the Soviets.

In Andernach he started his own business as a designer and became known under the name Müller-Andernach. He developed motorcycle, light aircraft, boat engines, stationary engines and two-stroke engines for automobiles. Saab Automobile was one of his customers . Saab had equipped the first prototypes with DKW two-cylinder engines in 1945/46. In 1949, series production of the Saab 92 began with its own two-cylinder two-stroke engine, designed by Müller-Andernach and built by Heinkel . The three-cylinder two-stroke engine of a three-seater coupé, which Hanomag presented on April 19, 1951 at the International Motor Show (IAA) in Frankfurt, also came from Müller-Andernach . However, the car was not approved by dealers, whereupon Hanomag concentrated on commercial vehicle construction. Vidal & Sohn also built the three-cylinder two-stroke into the Tempo Matador after VW canceled the engine delivery in favor of its own transporter. The two-stroke engine was soon replaced by a four-cylinder four-stroke engine, also from Müller-Andernach. Both engines were built by Heinkel.

Müller also worked for Auto Union again - now in West Germany - and from around 1960 developed a 6-cylinder two-stroke engine for the DKW F 102 . The construction was originally intended as a boat engine, but also seemed suitable as a drive for automobiles. However, only a few F-102 prototypes were built with this engine, which was also built by Heinkel; because Auto Union ended the production of vehicles with two-stroke engines in 1965. In 1966 the Bayreuther Motoren-Gesellschaft (BMG) was founded with Müller as one of the partners in order to continue the 6-cylinder two-stroke project.

In 1967, BMG offered the rights to the V6 engine to VEB Automobilwerk Eisenach (AWE), where it was named MA 1300. It matched the transmission of the Wartburg 353 and, thanks to its compact length, could be integrated into the front end of the vehicle. With approx. 80 hp he could have eliminated the under-motorization of the Wartburg immediately. However, as with the three-cylinder two-stroke engines, the problem of poor exhaust gas values ​​could not be solved. In addition, Ernst Heinkel KG insisted on the production of the engine, which AWE refused. Ultimately, cooperation with West German companies was viewed critically by the GDR organs and the cooperation was discontinued in 1968.

Hans Müller died in 1968.

Web links

• Müller V6 engine

Individual evidence

1. ↑ ^{a b c} Siegfried Rauch / Frank Rönicke : 2 bars - 4 wheels . 1st edition, Motorbuch Verlag, Stuttgart 2016, ISBN 978-3-613-03862-2 , pp. 83-95.
2. ^ Hanns-Peter Baron Thyssen-Bornemissza von Kaszon : Lexicon of the forgotten types of cars . No. 2775 . Accessed April 9, 2016.
3. ^ Hanns-Peter Baron Thyssen-Bornemissza von Kaszon: Lexicon of the forgotten types of cars . No. 1673 . Accessed April 9, 2016.
4. ^ Christian Steiger / Thomas Wirth / Alexander wines: Transporter of the economic miracle . Heel Verlag, Königswinter 1996, ISBN 3-89365-464-X , p. 70 and 129.
5. ^ Peter Kirchberg: Plaste sheet metal and planned economy . 3. Edition. Nicolaische Verlagsbuchhandlung, Berlin 2005, ISBN 978-3-89479-259-6 .