Sarich, Ralph (1938-…), an Australian engineer, inventor, and real estate magnate, developed the orbital engine, an engine with a single stationary piston that follows an orbital path within a circular chamber. He then developed the orbital combustion process engine, which used advanced combustion techniques and a direct fuel-injection system. Both engines were smaller, lighter, and more fuel-efficient than conventional engines.
Ralph Tony Sarich was born on Dec. 10, 1938, in Baskerville, Western Australia. He was educated at Midland Technical School. He then apprenticed as an engineer with the Western Australian Government Railways. Sarich started his own engineering business in 1965. He developed his first version of the orbital engine in 1971. In 1972, Broken Hill Proprietary Company Ltd. (BHP), the largest mining company in Australia, joined with Sarich to provide backing for the engine’s development. This joint venture resulted in the formation of the Orbital Engine Company in 1973. Sarich sold his interests in the Orbital Engine Company in 1992 and took up real estate investment.
