Rotary engine

Rotary engine, internal-combustion engine that uses rotors instead of pistons. The most important parts of this type of engine are the triangle-shaped rotor and the chamber. The movement of the rotor keeps the chamber divided into three sections in which different stages of the combustion process occur. Depending on the engine, there may be several rotors, each containing its own chambers. The rotary engine works on a four-stroke cycle of induction, compression, combustion, and exhaust. In the induction stage a mixture of air and gas enters the chamber. The mixture is then compressed in the second stroke of the cycle. The mixture is then ignited by spark plugs in the combustion stroke. This creates gases which cause the rotor to move. The exhaust stroke forces the burnt gases to leave the engine. Although it consists of fewer parts than equally-powered piston engines, it emits more pollution and burns more fuel. At low speeds, but not high speeds, it emits a loud noise. Felix Wankel of Germany created the most popular rotary engine design in the 1950s.

See also: Internal combustion engine.