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  • Inventor: The Wankel engine was invented by Felix Wankel (1902-1988), a German mechanical engineer.
  • Design:
  • The Wankel engine is a type of rotary internal combustion engine.
  • It consists of an equilateral triangular rotor with curved sides that orbits about an eccentric on a shaft inside a stationary housing.
  • The inner working surface of the housing is in the shape of an epitrochoid.
  • The rotor is in sliding contact with the eccentric and imparts power to the eccentric shaft, similar to how a connecting rod does to a crankshaft in a piston engine.
  • The Wankel engine operates with one-third of a rotor revolution per shaft revolution, generating one power impulse per revolution per rotor, twice that of a four-cycle piston engine.
  • Advantages:
  • Compact Size: The Wankel engine is relatively compact compared to piston engines of similar power output.
  • Light Weight: It is lightweight due to its simpler design and fewer moving parts.
  • Smooth Operation: The absence of reciprocating parts results in smoother operation compared to piston engines.
  • Drawbacks:
  • High Exhaust Emissions: Wankel engines historically had higher exhaust emissions compared to piston engines, although advancements have been made to mitigate this issue.
  • Sealing Problems: Ensuring proper sealing between the rotor and the housing can be challenging, leading to potential reliability issues.
  • Low Fuel Economy: Traditional Wankel engines have been less fuel-efficient compared to piston engines of similar power output.
  • Mazda’s Improvements:
  • Mazda, a Japanese automotive manufacturer, has made significant advancements in addressing the drawbacks of Wankel engines.
  • They have improved exhaust emissions, sealing technology, and fuel economy through innovations in engine design and engineering.

The Wankel engine, with its unique rotary design, offers several advantages such as compact size, light weight, and smooth operation. However, it has historically faced challenges related to exhaust emissions, sealing, and fuel economy. Mazda’s efforts in addressing these issues have contributed to the continued development and use of Wankel engines in certain applications.

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