There are 3 articles on this title. You are reading the article ranked and rated #1 by Helium's members.
The power rotor that effectively compresses and expands the working chamber as it rotates is the key component of all effective rotary engines. Yet, the weakest link of any rotary configuration well-known for simplicity is the chamber sealing-notice the Wankel engine apex seals (examine RX-8 Mazda's Renesis Engine). The simplest types (those with rotor and eccentric as the only major moving parts) have not eliminated the line-contact seals to rise above the reciprocating engines that enjoyed the area-contact seal provided by their simple and effective piston rings (see the animation of HEHC LiquidPiston Engine). In spite of their unresolved drawback with consequent fast-wearing seals, they managed a niche in modern sports cars, racecars and futuristic private aviation. One inherently favorable characteristic of modern rotary engines is simplicity in overall configuration and operation that brings about a reliably neat little package. With such compact design, they can even be meaner with much higher attainable revolutions than existing piston types. They can rapidly accelerate and attain higher power, achieving quicker response to crucial driver inputs. So, they are hyped to be the engine of the future.
Since the eighteenth century of rotary steam engine types, the whole world is dreaming for the long-awaited rotary engine to take the center stage and dispense with the old, bulky reciprocating engines (with piston, connecting rod, and crank as three major moving parts) into utter obsolescence. Yet, there are numerous major hurdles of rotor-eccentric rotary engine configuration that are yet to be solved by simply devising a way to avoid the line-contact sealing of combustion chambers. Such hurdles are low fuel economy, low thermodynamic efficiency, fuel range limited to dangerous volatile types, distortion caused by uneven thermal distribution, the need for higher wear-resistance of line-contact sealing elements and effective cooling system and afterburners or catalytic converters. What if the sealing elements, together with the whole structure, are simply improved with a tighter area-contact seal configuration? The answer would be an engine with too tremendous impact that appalls anyone's comprehension of the magnitude of the vulnerability of existing technologies that depend too much on conventional power plant: such simple change with drastic aftermath. Those established in any line of business will be deluged with very formidable competitors that quickly
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The power rotor that effectively compresses and expands the working chamber as it rotates is the key component of al... read more
The first functional rotary engine for cars was invented by German engineer Dr. Felix Wankel in 1957, after many year... read more
by Mario
Ah, the Wankel motor. This motor is completely different from the motor you have in your car (unless you have a rotar... read more
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