How Do Wankel Rotary Engines Work?

We look at the Wankel engine — more commonly referred to as a rotary engine — pros & cons, plus an in-depth infographic on how it works.

Unlike the conventional piston engines that power the majority of the cars on the road today, the Wankel engine — more commonly referred to as a rotary engine — designed by German engineer Felix Wankel and patented back in 1929, takes a more innovative approach to essentially accomplish the same thing: convert pressure into motion to help propel our vehicles forward.

Close up of a wankel rotary engine

The simplicity and compact design of the rotary engine is what sets it apart from other internal combustion engines, with Mazda and their RX-8 sports coupe perhaps making the Wankel power plant more of a household name in the past few decades.

Rotary Engine: The Pros and Cons

How Do Wankel Rotary Engines Work

First, here’s a quick overview of some of the good and bad that come with this type of engine.

Pros:

  • A smoother and more compact design
  • More reliable: simplicity of design means less can go wrong
  • Can last longer: fewer moving parts a big plus

Cons:

  • Expensive to repair: an uncommon engine means more costly to repair; plus, you need to find a specialist
  • More maintenance: the simplicity of design is a plus, but the tradeoff is more frequent, consistent maintenance
  • Oil leaks: perhaps the most common issue with the rotary engine
  • Not fuel efficient: requires more oil and fuel mix to keep things lubricated; down goes fuel economy

The rotary engine layout simplified

Stylized cutaway vector illustration of a rotary engine. Graphic: iStock

In simple terms, a rotary engine is a type of internal combustion engine that uses a triangular rotor instead of traditional pistons to produce power. The rotor moves in a circular motion within an oval-shaped chamber, creating the combustion and power generation cycles. This design offers advantages like smooth and high-revving performance, but it’s less common than piston engines.

How does the Wankel rotary engine work?

Well, we could explain this peculiar machine’s workings in a long text block. Or, we can share this terrific infographic from the team at Animagraffs to help break it all down visually.

how-wankel-rotary-engines-work 1
how do wankel rototary engines work rotor-eccentric-shaft
how do wankel rototary engines work cooling
how do wankel rototary engines work oil-system
how do wankel rototary engines work full-model
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