History

The present incarnations of rotary engines, as of 2010, are based on the rotary engine design of Felix Wankel, a German mechanical engineer. The first working prototype was completed in 1957, in a partnership between Wankel and German automotive company NSU, reports mazda.com.

Design

The rotary engine consists primarily of a single housing that contains a triangular rotor around the crankshaft. It also has two ports, for intake and exhaust, and a spark plug.

Function

Nationalspeedinc.com reports that the slightly off-center triangular rotor, which follows a spirographic pattern, creates three chambers that allow for intake in one chamber, compression and combustion in a second and exhaust in the third.

Benefits and Disadvantages

The benefits of the rotary engine design are, according to nationalspeedinc.com, reduced engine complexity, low likelihood of catastrophic failure and relatively good power for engine size. The disadvantages include seal failures, mostly in cold climates, moderate to poor fuel economy and higher oil consumption.

Use

Mazda, which adopted a version of the Wankel engine, is the only large-scale automotive manufacturer that is currently producing cars with rotary engines. Mazda.com reports that Mazda has the only rotary engine production plant in the world.

Source:

Mazda: Engineering History--The Birth of the Rotary Engine

Mazda: Engineering History--The Advanced Rotary Engine

National Speed: Advantages and Disadvantages of a Rotary Engine