Wankel engine

Also known as rotary engine

internal combustion engine using an eccentric rotary design in place of pistons

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KKM Wankel combustion cycle. A is the apex of the rotor, and B is the eccentric shaft. The distance between A and B remains constant. Three power pulses are produced for each revolution of the rotor, and one power pulse is produced for each revolution of the output shaft.

The Wankel engine (/ˈvʌŋkəl/, VAHN-kəl) is a type of internal combustion engine using an eccentric rotary design to convert pressure into rotating motion. The concept was proven by German engineer Felix Wankel, followed by a commercially feasible engine designed by German engineer Hanns-Dieter Paschke. The Wankel engine's rotor is similar in shape to a Reuleaux triangle, with the sides having less curvature. The rotor spins inside a figure-eight-like epitrochoidal housing around a fixed gear. The midpoint of the rotor moves in a circle around the output shaft, rotating the shaft via a cam.