A rotary engine, also known as a Wankel engine, operates using a rotor that spins within a specially shaped housing to perform the four stages of a typical combustion cycle: intake, compression, combustion, and exhaust. This cycle repeats rapidly, often thousands of times per minute, and multiple rotors can work together within a single engine to generate power.
Here's a more detailed breakdown:
- Intake: As the rotor spins, a chamber is created, drawing in the air-fuel mixture.
- Compression: Further rotation decreases the chamber's volume, compressing the air-fuel mixture.
- Combustion: At the point of maximum compression, spark plugs ignite the mixture, causing an explosion that forces the rotor to continue its rotation.
- Exhaust: As the rotor continues to spin, it pushes the burnt gases out of the exhaust port.
The key difference from a piston engine is that all four stages occur in different parts of the engine simultaneously as the rotor spins. This continuous cycle allows for a smooth power delivery and high RPMs.
