Wankel Engine

The Wankel engine is a type of internal combustion engine that uses an eccentric rotary design to convert pressure directly into rotating motion. The concept was developed by German engineer Felix Wankel, with a commercially viable design later created by Hanns-Dieter Paschke. Its rotor resembles a Reuleaux triangle and spins inside a figure-eight epitrochoidal housing, giving the engine a compact form and minimal vibration compared with reciprocating piston engines, which has suited it to applications ranging from chainsaws to aircraft. The Wankel engine has lower thermal efficiency and higher exhaust emissions than four-stroke reciprocating engines, a limitation that has restricted its adoption since the 1960s even as many of its disadvantages have since been addressed through further development.