Why Are Wenkel Engines Not Widely Used Despite Their Simplicity?

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Discussion Overview

The discussion centers on the reasons for the limited use of Wankel engines in practical applications, despite their perceived simplicity and advantages. Participants explore various technical, engineering, and market-related aspects of Wankel engines, including their performance characteristics and challenges in manufacturing and operation.

Discussion Character

  • Debate/contested
  • Technical explanation
  • Exploratory

Main Points Raised

  • Some participants argue that Wankel engines are not as easy to build and use as suggested, citing issues such as high fuel and oil consumption, and engineering challenges related to sealing dissimilar metals at high temperatures.
  • Others note that Mazda utilizes Wankel engines in sports cars due to their favorable power-to-weight ratio and high revving nature, despite the drawbacks.
  • Concerns are raised about high hydrocarbon emissions resulting from the combustion chamber geometry, which may hinder complete combustion.
  • One participant mentions that Mazda has addressed many issues associated with Wankel engines, although fuel consumption remains a significant concern.
  • Another participant points out that patents held by Mazda on improvements to Wankel engines may limit competition and innovation in the field.
  • Some participants suggest exploring alternative engine designs, such as nutating engines and quasi-turbines, as potential advancements in engine technology.
  • There is skepticism expressed regarding the rejection of Wankel and similar engines by major manufacturers, questioning why they would not adopt superior technologies if they existed.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Participants express differing views on the practicality and advantages of Wankel engines, with no consensus reached on their overall viability compared to conventional internal combustion engines. The discussion remains unresolved regarding the reasons for their limited adoption.

Contextual Notes

Participants highlight various technical limitations and challenges associated with Wankel engines, including unresolved issues related to fuel efficiency, emissions, and manufacturing complexities. The discussion reflects a range of assumptions and conditions that may influence the perspectives shared.

banerjeerupak
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Why do we not use Wenkel Engines? THey are easy to build and use. Why do we not use them in the practical world. Or is there any component in which the wenkel engine is used and I'm not aware of?
 
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They're not as easy to build and use as you might have us believe, but we do use Wankel engines. In automotive applications, Mazda favour them for sports cars due to their high power to weight ratio, torque curves, and high revving nature.

The main reasons not to use them are their high fuel consumption, high oil consumption, and the more difficult engineering required in their manufacture (namely problems with sealing dissimilar metals at elevated temperatures, which partially causes the high oil consumption). The thermal problems are excarbated by the fact that the combustion chamber is not cooled by the incoming charge as would be with a reciprocating engine. Very high HC emissions are also a large problem, presumably due to the combustion chamber geometry intrinsically preventing complete combustion. Obviously the HC problem can be overcome by richening the mixture, allowing complete combustion to occur in the exhaust manifold following expansion, but with today's fuel costs this is just daft. Another major problem is that with some designs, carbon deposits can accumulate between the rotor seal and the crankcase, causing the engine to sieze if it's not allowed to fully warm through.

It should be noted that Mazda have managed to successfully address many of these issues, however, fuel consumption is still pretty hairy.

I'm still waiting to see the design for your non-reciprocating piston engine!
 
Last edited:
A source for the wankel engine

http://www.millville.org/Workshops_f/kess_mech/Kess_Wankel/wankel.html
 
Last edited by a moderator:
Mmm. 11mpg on the autobahn.
 
Mazda also has a series of patents on the latest improvements that deter competitors from gaining ground

If you are interested look into some newer typers of engines being developed like the nutating engine and the quasi-turbine
 
quinn said:
Mazda also has a series of patents on the latest improvements that deter competitors from gaining ground

If you are interested look into some newer typers of engines being developed like the nutating engine and the quasi-turbine

It is the same old same old, if any of these engines were any better than the convetional ic engine why would the major manufactuers reject them?
give me a break, who rejects being the market leader?
 

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