Cars with Rotary Engines

Rotary engines are a type of internal combustion engine that uses a rotating triangular rotor instead of the traditional reciprocating pistons. This design has several advantages, including smoothness, high power-to-weight ratio, and compactness. However, rotary engines also have some disadvantages, such as poor fuel economy and high emissions.

Advantages of Rotary Engines

Smoothness: Rotary engines are very smooth running, due to the fact that there are no reciprocating masses. This makes them ideal for use in high-performance applications, such as sports cars and racing cars.
High power-to-weight ratio: Rotary engines are very powerful for their size and weight. This makes them ideal for use in lightweight vehicles, such as motorcycles and small cars.
Compactness: Rotary engines are very compact, due to the fact that they do not need a crankshaft or connecting rods. This makes them ideal for use in small vehicles, where space is at a premium.

Disadvantages of Rotary Engines

Poor fuel economy: Rotary engines are not as fuel-efficient as reciprocating engines. This is due to the fact that they have a higher surface area-to-volume ratio, which means that they lose more heat to the surrounding environment.
High emissions: Rotary engines also produce more emissions than reciprocating engines. This is due to the fact that they have a higher surface area-to-volume ratio, which means that they produce more unburned hydrocarbons.

History of Rotary Engines

The first rotary engine was patented in 1929 by German engineer Felix Wankel. However, it was not until the 1960s that rotary engines became commercially viable. In 1964, Mazda introduced the Cosmo Sport, which was the first production car to use a rotary engine.

Rotary engines were initially very popular, due to their smoothness, power, and compactness. However, their poor fuel economy and high emissions eventually led to their decline. In the 1970s, the oil crisis made fuel economy a major concern, and rotary engines were no longer able to compete with reciprocating engines.

Today, rotary engines are still used in a few niche applications, such as sports cars and racing cars. However, they are no longer used in production cars.

Conclusion

Rotary engines are a fascinating type of internal combustion engine that offer several advantages over reciprocating engines. However, their poor fuel economy and high emissions have ultimately limited their commercial viability.