Experiment No # 01

1.1 Objective:
To study the wnkelengine briefly.

1.2 Engine:
A machine for converting thermal energy into mechanical energy or power to produce force
and motion.
1.2.1 Types of Engine:
On the basis of engine motion there are two type.
• Reciprocating engine
• Rotary engine

1.2.3 Rotary engine:

The rotary engine was an early type of internal combustion engine, usually designed with an
odd number of cylinders per row in a radial configuration, in which the crankshaft remained
stationary in operation, with the entire crankcase and its attached cylinders rotating around it
as a unit. Its main application was in aviation, although it also saw use before its primary
aviation role, in a few early motorcycles and automobiles. Wankel engine is the type of rotary
engine.

Figure # 1

1.3 Wankel engine:

The Wankel engine is a type of internal combustion engine using an eccentric rotary design
to convert pressure into rotating motion. In contrast to the more common reciprocating piston
designs, the Wankel engine delivers advantages of simplicity, smoothness, compactness, high
revolutions per minute, and a high power-to-weight ratio primarily because three power
pulses per rotor revolution are produced compared to one per revolution in a two- stroke
piston engine and one per two revolutions in a four-stroke piston engine, although at the
actual output shaft, there is only one power pulse per revolution. Since the output shaft spins
three times as fast as the actual rotor, as can be seen in the animation below, it makes it
roughly equivalent to a 2-stroke piston engine of the same displacement. This is also why the
displacement only measures one face of the rotor, since only one face is working for each
output shaft revolution. The engine is commonly referred to as a rotary engine, although this
name also applies to other completely different designs, primarily aircraft engines with their
cylinders arranged in a circular fashion around the crankshaft. All parts rotate consistently in
one direction, as opposed to the common reciprocating piston engine, which has pistons
violently changing direction. The four-stage cycle of intake, compression, ignition, and
exhaust occur each revolution at each of the three rotor tips moving inside the oval-like
epitrochoid- shaped housing, enabling the three power pulses per rotor revolution. The rotor
is similar in shape to a Reuleaux triangle with sides that are somewhat flatter.

Figure # 2

1.4 Parts of Wankel engine:

There are following parts of Wankel engine.
1.4.1 Rotor:
The rotor has three convex faces which acts like a piston. The 3 corners of rotor forms a seal
to the outside of the combustion chamber. It also has internal gear teeth in the center on one
side. This allows the rotor to revolve around a fix shaft.

Figure # 3

1.4.2 Housing:
The housing is epitrochoidal in shape (roughly oval). The housing is cleverly designed as the
3 tips or corners of the rotor always stay in contact with the housing. The intake and exhaust
ports are located in the housing.

Figure # 4

1.4.3 Intake & exhaust ports:

The intake port lets fresh mixture enter into combustion chamber & the exhaust gases expel
out through outlet/exhaust port.

Figure # 5

1.4.4 Spark plug:

A spark plug delivers electric current to the combustion chamber which ignites the air-fuel
mixture leading to abrupt expansion.

Figure # 6
1.4.5 Output shaft:
The output shaft has eccentric lobes mounted on it, which means they are offset from.

Figure # 7

1.5 Working of Wankel engine:

1.5.1 Intake:
When a tip of the rotor passes the intake port, fresh mixture starts entering into the first
chamber. The chamber draws fresh air until the second apex reaches the intake port & closes
it. At the moment, fresh air-fuel mixture is sealed into first chamber & is being taken away
for combustion.

1.5.2 Compression:
The chamber one(between corner 1 to corner 2) containing the fresh charge gets compressed
due to shape of the engine by the time it reaches to spark plug. While this
happens, a new mixture starts entering into the second chamber (between corners 2 to corner
3).The four strokes of the engine with the corners numbered.

1.5.3 Combustion:
When the spark plug ignites, the highly compressed mixture expands explosively. The
pressure of expansion pushes the rotor in forward direction. This happens until the first
corner passes through the exhaust port.
1.5.4 Exhaust:
As the peak OR corner 1 passes exhaust port, the hot high pressure combustion gases are free
to flow out of the port. As the rotor continues to move, the volume of chamber goes on
decreasing forcing the remaining gases out of port. By the time the corner 2 closes the
exhaust port, corner 1 passes by the intake port repeating the cycle. While the first chamber is
discharging gases, the second chamber (between corners 2 to corner 3) is under compression.
Simultaneously, chamber 3(between corners 3 to corner 1) is drawing fresh mixture. This is
the beauty of the engine – the four sequences of the four stroke cycle, which occur
consecutively in a piston engine, occur simultaneously in the Wankel engine, producing
power in a continuous stream.

Figure # 8