Wankel engine

American  

noun

1. an internal-combustion rotary engine that utilizes a triangular rotor that revolves in a chamber (rather than a conventional piston that moves up and down in a cylinder): it has fewer moving parts and is generally smaller and lighter for a given horsepower.

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Wankel engine British  

/ ˈwæŋkəl /

noun

1. a type of four-stroke internal-combustion engine without reciprocating parts. It consists of one or more approximately elliptical combustion chambers within which a curved triangular-shaped piston rotates, by the explosion of compressed gas, dividing the combustion chamber into three gastight sections

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Etymology

Origin of Wankel engine

Named after F. Wankel

Example Sentences

Even though Mazda's rotary Wankel engine was initially dirtier than the conventional reciprocating engine, the Japanese firm managed to control its emissions by installing a thermal reactor that burns the noxious gases.

From Time Magazine Archive

A mechanical wizard named Felix Wankel invented it in 1954, but it took NSU 13 years of tinkering to bring the "Wankel engine" to its present stage.

From Time Magazine Archive

At the time, nearly half of Mazda's vehicles used the revolutionary Wankel engine, in which a rotor instead of pistons produces the power.

From Time Magazine Archive

The Wankel engine is not as efficient as a diesel, but its makers say that its fuel consumption is about the same as the economical Volkswagen.

From Time Magazine Archive

Because of the unavailability of the light-weight Wankel engine that had been planned for the car, the Pacer is still 3,000 Ibs.

From Time Magazine Archive