wankle rotary

The Rotary Wankle Engine

Supervisors:

Dr. Maher Younan
Dr. Mohy Mansour

Team Members:

Amir Bishay
Christine Moughalian
Karim Aguib
Mohab Hakim
Rafik Mourad

Objectives:

The project concentrates on an unconventional engine which is the Wankel engine which is a rotary type engine. The projects includes the study of the engine and its differences and similarities with conventional reciprocating engines. Hands on experience is gained from the attempt to overhaul an actual engine.

The first part of the project is involved in the theoretical study and analysis of the Wankel Engine. This included analysis of stress, geometry, dynamics, thermodynamics, and a comparison between the rotary and reciprocating engine.

Construction details of the engine is examined and an attempt of overhaul.

Achievements:

Although an excellent study was performed on the engine and its components and lots of work in the overhaul the engine did not start. This is because the engine bought was in a very bad condition and although a lot of parts were replaced yet the problem was not solved.

Student Evaluation:

1- How did you come up with the idea of the thesis?

We wanted to learn more about internal combustion engines, and at the same time try to add something to an existing design. After searching for unconventional types of engines, we decided that the Wankel was the engine with the highest power-to-weight ratio ever built, and that it had potential to be used in the Egyptian market if the problem of fuel economy could be solved. Therefore, we thought of buying a used Mazda RX-7 engine, overhauling it, and converting its fuel from petrol to natural gas.

2- What difficulties did you face?

The largest difficulty we faced during the overhaul was to replace the parts destroyed by wear with new ones that would provide sufficient sealing for the engine cycles. New spare parts for the Wankel engine cannot be found in Egypt, and are extremely expensive abroad. And due to faulty materials on the Egyptian market and inaccurate finishing at workshops, we could not reach the desired sealing to make the engine run properly.

3- Suggest any improvements or feasible recommendations?

We suggest that all the critical parts (e.g. apex seals) be original and bought from a Mazda dealer. Also, the engine should be tested with natural gas and regular gasoline and the better fuel should be used, according to thermodynamic tests.