this post was submitted on 21 Aug 2024
165 points (97.7% liked)

Wikipedia

4828 readers
58 users here now

A place to share interesting articles from Wikipedia.

Rules:

Recommended:

founded 2 years ago
MODERATORS
you are viewing a single comment's thread
view the rest of the comments
[–] zigmus64@lemmy.world 38 points 2 years ago (3 children)

Wankel types are so fucking cool. Not a lot of engines out there that can come close to their power to weight ratio.

Maintenance is just a bitch…

[–] Plum@lemmy.world 33 points 2 years ago (3 children)

Also you get to say Wankel all the time with a serious face.

[–] subignition@fedia.io 18 points 2 years ago (2 children)

You'd want to pronounce it closer to as it is in German to be accurate.

(/ˈvaŋkəl̩/, VUN-kell)

[–] Plum@lemmy.world 22 points 2 years ago (2 children)

Yeah, but I'm seven and a half years old and American.

[–] subignition@fedia.io 11 points 2 years ago (1 children)

Your account would then exist in violation of COPPA and should be banned.

(Yes, I'm aware you are not being serious.)

[–] kusivittula@sopuli.xyz 2 points 2 years ago (1 children)

so you pronounce it like a chinese?

[–] Plum@lemmy.world 2 points 2 years ago
[–] TriflingToad@lemmy.world 5 points 2 years ago

I don't think you understand how LITTLE that clears up the pronunciation

[–] captain_aggravated@sh.itjust.works 13 points 2 years ago (2 children)

Anyone who calls it a "rotary" engine is physically incapable of having fun. Plus rotary engines are reciprocating engines that powered early WW1 fighter planes, where the whole engine spins with the propeller for reasons I'm too modern to understand.

[–] Kecessa@sh.itjust.works 5 points 2 years ago

Air cooling, spin the heads so they get a whole lot of fresh air at all times and they're lighter than the alternatives.

[–] Mac@mander.xyz 5 points 2 years ago (1 children)

They're called rotaries because they have rotors.

[–] captain_aggravated@sh.itjust.works 9 points 2 years ago (1 children)

They're called wankels because it's a much funnier word.

[–] Mac@mander.xyz 5 points 2 years ago* (last edited 2 years ago)

They're called Wankels because one of the contributors was Felix Wankel and his last name happens to have humorous connotations.

[–] doctortofu@reddthat.com 4 points 2 years ago

Too bad there are no Tossel or Buggel engines though...

[–] Death_Equity@lemmy.world 4 points 2 years ago (1 children)

If they had only gone to laser ignition and roller apex seals...

[–] zigmus64@lemmy.world 6 points 2 years ago (1 children)

Huh… can you explain? Did they ever do research on roller apex seals?

Idk what you’re talking about with laser ignition, but I guess that the name is self explanatory… as in a laser pulse instead of a spark to ignite in the combustion phase….

But the roller seals are suuuuper fucking interesting. But that would bring its own issues. Sure you’d save the sliding of the apex seal against the chamber walls, but then you’ve got to deal with some sort of roller bearing exposed to the actual combustion process. Plus lubrication is still an issue…

Fun problem to think about!

[–] 13esq@lemmy.world 4 points 2 years ago

Also very fuel inefficient, which is the main reason you don't get them in cars anymore.