What are the characteristics of a rotary engine?

[VanRobert]

Rotary engines are characterized by their compact size, relatively simple structure, excellent acceleration performance, and stable operation. Unlike conventional piston engines (excluding aircraft radial engines) that operate through reciprocating motion, rotary engines function via rotational movement, resulting in significantly less vibration and easier size control. Due to the low inertia of the rotor, rotary engines can quickly increase rotational speed, delivering superior acceleration performance. However, rotary engines have drawbacks such as high fuel consumption and heavy pollution. The absence of a high compression ratio like that in reciprocating engines leads to incomplete combustion. Although Mazda once introduced single and twin turbochargers to rotary engines, which increased horsepower output and moderately reduced exhaust emissions, they still lag far behind reciprocating engines in these aspects.