ROTARY ENGINE

An internal combustion engine which is not of a reciprocating ( piston ) engine design. There is no true crankshaft , although the power-take-off shaft is sometimes called the crankshaft . It is stationary or fixed in that it simply spins in place. The central rotor turns in one direction only and yet produces the required intake , compression , firing and exhaust strokes . Because it uses rotary motion instead of reciprocating motion, the rotary engine has better balance and less vibration than piston engines. Two common rotary engines are the gas turbine and the Wankel.