The Collaborative International Dictionary
Rotary \Ro"ta*ry\, a. [L. rota a wheel. See Roll, v., and cf. barouche, Rodomontade, Rou['e], Round, a., Rowel.] Turning, as a wheel on its axis; pertaining to, or resembling, the motion of a wheel on its axis; rotatory; as, rotary motion.
Rotary engine, steam engine in which the continuous rotation of the shaft is produced by the direct action of the steam upon rotating devices which serve as pistons, instead of being derived from a reciprocating motion, as in the ordinary engine; a steam turbine; -- called also rotatory engine.
Rotary pump, a pump in which the fluid is impelled by rotating devices which take the place of reciprocating buckets or pistons.
Rotary shears, shears, as for cloth, metal, etc., in which revolving sharp-edged or sharp-cornered wheels do the cutting.
Rotary valve, a valve acting by continuous or partial rotation, as in the four-way cock.
Wiktionary
n. any of several types of internal combustion engine in which the power output is directly rotational
WordNet
n. an internal-combustion engine in which power is transmitted directly to rotating components
an internal-combustion engine having cylinders arranged radially around a central crankcase [syn: radial engine]
Wikipedia
This type of engine was widely used as an alternative to conventional inline engines ( straight or V) during World War I and the years immediately preceding that conflict. It has been described as "a very efficient solution to the problems of power output, weight, and reliability".
By the early 1920s, however, the inherent limitations of this type of engine had rendered it obsolete, with the power output increasingly going into overcoming the air-resistance of the spinning engine itself. The rotating mass of the engine also caused significant gyroscopic precession: depending on the type of aircraft, this produced stability and control problems, especially for inexperienced pilots. Another factor in the demise of the rotary was the fundamentally inefficient total-loss oiling system, caused by the need to aspirate the fuel/air mixture through the hollow crankshaft and crankcase along with the lubricating medium, as in a two-stroke engine.
A rotary engine is a type of internal combustion piston engine used in some early aircraft, motorcycles, and cars. Virtually the whole engine rotates about a fixed crankshaft.
Rotary engine may also refer to:
- Pistonless rotary engine - pistonless internal combustion engines, e.g. the Wankel engine used in some NSU and Mazda cars.
- Turbine - a rotary engine that extracts energy from a fluid flow
- Windmill - a rotary engine that extracts energy from wind
- Waterwheel - a rotary engine that extracts energy from water
For internal combustion piston engines with a fixed engine block of radially-mounted cylinders driving a rotating crankshaft, see radial engine.
Usage examples of "rotary engine".
The Racers run smoothly, with a fine-tuned stride like a Wankel rotary engine.
They had to speak loudly to be heard over the air-cooled rotary engine.
He had just made a mental note that the dangers of war flying had been grossly exaggerated by the other pilots who had spoken to him about it, when a strange noise reached his ears above the powerful roar of his Bentley rotary engine.
With the throttle wide open and the big rotary engine howling in full power, Michael followed him up, aiming his climb at the cable halfway between the earth and the balloon, at the spot where the balloon would be when he reached it, and that was a mere 500 feet above the heads of the gunners.
Then the whirr of the rotary engine was lost in the rush of high-pressure air as Guerrero opened the valve of his air bottle.
Could he actually use an oxygen-breathing Wankel rotary engine to power a tiny generator on an airless planet?
Gasping, he glanced back in time to see his snowmobile, its rotary engine humming, as it slid into the chasm.
It smelled strongly of gasoline and the castor oil lubricant that shone on the cylinders of the little rotary engine where they protruded through the foreward body.
As it gained speed, she held her breath, released the clutch and bit her lip until the unmuffled rotary engine began whining.
Before its too late, before were back to the days of the Gnome rotary engine with its revolving outside cylinders and its castor-oil lubricant.
Before it's too late, before we're back to the days of the Gnome rotary engine with its revolving outside cyl-inders and its castor-oil lubricant.
Before it's too late, before we're back to the days of the Gnome rotary engine with its revolving outside cylinders and its castor-oil lubricant.