Peter Garvey, age 13, of Salt Lake City, Utah, for his question:

Who invented the Wankel engine?

Many inventors helped to make it workable. But this remarkable engine is named for Felix Wankel, no doubt because he was the first one who insisted that such an invention was possible. This German engineer inventor started working on a rotary type engine in the 1920s. Other inventors helped and in the 1950s, a rather clumsy model proved that the job was possible. More inventors helped to improve the model. Still more are needed to make the Wankel a suitable, anti pollution engine for our automobiles.

Actually this story began almost a century ago, when Nicolaus August Otto first demonstrated a workable internal combustion engine. This is the four stroke piston engine we still use in most of our cars. Its thrust is an up and down motion that requires a lot of extra mechanical gadgets to convert it into the rotary motion needed to turn the wheels. The hard working old piston engine has proved itself. But many mechanics knew that an engine that created rotary motion right off the bat would be better    if only somebody could invent one.

In the 1920s, many inventors were busy on the problem of creating such a rotary engine. Most of them gave up because the geometry of such an engine seemed impossible. But not Felix Wankel of Germany. Ile explored all sorts of circular combinations and in 1930 he established an institute where others could explore them further.

The first models were clumsy, but they showed promise. Germany's NSU Motor Works hoped to use Wankels' idea to develop a motor bike. Walter G. Froede, one of their inventors, worked with Wankel to improve the model. By 1956, they had made definite improvements. Then Curtiss Wright took the patents for further development in America. Their inventors Charles Jones and M. Bentele solved most of the worst problems and in 1960 produced a workable model that looked ready for mass production.

Meantime, back in Germany, NSU adopted the American improvements and added a few of their own. Their model is the basic Wankel now manufactured in Germany and Japan. America had a good reason for hanging back because by this time we were aware that auto emissions are a major cause of air pollution. Gas, steam, electricity and all other possible ideas were being considered for anti pollution engines to replace the old piston engine. The marvelous little Wankel did not promise to meet American standards for 1975.

Otto's sturdy old internal combustion engine is a good old work horse, even though it does waste energy and foul up the atmosphere. Felix did not give up when the wasted energy problem seemed impossible. So maybe what we need are some Wankeltype inventors to create a reliable built in emission control system. Then the remarkable little rotary engine might be just what we need and want in the family car.