Rotary engine with seal having elastomeric and metallic members

A rotary internal combustion engine comprising:

• a rotor;
• a rotor housing extending around an axis, the rotor housing having an inner face facing a rotor cavity containing the rotor, a first side and a second side opposite to the first side;
• a first side housing secured to the first side of the rotor housing, a second side housing secured to the second side of the rotor housing, the rotor located axially between the first side housing and the second side housing, and circumscribed by the rotor housing, the first side housing including a side wall secured to the rotor housing and a side plate, a peripheral section of the side plate disposed between the side wall and the rotor housing;
• and
• a seal received within a groove at an interface between the first side housing and the rotor housing, the groove annularly extending around the axis, located outwardly of the inner face of the rotor housing, and overlapping a peripheral section of the first side housing, the seal having:
• an elastomeric member compressed between the peripheral section of the first side housing and the rotor housing;
• and
• a metallic member in contact with both of the peripheral section of the first side housing and the rotor housing, the metallic member located radially between the inner face of the rotor housing and the elastomeric member, the metallic member configured for generating a pressure force on the side plate is at most 150 pounds by inch of length of the metallic member when the rotary internal combustion engine is non-operating.